Career Guidance
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), Career Guidance is the assistance rendered by an individual to another solving of problems related to his / her progress and vocational selection keeping in mind the individual’s peculiarities or special abilities, interest, aptitude and their relations with his / her occupational opportunity.
Career Guidance is an interpersonal process designed to assist individuals with Career Development problems. Throughout its history, career guidance has been known by a number of different names, including Vocational Guidance, Occupational Counseling, and Vocational Counseling etc.
In general Career Guidance is the assistance given to students and job seekers in choosing and preparing for a suitable job.
Objectives of Career Guidance
To support the undergraduates / graduate job seekers in their efforts to under take
- Career Education
- Career Exploration
- Career Choice
- Career planning
- Career Management
Activities of Career Guidance
- Career Counseling
- Information Services
- Networking
- Work Experience
- Graduate placement services
Career Counseling: Provision of guidance, counseling and training to the undergraduates / job seekers in areas such as career exploration, self-assessment, career planning, job search techniques, requirements of the world of work today, and transition to the world of work (including C.V writing, facing of interviews, aptitude tests).
Information Services: Development and provision of information services including those on recent graduates their profiles & availability and their destinations (tracer studies), about labor market trends, skills/ competency profiles in demand, as well as opportunities for employment, self-employment, entrepreneurship, training and further study.
Networking: Networking with persons, institutions, trade and professional bodies, voluntary organizations etc outside the university (not ignoring the alumni of each university) with particular attention to the private sector and being a privileged interface between them and the university, its academic programmes, graduates and the undergraduates to serve the interests of all parties involved contributing to a process whereby employable graduates reach the labor market.
Work Experience: Collaborating with the parties referred to above and the academic departments (that do not have integrated work experience as part of a study programme) to develop / facilitate short programmes of exposure to and experience of the world of work (including as feasible internships, placements, vacation work, mentoring, work shadowing, volunteer work, course-related projects / research). (It is noted that some of the above imply guiding and supporting the undergraduates in finding solutions by them)
Graduate Placement: Facilitation and provision of work-search services to graduating students and recent graduates, and recruitment services to prospective employers and collaboration with inter-university and national initiatives in this regard.
Composition of Career Guidance
- Language Skills (English / Sinhala / Tamil)
- Computer Skills
- Generic / soft / transferable skills / competencies
- Self Management Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Organizational Skills
- Leadership, Time Management and Punctuality
- Team work
- Critical / Creative Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Social Harmony
Transition to world of work (CV writing, facing an interview, aptitude test)
4. World of Work
- Job Market Trend & related Information
- Expectation of employers
- Job search techniques
5. Guidance for further studies
6. Self employment & entrepreneurship
7. Training & work experiences
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