Talent Identification and Career Success – a case study

Talent Identification and Career Success – a case study

Dr Janetius, Director, Centre for Counselling and Guidance & Ms. S. Pooja Sri

Student, Dept. of Psychology, Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja College, Pollachi

Introduction: 

Psychologists all over the world have identified aptitude and interest as the key players in any successful career development. A person can develop a skill or become successful in career only if a person chooses a career according to aptitude or inborn capacity (Parsons, 1909; Brown, Duane., & Brooks, Linda et al. 1996; Ginzberg, 1972; Holland, 1992). In India, where psychological guidance services are in its embryonic stage, young people are often confused and bewildered in their selection of career. In India, people use very less guidance services and young people are not guided scientifically in their selection of career. Generally parents, teachers, elder siblings or peers guide people in their career choice irrespective of their talents and abilities (Mini, 2010). This situation leads to the unproductive professionals, unmotivated and unfocused workforce leading to un-employability issues. Added to that, parents who are naive about various factors influencing career choice, encourage their children for a particular career or field of study without any consideration to abilities and skills. This conventional style of career selection leads to the unproductive professionals, unmotivated and unfocused workforce leading to un-employability issues.

Case Presentation: 

Mr. X is a 42 year old male from Tamil Nadu. He is married and has a boy child. After his 10^th exam he did diploma in some ITI and started working as a fitter in a small company in SIDCO. In the last twenty years, he has worked in more than twelve companies. He married a lady from a different religion and caste and the parents of the wife do not support the family economically. Both his parents expired before eight years. His deceased father was an alcoholic who did not leave any wealth in the family. His married younger sister’s husband is an irresponsible lazy man and his sister often demands money from him for her survival.

He is registered for classical music in Trinity College, London. And also takes part-time music class in his home that gives him some earning. Due to his workload in the company he is not able to maintain regular music class.  He occasionally goes for orchestra and survives by the poor income. He does not have a stable job. When he goes for orchestra, he misses his job. Sometime he takes rest and skips his job if he goes for overnight orchestra. He is constantly job hopping and never stayed in a job for more than a year; either he resigns or he is asked to resign. He was also having constant economic problem. He cannot concentrate in his job or his tuition class. Since he has no regular source of income debts increased; also his married life was in turmoil.

Counselling Intervention: 

There are two major factors to be considered in every career issues: aptitude and interest. Aptitude is the inborn natural talent of a person, and has its origins in inheritance and early childhood development (Super, 1994). A person's aptitude or the natural ability exhibits in the childhood and stabilizes in the adolescent period, and remain so for the rest of the adult period. Identifying the natural talent gives people self-awareness and success.

Humanistic approach was used by the psychologist to assist the client. Humanistic psychology is a psychological perspective which rose to prominence in the mid-20th century in opposed Freud's unconscious mechanisms and Skinner's learning theories. This approach emphasizes on goals, aspirations mainly relying on individuals' inherent talents, skills and drives moving towards realizing and expressing one's own capabilities and creativity (Hough, 2010; Whitton, 2003).

In career counselling, his aptitude, interest, vocational preference and personality were assessed. The psychologist was able to identify his vocational preference and aptitude leaning towards music.  His natural talent was identified as very high in Music & Rhythmic. One of the reasons for his poor work habit was identified as his love for music.

His musical intelligence is very high. He can easily memorize songs; easily notice and enjoy different sounds; can easily tell when a note is off-key and has an unquenchable passion for music. He is type B personality with a relaxed mindset. Generally musically talented people are skilled at mimicking sounds, language accents, and others’ speech patterns and recognizing different musical instruments in a composition are those high in this intelligence. Various sounds, tones, and rhythms may have a visible effect on them.

As a part of intervention, psychologist suggested taking up music as the first job preference and ITI related job as part time if necessary. As a follow up of the case, it was identified that the person is working as a music teacher in a private school and teaches guitar at home in the evening. On contract basis, he goes to some companies if there is any emergency work to be completed. He is economically well-off and his family problems are slowly settling down. Now he is comfortable with his career choice and his economic condition.

Conclusion and Recommendations: Although psychologist reiterate all over the world that aptitude and interest and the related personality variables are the key to success in any profession or business venture, they are seldom considered by people in general. This case study identifies the following common problems faced by Indian people in their vocational choice and career development:

1.      There are no provisions in school level to identify their aptitude and interest and choose a career according

2.      The choice for career pursuits are done by the availability of jobs and higher salaries rather than natural talents

Majority of the Indian career development program today do not have a natural talent based approach, although Indian Philosophy has Swadharma concept embedded in the system. Therefore, people need major assistance to identify their inner capacity, aptitude and interests so that selection of their career will lead them to the right profession. A simple three step formula could be proposed: Discuss - Identify your ability, natural talents and field of interest – identify right job in that field or start entrepreneurship.

References

Brown, Duane., & Brooks, Linda et al. (1996). Career choice and development. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Ginzberg, E. (1972). Toward a theory of occupational choice: A restatement. Vocational Guidance Quarterly, 29 (3), 169-176.

Holland, J.L. (1992). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (2nd ed). Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

Hough, M. (2010). Counselling Skills and Theory (3rd Edition) UK: Hodder Education

Mini, T.C. (2010). Linking education with employment: A study on college placement cells, AIAER, Chitradurga

Parsons, F. (1909). Choosing a vocation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Super, D. (1994). A life span, life space perspective on convergence. In M.L. Savikas & R.W. Lent (Eds.). Convergence in career development theories:  Implications for science and practice (p. 63-74). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologist Press.

Whitton, E. (2003). Humanistic Approach to Psychotherapy, UK: John Wiley & Sons publishers