It is important to have someone guide you, trust you and support you, especially when you need it the most, says career consultant Mehmedali Mustafa from Razgrad

It is important to have someone guide you, trust you and support you, especially when you need it the most, says career consultant Mehmedali Mustafa from Razgrad. In an interview with BTA, he said that he has been working as a career consultant since October 2012. With his work, he supports pedagogical advisers, class leaders and teachers. “One of the biggest challenges is to help the candidate discover himself – to understand what he could be good at, what professional field and environment he would be happy to work in, how to be better informed and confident in his own qualities and thus find the best solution”, pointed out Mustafa. As the greatest satisfaction from his work, he singled out the feedback from the consulted. “Dreams are important in everything you do because they give you the confidence to fly and see the world from above,” Mehmedali Mustafa said when asked what his job has taught him. And his advice to everyone is to choose a profession that they will love for the rest of their lives.
The following is the full text of the interview:
Mr. Mustafa, since when have you been involved in career guidance?
I have been a career consultant since October 2012. Then I started working at the Career Guidance Center in Razgrad, created under the “Career Guidance System in School Education” project. After the completion of the project, the Center was closed, and since March 2018, the career guidance and counseling activities have been redirected to the Center for the support of personal development – Center for Student Technical and Scientific Creativity (CTCST) in Razgrad. The base, where the individual consultations are carried out, is located at 4 “Perister” Street and has modernly equipped rooms for training and counseling. Students can request an appointment for consultation by phone: 0879 021 689 or through the contact form on the website – (https://konsultantrzg.wordpress.com). I myself hold a certificate according to internationally recognized standards.
What is career counseling and what is the function of a career counselor?
The consultant provides help and support to students facing the choice of education and/or starting work. It informs about profiles, specialties and professions, as well as about issues related to the labor market. With his activity, the consultant supports pedagogical advisers, class leaders and teachers. Conducts individual consultations and group trainings using a variety of tools, such as interactive exercises, role-playing games, trainings for skill formation and decision-making, solving cases, organizing student forums, discussions on thematic films, etc.
In the initial stage (I – IV class), career guidance activities aim to create the most general idea of ​​professions and types of activities, familiarization with them on the basis of visible signs and easily recognizable characteristics. At this stage of the student’s career development, the focus of attention is the dream profession, not the actual choice.
In the junior high school stage of education (grades V – VII), getting to know the professions goes parallel with activities to get to know oneself – one’s strengths and weaknesses, interests, abilities and preferences, etc., related to future professional realization.
The first high school stage (VIII – X grades) is decisive in terms of forming attitudes about the future – a desire to continue education or to direct after school to the labor market, as well as to formulate basic alternatives (what profile/professional areas are of interest to the student or to what professional realization he will aim).
During the second high school stage (XI-XII grades), career guidance activities are oriented towards building skills for transition and connection with the labor market. Individual consultations and extracurricular activities are suitable for XII grade students – meetings with employers, visits to career forums (job fairs), education exhibitions at home and abroad, as well as in higher schools.
Do you only support students with your activities as a consultant?
The target group is all students from the first to the 12th grade, but with his activity the consultant also supports pedagogical advisers, class leaders and teachers. Informs parents and citizens, especially during the information campaigns, which are held jointly with the Regional Department of Education, with the assistance of the Municipality of Razgrad. It also mediates between students, school and business on career guidance issues.
How does a career consultation work?
Counseling is individual with each student and the approach is different, proceeding according to a certain algorithm. For example, defining a vision for the future of consulting – whether he is vacillating between one or two specialties and needs to sort out his thoughts and priorities, or he has no idea what he wants to study. Identifying what the problems are when choosing a specialty, determining what is important to him and what he expects from his future profession. Diagnosis is made through a survey with open questions about personal profile and professional interests, qualities and abilities. I give him detailed information about the desired majors and suggest others suitable for him. This is followed by analysis, decision-making and the creation of a plan to implement the decision. Counseling is a process and does not end with one visit. In addition to individual consultations, career counselors also conduct group work to improve students’ motivation for learning and professional realization, as well as activities on career guidance programs.
What questions do students ask you most often?
The most frequently asked question is what professions are offered at the given school and what are the terms and conditions for applying.
And what are the biggest challenges for young people who choose where to orient themselves professionally?
Sometimes students have rather vague and unrealistic ideas about different professions, often inspired by movies and series or by various authorities. Not all know their strengths and weaknesses, have no special interests in a particular field, and others are excellent and ambitious students, and claim to be equally good at everything. Still others are on the way to make their choice under the strong influence of parents and friends or enslaved by stereotypical notions of prestigious and well-paid professions. One of the biggest challenges is to help the candidate to discover himself – to understand what he could be very good at, what professional field and environment he would be happy to work in, how to be better informed and confident in his own qualities and so find the best solution.
What is the greatest satisfaction of your work? What did she teach you?
These are the feedback from those consulted. I am very happy when I find out that they are satisfied with the chosen specialty and plan to continue in the same field, and that I helped in the choice. What my job has taught me – that it’s important to have someone to guide you and give you feedback, as well as believe and support you, especially when you need it most; that dreams are important in everything you do because they give you the confidence to fly and see the world from above; that work should not come at the expense of personal time – time with loved ones, time spent doing the things you love and that a positive attitude always helps.
How would you describe your personal recipe for choosing a career in one sentence?
Choose a profession that you will love for life!