Who Broke This Toy?
In our previous article we had seen that human potentials could manifest as the Linguistic, Analytical-Logical, Spatial, Personal and Physical-Mechanical. All of us have all five potentials to varying levels. This article speaks about the Personal Potential.
“Become a Social Worker!? Arvind was incredulous! “How will I earn a living out of it?” he exclaimed. “Anyway that’s a career for girls,” he added under his breath. “Well, you’re a natural leader and you seem to understand people’s feelings. Why not look at careers related to these skills and aptitudes?” his counsellor asked. Arvind seemed rather skeptical. “I may be good with people”, he said, “but what viable career can I make out of this skill?” Little did 17-year-old Arvind realize that a large percentage of the jobs available in India today are in the Service Industry and in professions related to people.
The Human Resource
The people professions require a sensitivity to the feelings, and thinking patterns of other people. The ability to understand the differences between individuals and respond to them accordingly lies at the heart of the Personal Potential, an area that is often not taken seriously, when career decisions are made. Today, the human resource and human relationships are placed at a high priority. In the world of Industry, for example, the modern emphasis is on the person behind the machine… not just the machine and its well-being.
“Who Broke This Toy?”
Aby, a little four-year-old went with his mother to visit a few pre-schools. They went to many and Aby didn’t like any of them. When he entered Sabitha’s preschool, he pounced on a broken toy elephant lying on the ground and exclaimed, “Who broke this”? Sabitha, the teacher, smiled, walked up to him and said, “Aby, in this school, no one will scold you if toys break.” A perfect example of the Personal Potential. Aby didn’t really want to know who broke the toy. What he did want to know was, what would happen to him if he broke a toy in school. Sabitha, understood this. Of course, Aby chose Sabitha’s school to be his school!
Who are the People Professionals?
These careers range from working with children, youth, the middle aged and the elderly, to workers, executives, sports persons, the handicapped, and even those who are ill. Clinical Psychologists, for example, use various forms of psychotherapy and behaviour therapy to help people who are under mental strain and emotional turmoil. Other branches of psychology focus on children, education and industry. Psychiatrists are medical doctors, who work with Clinical Psychologists, providing the necessary medical back up, when a person is mentally upset. Social Work used to be associated with well-intentioned people providing voluntary service. The modern Social Worker holds at least a post graduate degree and is skilled in dealing with human problems that are the result of social factors. The Social Worker’s expertise extends to schools, hospitals, factories, companies, communities and even in prisons and helping people recover from disasters. Providing people with the comforts of home when they are away from home requires a special kind of skill. Professionals in hotels, tourism and airline services are examples of careers in the hospitality industry.
As you can see, the People Professions span a wide range of career areas. Teaching, Administration, Management, Rehabilitation Sciences, Sales and Marketing, Special Education, are some of the other people based careers. The list is a long one and each of these careers are rapidly growing.
What about yourself? Do you feel you might fit into one of the People Professions? Perhaps you are one of those people who are sensitive to the needs, moods, feelings and thoughts of the others around you. The People Professionsencompass a wide range of career possibilities. And today there are a large number of opportunities for those who can place homo sapiens at the heart of their careers.
Today, the demand for people who understand people is on a definite upswing. Do you enjoy being with people? Can you relate to the nuances of others’ moods and feelings? Most importantly, can you set aside personal feelings, to understand and reach out to the needs of others? If the answer is yes, then perhaps the People Professions are for you.
This article is a part of a series of articles developed especially for parents by The Promise Foundation
through its Jiva Career Guidance Programme. For more information please contact Naushad Awadia
who is a licensed Jiva Career Counsellor in your area at naushad_awadia@yahoo.com or write to us
at promise@vsnl.com
