CareerMe offers a lifeline for students
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor? Or was it doctor, proctor, engineer, accountant as was usually the case of career paths open for teenagers in the good old days in Sri Lanka?
We are reminded of this as we walk into careerme.lk a new start-up which gives answers to the burning question which every teenager faces in his or her life. In the past only the lucky few had guidance from their parents or elders, most were left to strike their own path with only fate as a guiding hand.
Nandana Kanakaratna and Anjana Kulasekara (right)
Not so for children who have finished their A-levels or O-Levels today for CareerMe, a student-focused web portal provides personalised direction to make career and educational choices.
“We help young people to get to know who they are, through a personality test, and then plan the most-suited educational pathway. We offer them a career action plan, a road map to their future,” explains Anjana Kulasekara, CareerMe director, operations.
The usual scenario for children in Sri Lanka is to select subjects for O-Levels and A-Levels, and then university. After finishing their studies, they then look at what they can do. By the time they reach this stage they have spent the best part of their student life only to realise – in most cases – that what they have studied is not what they are really interested in or suited for them.
Realising that choosing the right career is one of the most crucial decisions of a student’s life, Anjana, an old girl of Lyceum and alumni of University of Hong Kong, returned from a stint working in Singapore to helm this project which began with the turn of the new year.
The paint is still fresh in the Bambalapitiya offices as Anjana takes us through the process. Students have to first undergo a career test so they can get a personalised report about what their personality is and what type of career is best suited for them. Once this report is done, CareerMe invites them to sit down with an advisor and have a discussion about personal circumstances, personal preferences and get advice.
“We try to give the student as much information as possible, the pros and cons of taking each choice before finally we build a career action plan,” Anjana reveals.
Nandana Kanakaratne is a senior career adviser. An HR specialist, who worked for Unilevers for 20 years, he points out that CareerMe is not only a shoulder to lean on for students but also for those already employed and who are unhappy with their lot.
“While we are the bridge that helps students to leave the world of education and enter the world of work, we can also help the thousands who are under-employed,” says Nandana.
The main focus at the outset will be on schools, however. A current government study reported that while the unemployment rate was 4.4 per cent youth unemployment figures was a drastic 21.6 per cent in 2016.
“Lots of children need support,” Nandana stressed. “And this guidance needs to be institutionalised.” CareerMe has approached the government and the Education Ministry as Sri Lanka’s pioneer professional career guidance body and hopes are high that the establishment will back them.
Figures show that 43 per cent of females who have done A-Levels are presently unemployed while 56 per cent of both boys and girls who have done O-Levels also fall into this bracket. Apart from, perhaps going on to become a member of parliament (it was reported that 94 MPs in the current parliament had failed their O-Levels), most children grab whatever work opportunity that comes their way first rather than planning out their career.
“It is not the end of the world if you fail in your A-Levels or O-Levels. This week a newspaper reported that 22,000 children had failed all their subjects at A-Levels. Is there any effort by anyone to support them?” asks Anjana.
With the construction and hospitality sectors facing a dire shortage of bodies, CareerMe says not only can they point people in the right direction but also away from occupations which are quickly becoming redundant mainly due to the rapid growth of technology.
“Career guidance will help students make a smooth transition to the working world. By matching individual skills and talents with employers’ demands, unemployment can be lowered,” says Anjana.
“National growth depends on productivity and productivity is a product of employment. Choosing the right career is one of the most important decisions a student must take and we can help them do that,” she added.
Doctor, proctor? CareerMe offers far more choices, and those best suited for you.