Dilemmas of career selection

Decisions having diverse ramification are taken by practically every person on a continual basis. To presume therefore, that decision-making is a complicated knack is being, to a large extent, rather bizarre. Research has nonetheless indicated that most people are a lot weaker at decision-making than they fell about themselves. If the implications of decision-making are comprehended well, the process per se will prove effectual.

Meaning & connotation

There is something called a decision milieu within the parameters and strictures of which every decision is made. A decision milieu can be described as an assortment of gathered facts, options, standards and priorities that are obtainable at the time a decision is taken. In spite of this, the gathered facts and options are held back on account of the greater amount of time required for their acquisition and detection respectively.

The constriction of time suggests that a decision has to be arrived at within stipulated period of time. On the other hand, endeavour constriction manifests the restrictions imposed by number of people involved, financial resources available and precedence set. Since decisions are to be taken within this limited milieu, it will not be presumptuous to state that the biggest impediments to decision-making are ambiguity and insecurity.

It is a foregone conclusion that the prime objective of decision scrutiny ought to be their lessening. It is a fact that the factual data required to take a correct decision will never be readily available, hence all decisions will be plagued with ambiguity and insecurity; therefore, the peril factor will always be there.

The influence of quantity

A sound decision can be arrived at with a specific quantity of information. But people tend to seek and consider more than the necessary amount. This leads to several problems. The time taken will be more because of correspondingly more time required to gather and handle the additional data. Resultantly, the value potential of the decision will reduce. In addition, information surplus that will set in will lead to several issues being inadvertently overlooked.

All human beings have limited brain capacity to handle data, like in the case of different memory configurations of computers. If information is not synthesized properly, that received first will always have a tendency to be addressed first. Consequently, mental exhaustion takes place; information flowing in is disregarded and already available base is not remembered.

The circumstances can also be described thus: decisions entail selecting the best one from amongst a series of readily available ones. The decision almanac, if it may be called so is nothing but a pool of earlier decisions taken. Interestingly, all previous decisions would have triggered some options and perhaps brought to a standstill some.

The importance of decision-making               

If one were to go to a readymade garments store to purchase a shirt, the limitations of choice available posed by the availability of stocks and brands will always exist. There could well be scores and scores of brands in the market, but the store would be offering just a fraction of them. In this situation the decision to select the best shirt would be hampered by the decision of the shopkeeper to stock only those that he is displaying. This explains the criticality of the decision-making process.

Decision-making is a very critical factor in both career selection and progression. It has the potential of securing or ruining the career prospects of any youth. The career selection decision has to be very judicious and equally astute. And it is in this context that ability and penchant tests are conducted; they invariably offer great advantages in that students recognize their own aptitudes and capabilities. Resultantly they are able to milk them for career development.

The most significant feature of career development is its correct selection. It is important because if does not select his or her career well, the years to follow will always be afflicted by acute problems, both mental and emotional. In the light of the foregoing, the need to appreciate and comprehend various causative factors of such impasses cannot be overemphasized.  

The why of wrong career decisions

There are three prime reasons that make one to take incorrect career decisions:

·   Information dearth:  If adequate information or data is not available, selecting a correct career can turn out to be a stumbling block at the very outset itself. The world at large is relatively unknown to a majority of the youth who reside in small cities. A very distorted and prejudiced portrait of what is transpiring in the current era is available to them, as a result the character and coincident eminence of the career intended to be joined are never discerned by them. Unrealizable aspirations follow and eventually become a cause of torment.

·   Readiness deficit:  There have been many instances when apt individuals could not continue in good jobs or lost out on offers because of a disposition of reluctance, disinclination or even aversion towards them. For example, t is a known fact that very few boys and girls prefer to work in field or in harsh conditions and cannot ever reconcile to the idea of doing so. Perks and remunerations hold out no meaning for them. This readiness deficit could well be inborn or stimulated.

·   Impetus debit:  In a large number of cases, people have to be goaded to get work out of them, whether they are adept to do so or not being of no consequence. This inspiration or enthusiasm turns out to be a very intense component of career choice and development. People who are introverted and diffident invariably lose out on being motivated or taking lessons on it. They, more often than not are ‘my horse also ran’ types.

The decision to select a particular career has to be necessarily well thought-out. It is   out of question to even think of it without knowing what you are cut out for. If you are not aware of this crucial aspect, the future will be as uncertain and unstable as ever.