A vocation is a profession or a calling that comes from the Latin word vocare, which means “to call.” Helping someone find their calling, or at the very least a suitable career path, is what vocational guidance entails. Service, technical, mechanical, creative, health, and business are some of the broad categories into which careers or vocations can be classified.
At career colleges, vocational training rather than vocational guidance is available, and this is usually for entry-level jobs. A career college with a health vocational curriculum, for example, might offer education and training programs for nurse’s aide and medical assistant careers, whereas business-oriented vocational schools might offer marketing assistant and bookkeeping programs. A career college or vocational school differs from traditional colleges and universities in that it focuses on training students for a specific career rather than academics. Community colleges and trade schools are other names for vocational or career colleges.
Although some high schools have vocational training programs, vocational guidance is often started in high school. Vocational exploration courses allow students to investigate various career options and determine which vocational areas they have aptitude or talent for. Many vocational guidance classes, for example, give students tests to assess their ability with numbers, words, mechanical concepts, and a variety of other subjects. Career counselors administer and analyze tests that measure an individual’s personality traits, intelligence quotient (IQ), as well as his or her main values and interests.
Following a review of the test results career counselors and students, the best career options for each individual can be selected. Many other factors must be considered when deciding on a career path, so vocational guidance does not end there. It is necessary to consider the type of education received and the number of years spent in school. Salary and working conditions are also important factors to consider when choosing a career. The likely demand for the occupation in the next decade or more is an important factor to consider when choosing a career because it affects the likelihood of finding work in that field.
Vocational guidance isn’t just for students in high school. Rather, it is for anyone who is starting a new job or changing jobs. Some people have multiple careers throughout their lives, while others work in the same field their entire working lives.