Post SEE and midst of +2 exams it is not unsual for youths to be confused and possibly misjudge their further education and career. Some of the youths may have the specific career interests but might not know about the available education options while some of them might be completely unaware about the future career.
To really understand if that is the case, we conducted a small survey on 30 youths in Bhaktapur. The number of respondents according to their educational level were: SEE appeared 3, +2 level 9, Bachelor 17 and 1 respondent from the Master level.
We know that this small survey cannot generalize all individual Nepali youths as the answer could vary from individual to individual. However, it surely will provide us with an insight to the level of confusion for the locals. Here is the Bhaktapur survey’s findings:
Career Decision
Source: Field Survey 2018
According to the survey, more than three-quarter want to career and education decision themselves while the rest let their parents and friends decide for them.
How are the youths making decisions by themselves?
If youth have enough information about individual personalities and available career, they become more comfortable to take career decision themselves. They recognize the matching career they are passionate about and change their inherent passion into a career. On the other hand, youths who really do not know themselves usually tend to follow other's trend, follow friends' interests.
Are the youths that are making decisions themselves completely clear about their career choices?
Yes, to some extent. According to the responses, half repondants were clear about what they want to do for their career.
However, we found a very high 23.3% youths that were completely unaware of their career choices. They were either confused about their choices or unaware of the possibilities in Nepal.
What was striking was that even after choosing the certain career, most of the youth seem confused about the education pathway to reach that certain career.
How clear are the youths to decide the best education to reach the targeted career option?
In short, not so clear. According to the responses, only 26.67 percentages were crystal clear about their education, whereas more than 70 percentages of youth are clear or somehow unclear about the education that will take them to their desired career.
Why is that the case?
Definitely lacking enough information is the major case. There are different educational option to reach certain career, without knowing these option regardless of whether one studies or not, this does not lead individual anywhere.
What form of information do the youths need to make the right career choices?
- Know yourselves
We cannot make right choices without understanding ourselves. Understanding ourselves mean that we should be able to accurately answer the following questions.
- What are my interesting areas?
- What things give me pleasure?
- What are my values?
- Why do I like what I like?
If you are not able to answer the questions, or somehow confused, there is a different counseling tool that is introduced in Nepal for the first time. You can understand your personalities and interest through that.
2. Know the Job market
More than 300 jobs exist in Nepal. Just knowing that helps. Around 20 job sectors (Agriculture, Engineering, Social work, Media…) exists. When vast choices are provided, the youths can find their right career for themselves.
3. Know your ability and limitations
Without understanding what you can do and what you can’t makes career choices even more difficult. Even after completing the education, one might not be able to give their best in the said career sector. List out your individual abilities and limitations. This will be a step forward for a more reflective way to decide right career according to your inherent talents.
4. Understand the educational choices
Same career option can have more than one education choices. Not all education needs to be academic. Some jobs would be benefitted by either professional courses or training. There is education system which will help you to know education option that you can choose to have the certain career.
We learnt that the youths who consider themselves their own decision makers tend not to know about what education to choose. There seems to be an overwhelming amount of confusion regarding education and career for all the levels of youths (SEE, +2, Bachelors and Masters).[:]