Nimish has been a well-respected business leader with over 25 years of experience in-built environment, education, learning, and technology adoption with the last 18 years at MD/CEO level, setting and scaling up multiple businesses. Nimish was most recently Managing Director, South Asia for RICS, taking over one year after Sachin left. As MD at RICS, Nimish successfully augmented the agenda and influenced multiple policy decisions with the Government, regulators, and policymakers some of which could possibly have a path-breaking impact on the sector in times to come. He is truly entrepreneurial with multiple start-up experiences and some of his own ventures as a principal shareholder, advisor, mentor which are successfully advancing to the next stages of growth.
Seventeen-year-old Kalpana (name changed) is in two minds whether to take up engineering as her parents suggest or follow her heart and take up Literature as she is about to embark on a new journey and enter her college life. Like Kalpana, many other college-going students are often left in two minds when it comes to pursuing the career of their choice.
One moment your child aspires to be a singer and the next moment they want to be a teacher. It’s not uncommon for children to have varying and wavering career interests. As a parent and a guiding force in their life, it may baffle you and one must try to assist them to realize their natural abilities and pave a path towards success, self-actualization and eventual happiness. As a parent, it is advisable to give your child’s aspirations an empathetic hearing and make them choose the right career path. It is imperative that their choices are not rubbished just because they are not in alignment with your own interests, career choices, you own unfulfilled ambitions or because they sound outrageous to you.
However, not being fully sure about one’s career direction can be a source of stress and can manifest in neurological, psychological, and psychiatric symptoms. A scientific approach can come to the aid and help assess each person’s unique ability, inherent strengths, and weaknesses, aspirations, and career choices.
It’s important to remember that all of us are unique and born with certain potential and talent. This potential assists us to learn a task naturally, easily and swiftly. Psychologists define this potential as aptitude. For example, some of us may be quick at making mathematical calculations while others may have a natural flair for writing and make talented writers. All of this reflects in our aptitudes. This brings us to the cardinal question of why understanding our aptitude and areas of strength is so important. To be successful in a field of profession it is important to understand what are our strengths and aptitudes. We often ignore the power of our aptitudes. Sociologists have repeatedly emphasized the need to match one’s aptitude with the right career path.
Let’s try and understand what aptitude tests are meant for and how they can help in choosing the right career path.
An aptitude test plays an important role in understanding the personality of the person. When a person is aware of one’s strength, they can make an informed decision. Students can gain the requisite skills based on the outcome of the aptitude assessment which helps them succeed in their chosen career or profession.
Further, aptitude assessments should be designed in such a way that they are free from bias and are now powered by Artificial Intelligence. A student’s potential and intelligence are the key driving indicators in an aptitude assessment. Identifying one’s strengths to career goals is undoubtedly the first step towards success. The right aptitude assessment can help one understand their competency, knowledge and skillsets and steer one towards the most suitable career path.
Types of aptitude
Some of the most common aptitude types are logical aptitude, Spatial aptitude, Organisational aptitude, Physical aptitude, Mechanical aptitude, Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) aptitude and Linguistic aptitude.
Aptitude assessments are usually done via an online platform and are a great way to understand one’s hidden potential and innate abilities.
How can we differentiate aptitudes from interests?
There are a few key differences between aptitudes and interests. Aptitudes can be defined as a person’s innate ability to perform specific tasks and excel in them while interests come from someone’s level of knowledge and experience. Knowing and highlighting your aptitudes when applying for jobs can help your child excel in life.
Aptitude assessment results often help students to understand and make subject choices in relation to their special abilities as well as explore career pathways related specifically to areas linked to their aptitude.
Choosing the right career path is one of the most crucial decisions in life and got to do much more than just make a living. The importance of selecting the right career path can never be undermined. Some people know from the start which career path to take while most of us are not always steered in the right direction. The best way to make sure that your child’s career is headed in the right direction is to make a well-thought-out decision.
Parents often overlook the fact that each child is actually gifted with unique abilities, aptitudes, and talents which when nurtured in the right direction can bring out the genius in them.