Page 72 - DEDU502_GUIDANCE_AND_COUNSELING_ENGLISH

Guidance and Counseling

Notes required by advocates and teachers, etc., mechanical ability by doctors and engineers, etc.
Hence, prior to the selection of a profession it is essential for the individual to be aware of
his mental abilities.
(5) Aptitudes : Success in a particular profession seems to depend to some extent upon one’s
aptitude for it. If a person lacks artistic and creative aptitude, there is not much likelihood
of his succeeding in the role of an artist, and one need not expect it. As a general rule, it is
advisable for every person to join the profession for which he has any natural aptitude.
Hence, knowledge of a person’s aptitude is also essential before he can be given any
vocational guidance.
(6) Interests : Interest helps to increase the possibility of success in a profession. Interesting
work is done enthusiastically and patiently while uninteresting work tends to fall upon
most men and requires very conscious application to be carried through. It need hardly be
respected, as a slogan is, that a knowledge of the person’s interest in essential before any
vocational guidance can be rendered.
(7) Health and Physical Development : As a general rule proper health and physical development
are necessarily taken into consideration in every profession, but in certain other occupations
success depends almost solely upon these factors. For success in the armed forces or in the
police department health and good physical development are quite essential. In the absence
of these factors the presence of not other qualities of ability will bring success to the
individual. Hence, physical development, constitution and health are additional factors that
must be taken into consideration when the question of vocational guidance comes for
consideration.
(8) Nature : Different people show very pertinent and obvious difference in their nature, some
being introverted while others more extroverted. And, different kinds of people can
successfully settle down only in some specific professions that suit their nature. An
extroverted personality, for example, is an essential if one wants to succeed as a salesman,
agent, administrator or even as a leader, while on the other hand, gifted introverts make
great artists, authors, scholars, scientists, specialists, etc. If choice of profession is contrary to
one’s natural inclination, deprives the individual’s life of happiness and contentment, and
the profession becomes a burden. While, if the profession conforms to one’s nature, then
one is happy and enthusiastic in his work, and these conditions are conducive to progress
and success. Hence, before vocational guidance can be ventured upon, it is necessary to
judge a person’s nature also.
(9) Personality Characteristics : It is a fact generally known that different qualities of the
personality are required in such widely separated professions as teaching, artistic creation,
selling, labour work, etc. Hence, choice of profession should also be made with a due
regard for the qualities of the person’s personality.
(10) Financial Status : As a general rule, it is improper and unnecessary to take into consideration
a person’s financial status before making a choice of profession, but in a country like India
where scholarships are hard to come by the economic status of the students also plays an
important part in his choice of the future that he wants to shape for himself. Now a person
with middle class status is in no position to afford a technical or medical education for his
child because either of these two special courses involve the expenditure of a considerable
amount of money. And it is unnecessary and improper to advise poor and needy person to
go in for higher education when he cannot afford it. It is equally useless to advise such a
person to choose a profession in which high education and specialised qualifications are
desired. There are many examples of people who came from poor families having gained
very high education and improved themselve lot in life. The text or crux of the matter is
that instead of discouraging a student from entertaining thoughts of a profession of which
he apparently has not the economic means, the psychologist should expand his effort in

66 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY