School education for students till 10th standard is almost same for all the students. But after 10th standard, students are facing lot of issues & confusion in choosing career after 10th. Don’t worry, we have specially provided this post to help all the candidates to make you avoid the common mistakes that most students commit while choosing career.

Life after 10th standard, this phase will give you the first taste of adulthood and introduce you to a very important life skill i.e. Decision Making. As the term suggests, decision making is all about taking the right decision or making an informed choice, after evaluating all the pros and cons associated with it. And the career direction post class 10 is the first major decision that you will encounter in your life, but it will surely not be the last one.

Below listed are some of the commonly committed mistakes by many students while choosing their career after 10th standard.

Trying to fulfil your parent’s dream – Parents want the best for their children and with these intentions often they impose their career choices for their children. At the same time children should respect their parents for their intentions. However, parents must be careful not to steer their children to do something that they themselves like or prefer. Rather, children should be encouraged to choose a stream that best suits their talent and abilities.

Following the crowd/friends – This is one of the most common mistakes which most of the students unknowingly make. Many students just take up any stream because their friends have decided to take that stream. This can turn out to be the worst decision of their lives.  It is necessary that you chose the stream which you are most passionate about rather than doing what most of the students are doing.

Choosing a stream without retrospecting – At times, one needs to look inside before looking outside and very often at this tender age, help is required. Every child has some special qualities and certain weaknesses. Every child has a personality and interests. The interest does not necessarily lead to a very specific career path but the choice of stream should be based on trying to maximise skills and capabilities of the child. Parents need to talk to their children very patiently and help them understand the difference between various streams.

Parental/Societal pressure – I am sure many students would have faced this situation. I am sure, that many parents would have given the examples of some Sharma or Gupta to influence the decision of their child. This can lead to a flawed career decision. It might look like that science stream is everything. But if you get proper career guidance from an expert (career counsellor), choosing a career path after 10th will be much easier.

Picking something at random – I don’t know what to do, but this looks OK. I can always switch careers later. Does that sound familiar? Do you have friends or relatives who have said that, and now they’re stuck in a career they cannot stand, but can’t get out of? It happens a lot. People choose a career because it’s convenient or easy and they end-up realising that decision his a mistake and that career has no future.

Lack of proper knowledge – There are a huge number of career options after 10th. If we go back 10-20 years ago, there were very fewer career options to choose from. But now the scenario is completely different. There are many career options available and with the help of proper career guidance and career counselling, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Getting attracted to Job Status – A heavy sounding job title might be enticing but don’t be tempted to fall for that trap otherwise you could end up unsatisfied. Some job titles have prestige attached to them and many people make the wrong choices in choosing careers based on that. For example, you may want to be a doctor because you’ll earn a good salary and respect? But you’ll have to pull many emergency and overnight shifts. You’ll have to do a lot of sacrificing and if you’re in the profession for the wrong reasons you won’t be satisfied. Weigh the pros and cons to see if you’re choosing a career for the right reasons. Don’t let other people influence your decision.

Choosing a career based on a role model – Every child grows up with a role model in mind. This role model can be a family member, a person known to them or a famous personality. More often than not a student’s aim in life will centre on their role model. However the role model’s profession may not always be the best suited profession for the child as the child may be interested in pursuing the profession but may not have the aptitude or capabilities to excel in the same profession.

Looking for career shortcuts – Cutting corners while you’re still young might seem ideal, but could leave you frustrated when you’re older. Don’t try to take the easy way out by choosing the easiest career. Having skill sets which come easily to you isn’t an indication of the path you should take. For example just because accounting was an easy subject for you at school, it doesn’t mean you should be an accountant.

Choosing career for Money – Certain careers are very alluring because of the salary and other benefits they offer.Be careful. Money is a very important element and understanding monetary returns for certain professions is important. However that is not a basis for a career decision. Money does not always buy happiness. Remember that you may make more money, but if you don’t enjoy what you are doing you’ll probably be spending that money on stress management and health related expenses.

Before taking decision, explore your interest as you have lots of subjects in options to select. Don’t select options depending on which subject you like or which subject is easy. Because there may be 1 subject you like but other subjects in that field may be difficult for you, then it would be wrong choice.

Select the field which you don’t feel bored even after studying so much. That is, think of your final goal. Don’t depend on results/Marks. Percentage is not the only factor, there are many other things like interest and ability to study. Decide now itself what you want to study after 12th and what you need to study to achieve that goal.