1. Describe the career counseling program at your school?
Assessment, Awareness, Guidance & Placements are the four pillars of our career counseling program. In Class X, a psychometric assessment is conducted through DBDA – Davis Battery of Differential Abilities. It helps in understanding various skills and abilities of a child. The assessment results are shared with children and parents. Later, the school provides guidance and counseling, considering both the results and the child’s aspirations. We also organize multiple psychometric tests to understand the strengths and weaknesses of every individual student. After which the child is exposed to multiple opportunities ensuring the child reaches a suitable UG university/institute of his/her choice.
Informative sessions by TOI, Mindler, CIALFO, educationists, and counselors are organized. Secondly, university outreach teams are invited to guide students about present and upcoming career opportunities. Personalized guidance toward career choices and options is provided, and the counselor assists the child in placements right from filling out the forms and gathering letters of recommendation (LORs) to aligning them with the concerned university/college.
The school also organizes university campus visits. Universities such as Masters Union University, OP Jindal University, BML Munjal University, Pearl Academy, SRCC, and Shaheed Sukhdev College are a few examples that our students have recently explored.
2. What are the measures taken to help career counselors perform better?
The career counselors serve as a strong support system for students. They are equipped and empowered through career counseling courses, such as those completed at UCLA, enabling them to organize sessions, seminars, and outreach activities independently. Furthermore, career counselors and teachers are encouraged to participate in career counseling sessions conducted by professional agencies.
3. Does the school collaborate with any external career counseling companies?
We have collaborated with CIALFO & High School Moms to enhance our support and expertise. These organizations offer personality assessment tests and counseling sessions, aiding students in their university applications and selection process. Additionally, CIALFO’s website facilitates the maintenance of student portfolios, showcasing their achievements during their school tenure. This portfolio is valuable for students to directly submit proof of their accomplishments to universities/colleges and seek credit or scholarships.
We also participated in the Corporate Initiation Program (CIP), where our students engaged in a month-long exploration of their interests alongside suitable opportunities in Singapore. They gained real-time experiences during interactions with professors at NUS, Singapore. Some sessions were led by NUS professors, and students received certificates for their participation.
The school has established a career counseling cell where ample literature on courses and universities is available. An annual career fair is organized in December, informing every student and parent about visiting universities and guiding them to list their preferred areas, courses, and universities.
4. How does the school monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of career counseling services?
Surveys and feedback play a crucial role in assessing the impact of these services. Regular inquiries with students about their satisfaction, the helpfulness of guidance received, and their level of understanding about career options are conducted.
Follow-up surveys are carried out to assess the long-term impact. Tracking students’ journeys post-school, including college acceptance rates, enrollment in vocational programs, and successful entry into various career paths like defense forces, helps evaluate the effectiveness of career counseling services. Stakeholders’ feedback is also sought regularly to gather insights into areas for improvement and to identify success stories.
