Psychometric Assessment is very effective for selecting the career option – Prathamesh Kapote

Prathamesh Kapote is the Founder and Director of Canvas. He speaks about need for unbiased career advice when deciding one’s career in an interview with Amarjeet.

Amarjeet Sharma (AS): Please brief us about your Educational background?

Prathamesh Kapote (Pratham): B.A (Clinical Psychology), BSL.LLB, Certified Psychomterician and Career Psychologist from British Psychology Society(bps), UK. Certified Therapist – Narrative Therapy, Adelaide, Australia and Mindfulness Therapist. Certified Master Trainer for Life Skills.

AS: What has your time as a Career Counsellor meant to you personally and why?

Pratham: As a Career Counsellor means to explore the different opportunities in the careers. Connecting with Children,  Youth and Parents have always been one of my interest and sensitizing them about the career opportunities is very much needed to select the career option without being biased.

AS: How did you get into Career Counselling? What interested you into Career Counselling?

Pratham: Its been years that I have been into career counselling field and have been working effectively. I personally didn’t get the right guidance for the career selection and one of my strong interests have been to work with the children and youth community and this interest got me into Career Counselling field.

AS: Which tools do you use for guiding careers?

Pratham: The first tool that I recommend to students and parents ; and which is very effective for selecting the career option is Psychometric Career Aptitude Assessment.

If not assessment, then consider the students Interest and Passion and then guide them in the career selection.

AS: Why do you think it’s important for students and parents to undergo Career Counselling together?

Pratham: Career Counselling for Students and Parents is very much needed because most of the students and parents carry only one narrative about the career selection and are hardly aware about other career options. The other thing that parents carry is the discourse for different careers; which is not true. Going for the Career Counselling helps Parents to have a holistic approach towards the career selection for their child and also broadens the horizon for the careers. For students they become aware about the different career options about which they have never heard of and that gives them a sense of agency to decide their career option as per their Interest and Passion. It do not restrict the Parents and Students in the career selection rather it provides wide options to select.

AS: What are the top 3-5 skills you should have to become an effective Career Counsellor?

Pratham: The skills that makes me an effective career counsellor is :-

1. An indepth research about the career opportunities
2. Effective Communication Skills
3. Understanding the Students and Parents issues and trying to solve the issue.
4. Effective and Creative Presentation Skills
5. Not to be Judgemental about anyone.

(AS): What is your advice for newbies, who are looking at building a career in Career Counselling industry?

Halim: Take up a formal training to understand the dynamics of the profession as finally it’s a question of a student’s career and life at large. Always help the student discover independence and wisdom to decide for themselves.  Stay updated regarding the latest development and the best practices in the field as well as in Technology. Refresh knowledge on all the dimensions of career information regularly. At last, bear in mind that it’s a life long learning opportunity.

(AS): There are many new career options that have come up over the last decade which was not heard of before, how do you stay updated on the latest trends in Career?

Halima: Newsletters, Newspapers and career journals. Reading career case studies.

(AS): Which are the Career Information resources (i.e. newsletters/ blogs/ websites/ apps) you visit regularly?

Halima: Journal of Career Assessment

American Counselling Association Newsletters

Education times, Employment news

(AS): Share the names of 3 people you respect when it comes to Career Counselling?

Halima: Pervin Malhotra

Saroj Arya

(AS): Would you like to share few words/suggestions about the work we are doing at CareerGuide?

Halima: Only platform connecting inquisitive students to enthusiastic career experts with technology running the entire show. Easily accessible smart technology coupled with quality assessment used here is definitely the desperate need of the hour. Hope someday, scheduled video sessions and academic counseling will also be incorporated.