Rimsha Salam

Career Counseling: ​Why we need to start early One of the biggest difficulties that I have encountered during my time as a student was deciding which career path to pursue. I dreamt about every possible career imaginable. Believed all was achievable. And all was well. But, as I came closer and closer to the end of my studies picking a single path to tread on became more and more difficult as well. To some, this may sound absurd but I was in a dilemma. There are people who just stumble across the thing they are meant to do, they find a career they love a job that gives them joy. Those are the lucky ones. But, for some, like me, who find every other career exciting, all prospects intriguing, who dream of being architects, engineers, astronauts, artists, and celebrities all at the same time, for us making the end choice is the hardest decision. This is because we face difficulties matching our skillset with what we are passionate about. For some people, this is because they haven’t found their passion yet, they have trouble identifying their strengths, or because they can’t find a link between them. The cause of this predicament: lack of proper counseling. In Pakistan, there is an alarming lack of it. Students don’t have easy access to working professionals who would be willing to guide at School and College level. This is because there is no proper system or program that enables it. There are a few ways to get career counseling at University level mainly through sessions and seminars but they are still not enough and in retrospect, a tad too late. Career counseling is taken very lightly in our country. For a lot of students, the only counseling they get is a bit of advice from their father, uncle or any other relative. This drastically limits our prospects. We are left unaware of all the possibilities that are available to us. And when it comes to women, it is way worse. A lot of women in Pakistan never plan on having a career. That’s because of the notion that is prevalent in our society that a woman is destined to be a homemaker. I intend no offense to those women who dedicate their lives to their children and family, they are heroes. But, that doesn’t mean that a woman can not have a career if she wishes to. And we all have the right to choose whichever path we take. This warrants that counseling be available to young girls from the beginning so that they are made aware of all of the available opportunities. Our country is full of talent. It is on a peak of a new era, an era that will be owned by us and by those who come after us. So this is our chance to ensure that we take steps that enable the dormant talent in our country’s youth to grow. Only with education, we can rise from the ashes. And I have strong hope that soon we will. If we strive together to bring a new tomorrow, a different one, a better one.