Whether you are finishing your education after achieving a bachelor’s degree or struggling to progress in your career development, the next stage of your life will have challenges for you to face. You are now a young professional with little or no experience and limitless enthusiasm and curiosity about the next step in the industry of your interest. The future seems exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time, and that is absolutely normal.
The main concern of graduates after getting a diploma or a degree is finding a job with the little experience they have. Graduates start applying for jobs even before the end of their graduation. Most graduate job applications receive no response whatsoever, a fact that makes the process of job research feel like an endless cycle. The lack of response from recruiters in combination with the individual’s financial pressure, relocation after graduation -moving from wider support networks including friends and professors, and the need for independence lead to unpleasant feelings and a state of ‘stuckness’. Stress takes over, and it affects graduates’ motivation and mental health.
The sociologist Ulrich Teichler in one of his articles highlights how important is to reduce the gap between higher education and the world of work. On one side of the bridge, you are in the classroom learning about an industry of interest, and on the other side, you are struggling to get into the operational place of business within that industry. Higher education and Universities should prepare students for the new employment patterns and their potential contributions to innovation in society. Unfortunately, college diplomas and degrees are not automatic ‘tickets’ to the career fast track, and the stress of this reality negatively affects more and more students nowadays.
The role of the career coach is to encourage students and young professionals to find a path to a solution taking into consideration the individual’s interests, skills, and personality. During the sessions and the coaching videos, a career advisor helps graduates to create a clearer picture of their skills and goals for the future and encourage students to reduce negative personal stressors and increase acute stress, which will provide them with energy and alertness to deal with several situations during the job search. Career coaching is a key tool to foster students’ career development and the employability of graduates
Have a good one:)
Bibliography:
Teichler, U. Higher education policy and the world of work: changing conditions and challenges. High Educ Policy 12, 285–312 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0952-8733(99)00019-7
Okolie, U.C., Nwajiuba, C.A., Binuomote, M.O., Ehiobuche, C., Igu, N.C.N. and Ajoke, O.S. (2020), “Career training with mentoring programs in higher education: Facilitating career development and employability of graduates”, Education + Training, Vol. 62 No. 3, pp. 214-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-04-2019-0071
