Natalia Tomás Navarro
Head of Sixth Form

 

Choosing a career is a long and daunting process, but it all starts with a good grounding in the fundamentals. It is therefore important that students understand the what, how and why of the process of career guidance.

All students have the right to acquire the knowledge, information, skills and experience necessary to identify their options and, finally, to be able to narrow them down in order to make a career decision, and that’s where an early start makes all the difference. This journey that helps students make mature and informed decisions begins with the act of seeking advice and it is paramount that this guidance, or this showing the way, is a shared and coordinated effort between school and home.

Furthermore, the use of technology to help all the working groups involved in this process is increasingly frequent, as it promotes interest and provides useful and available information for all those involved in this task.

What is career guidance?

Career guidance is a process that helps students understand their interests, skills and values in order to make informed decisions about their academic and professional future. This process can begin at an early stage, such as in primary education, and continue through to career guidance in secondary education, when students must choose the path that most interests them.

What are the elements of effective career guidance?

Career development is more than just deciding what university degree to study or what jobs are accessible when students graduate or obtain their degrees. It is a lifelong process, as we all change throughout our lives, situations will change and we all have to make professional and life decisions constantly. People have realised that not everyone can be a doctor or an engineer, so there is increasing exploration of other fields based on interests and talents. Therefore, career guidance should be an integration of various aspects of the student experience, including access to resources, information on career opportunities, guidance from appropriate counsellors, and career assessment.

Mentor

A mentor (or ‘career counsellor’) who can solve problems, who knows how to listen and observe and has sufficient knowledge and experience in various fields to guide students in their career choices.

Safe and comfortable environment

A safe and secure environment where students feel comfortable to be able to talk about their lives with security and confidence (home and school)

Assessment

Assessment and career tests to evaluate and obtain information about a student’s aptitude and personality, as well as their emotional strengths, interests and abilities, all of which help students to understand themselves better and to make career decisions in a much easier way.

The use of new technologies in career guidance

Technology continues to be integrated into all aspects of education and increasingly, nowadays, into professional education. Parents, students and teachers can now participate in this process by obtaining information about career options, necessary qualifications, options and itineraries, as a wide range of applications and websites have been developed for this purpose. Unifrog is an example of a macro portal that aims to support students in their careers and enables parents, teachers and consultants to successfully monitor and manage the entire process. Students can compare all the opportunities and learn how to complete university applications worldwide. The use of this technology supports the development of research and information search skills, which is key to obtaining not only useful information on qualifications and degrees, but also additional knowledge on professional adaptability, flexibility and employability skills.

 

Involvement of schools and parents during career guidance

The career guidance process does not only depend on the individual effort of the student, but involves several key actors who must work together to offer adequate and effective support. Both schools and parents have a crucial role in the training and development of students, guiding them in their academic and professional decision-making. Next, we will see how the support of these two groups can make a big difference in the success of the guidance process.

Support and participation from schools

In 2013, Sir John Holman created a framework that schools and universities can use to develop good career programmes. These are known as Gatsby Career Benchmarks / Gatsby Benchmark Toolkit. These principles guide all good career counsellors and education professionals and it is worth noting some of these best practices for schools:

  1. Career guidance should start early, for example just before the end of primary school.
  2. All stakeholders should be involved, including parents and future employers.
  3. Share information about the school’s careers programme.
  4. Career content should be developed in all subjects, not just Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).
  5. Make labour market resources available to all students and parents.
  6. ALL students should receive information about ALL routes.
  7. All students should be able to have experiences or placements in different workplaces.
  8. Existing systems for tracking destinations and careers and entrepreneurial activities should be updated.

Parental involvement and engagement

The report of a recent study carried out by the Employment Research Institute at the University of Warwick in the UK with the support of the Gatsby Charitable Foundation (The role of parents and carers in careers guidance and how it can be improved) has gathered a lot of evidence to show that the participation of parents in this careers guidance process is important in facilitating and broadening opportunities for young people. It also establishes that the influence of parents is exerted through behaviour, but also through family conditions that favour the growth of values, attitudes and self-perception in children. It is clear that young people seek and value parental support and often request information about their professional decision-making processes.

However, parents’ own educational experience influences and shapes their recommendations and expectations for their children. Therefore, it is crucial that parents get involved and commit to feeling more informed and confident about the support and advice they give their children about their career choices. First, they can get involved in activities at home and at school to provide psychological, financial, learning and well-being support and structure. Secondly, they can get involved by joining the institution’s activities, including communication with teachers and career counsellors, as well as attending and participating in activities such as parent meetings, university fairs, career guidance sessions, interviews to choose electives, work experience, etc. Without doubt, the commitment and participation of parents supports the development of confidence and professional decision-making, planning and goal setting.

References

Tomás Navarro, N. (2022). Reflections on career guidance. El Limonar International Schools. Retrieved on 25 April 2025, from https://ellimonarinternational.com/es/blog/reflexiones-sobre-orientacion-profesional/

Gatsby Charitable Foundation. (2013). Gatsby Career Benchmarks / Gatsby Benchmark Toolkit. Retrieved from https://www.careercompanion.co.uk

Warwick Institute for Employment Research. (2018). The role of parents and carers in career guidance and how it can be better supported. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net