When peeling the onion wipes your tears!
Last week, I was in a career counselling session with an undergraduate. He was keen to figure out what to do next as jobs become scarce in the COVID-19 crisis. If he decided to study further, what should he study?
Prior to COVID-19, a large part of my counselling sessions would focus on options that seem suitable and attempt to help the counselee understand the prospect better and make well-informed choices.
Post COVID-19, a larger part of my counselling sessions focuses on increasing self-awareness. So, through the session, “I peel the onion called the occupational-self further”.
Let’s say that my counselee was looking at hospitality as a professional option a few weeks back. Now, post the COVID-19 crisis this option no longer looks stable! So, if he sees himself as only a hospitality professional he is sure to feel overwhelmed and helpless.
So, my counselee needs to change focus. He needs to answer the question which aspect of him makes him a good fit for hospitality? Here is where I start the dialog of “let’s peel the onion further”. Here are some likely attributes of hospitality professionals:
- Love being with people
- Have a great sense of aesthetics
- Great interpersonal social skills
- Don’t care much for maths sums etc.
Now when my counselee sees the list above, he can potentially map it to new and emerging careers to see if he makes a good fit for other careers. Interpersonal and social skills can be applied to many careers and these are essential in the current and future world. So, he feels stronger as his strength comes from deeper self-awareness, not from environmental stability. The moment the environment becomes unstable, he knocks at his inner self to get answers. And that is true empowerment.
And that’s why peeling the onion further can wipe your tears and make you smile! Career counselling based on an understanding of your inner-self is even more essential in post COVID-19 times. Just make sure you go to an experienced and qualified psychologist to get that understanding.
Sharing a post COVID-19 career counselling review. See you online.
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