{"id":5606,"date":"2026-10-08T12:26:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T09:26:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/career-guidance-for-a-world-that-doesnt-exist-yet\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T12:26:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T09:26:22","slug":"career-guidance-for-a-world-that-doesnt-exist-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/career-guidance-for-a-world-that-doesnt-exist-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"Career guidance for a world that doesn\u2019t exist yet: why \u201cMy Career Path\u201d is a next-generation educational programme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Why choosing a profession is no longer enough, and how we can teach students to know themselves, discover opportunities and build their own future.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is something almost absurd about the way we sometimes do career guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We ask a 15-year-old what they want to do when they grow up. We expect them to choose a career direction. Sometimes we give them a test that is supposed to help them work out what they are suited for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And then we talk about a world in which professions change constantly, artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules, and lifelong learning is no longer a nice-to-have but a necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Can&#8217;t we see the contradiction?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We ask young people to make decisions about a future that even we cannot predict well enough.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, there is nothing wrong with a student having a career dream. Nor with interest tests, information about professions or meetings with career counsellors. All of these tools have their place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The problem arises when we reduce career guidance to a single question: &#8220;What do you want to be?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because a young person may choose a profession today and discover ten years later that it looks completely different. They may change their interests, discover new abilities or want something entirely different from life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And what do we do then? Give them another test?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In my view, <strong>next-generation career guidance should teach young people not only how to choose a profession, but how to find their way when the world \u2013 and they themselves \u2013 change<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That means being able to know themselves, think critically, develop their abilities, explore the opportunities in front of them and turn their decisions into action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is exactly the philosophy we built &#8220;My Career Path&#8221; on: a game-based educational programme that moves from self-awareness and critical thinking, through discovering potential and exploring the world of work, to personal direction, goals and action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But let&#8217;s start with the problem. Because it is much bigger than it looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does research tell us about young people&#8217;s readiness for the future?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In May 2025, the OECD published the report <em>The State of Global Teenage Career Preparation<\/em>, which analyses teenagers&#8217; readiness for working life, including through data from PISA 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The results raise several uncomfortable questions for education systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>39% of 15-year-old students<\/strong> in OECD countries have no clear career expectations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>21%<\/strong> expect to work in a profession that usually requires a university degree, yet do not plan to complete one themselves.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>33%<\/strong> disagree that school has taught them things that could be useful in a job.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These numbers point to three different problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first is a lack of clarity. Many students still do not know which direction they want to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second is the gap between aspirations and reality. Dreaming of becoming a doctor is one thing. Knowing what education medicine requires, what the profession actually involves and whether you are ready to follow that path is another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The third problem is perhaps the most worrying: one in three students does not see a clear enough link between school and their future work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And this is directly linked to their motivation to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why should I learn something if I can&#8217;t see the point? Why should I make an effort if I don&#8217;t know what I will need it for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where career guidance stops being just a question of what to choose after leaving school. It becomes part of the answer to a much more important question: <strong>&#8220;Why am I learning at all?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Young people have dreams. But do they feel prepared to achieve them?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In August 2026, Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation published the study <em>Voices of Gen Z<\/em> on the attitudes of young people in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The results are intriguing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>80% of the students surveyed believe a good future awaits them. But only 60% feel prepared for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One more finding deserves attention: <strong>30% do not feel they have a teacher or another adult at school who recognises their talents and interests.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are figures from the US, not from Bulgaria. But the question they raise is entirely relevant to our schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What does it mean for a student to believe they have a good future, but not know how to prepare for it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In my view, there is a huge difference here between hope and readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can dream of becoming an entrepreneur, a doctor, a designer or a researcher. You can want an interesting job, to earn well, to help people or to travel the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But between the dream and reality lies a whole series of questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>What am I good at? What interests me? What matters to me? What opportunities are out there? What do I need to learn? What is the first thing I can do?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Career guidance should help young people start answering these questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not just pick the name of a profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why does artificial intelligence make good career guidance even more important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In recent years there has been an enormous amount of talk about how AI will change professions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some forecasts are apocalyptic. Others are almost utopian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The truth is that we still do not know enough to say exactly what the labour market will look like in ten or twenty years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Studies from 2026 are already finding unfavourable trends in landing a first job and in starting salaries in some fields that are more heavily exposed to artificial intelligence. Other studies find no convincing overall effect of AI on unemployment among young graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The difference matters. A person may be employed, yet not working in the field they studied, or earning far less than they expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So it would not be accurate to claim that AI has already destroyed young people&#8217;s career prospects. But it would be just as unwise to act as if nothing is changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And here I see two important conclusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The first:<\/strong> we cannot prepare students for a single, unchanging career path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The second:<\/strong> the ability to learn, explore new opportunities and make decisions will become more and more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But AI raises another question: can it be a good career adviser itself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2026, the Ada Lovelace Institute and the Nuffield Foundation published a dedicated review of the use of AI in career guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study looks at the potential for more accessible and personalised information, but also warns of the risks: inaccurate advice, bias, data-protection problems and the potential to deepen inequalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The authors stress the need for human support and for more rigorous evaluation of how effective such tools are. This is an extremely important distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI can help a student research professions, universities, skills or educational pathways. But it should not decide for them who they are, what they value and what kind of life they want to build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All the more so because young people need to learn to critically evaluate AI&#8217;s answers themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which brings us to an interesting conclusion: <strong>the more information and advice students can get from technology, the more important it becomes that they can think for themselves.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The biggest shift: from choosing a profession to managing your own career path<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I want to make one distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I don&#8217;t think traditional career guidance is useless or outdated. Quite the opposite. Good career counsellors have long worked with self-awareness, interests, values, opportunities and decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The problem is that in everyday school practice, career guidance is sometimes reduced to a test, a presentation of professions or one or two meetings before choosing the next stage of education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That simply isn&#8217;t enough. If we want to prepare young people for real life, we need to help them develop four interconnected abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>To understand themselves and the influences that shape them.<\/strong> Because not every belief they hold about themselves is true. And not every dream is necessarily their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>To recognise and develop their potential.<\/strong> Because interests and abilities are not final labels. They can grow through practice, effort and experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>To explore the opportunities in front of them.<\/strong> Because you cannot choose an opportunity you don&#8217;t even know exists. And the world of work is far more varied than the professions students encounter in their family and immediate surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>To turn decisions into action.<\/strong> Because even the best idea about the future has little value if you never take the first step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These abilities are not developed in an hour. Nor are they developed just by listening to lectures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They require experience, reflection, conversation, exploration and action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is precisely on this sequence that we built the four missions of &#8220;My Career Path&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8220;My Career Path&#8221;: four missions that build one complete ability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;My Career Path&#8221; is a game-based programme for personal and career development, designed so that students are active participants in finding their own direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of receiving ready-made answers, they explore, discuss, compare, make choices and create their own products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The programme includes four missions that can be used in sequence or on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mission 1. &#8220;In the Mirror World&#8221;: Who am I, and which voices do I believe?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Imagine a student who says: &#8220;I&#8217;m not good at maths, so engineering isn&#8217;t for me.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps she really does struggle with maths. But perhaps she has had a few bad experiences. She may be comparing herself with stronger students. Someone may have told her she has no aptitude. Or she may be convinced that certain professions simply aren&#8217;t for girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How do we find out? Usually we rush either to reassure her or to give her advice. But there is another approach: teaching her to examine the belief herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In &#8220;In the Mirror World&#8221;, students work with the different voices and influences that shape how they see themselves: family, friends, society, inner beliefs and expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using the &#8220;Voices&#8221; game cards and structured activities, they explore questions such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Where does this belief come from? Whose is it? Why do I believe it? What in my own experience supports or contradicts it?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I want to stress something important: the goal is not to teach students that their parents are wrong or that they shouldn&#8217;t listen to anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quite the opposite. The goal is for them to be able to hear different points of view without automatically accepting each one as the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this way, career guidance begins with a skill they will need in every profession: <strong>critical thinking<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the more algorithms, social media and AI systems influence our decisions, the more important it becomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mission 2. &#8220;The Alchemist&#8221;: What can I develop?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most dangerous ideas we can unintentionally pass on to students is that talent is something fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Either you have it or you don&#8217;t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If one student is good at drawing, they must be a creative person. If another excels at maths, they must be logical. If a third shows no particular ability right now, they can easily conclude that they simply aren&#8217;t talented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A person is not a list of labels. In &#8220;The Alchemist&#8221;, students explore their interests, aptitudes and strengths through a system of Zones, game cards and practical activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The goal is not simply to find out what they are good at today. Even more important is to think about <strong>what they want to develop<\/strong>. Because between interest and mastery lies practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is why the mission uses an educational formula:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mastery = (Interest + Aptitude) \u00d7 Practice \u00d7 Persistence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not a mathematical or psychometric model for measuring ability. It is a way of showing students that interest and aptitude matter, but without effort and persistence they cannot turn into mastery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And here there is a fundamental difference from the approach in which a test result becomes a recommendation for a specific profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We don&#8217;t say: &#8220;You are like this, so you should become that.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We ask: &#8220;What have you discovered about yourself, and what would you like to do with it?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That leaves room for growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mission 3. &#8220;New Horizons&#8221;: What opportunities are out there?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a simple truth we often overlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>You cannot dream of a profession you don&#8217;t know exists.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think about how many of the professions you knew as a student were connected to people in your family, to your teachers or to what you saw on television. Now imagine a student whose parents and relatives work in a fairly narrow range of fields. How many possibilities remain outside their imagination?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The OECD draws attention to exactly this inequality: social background influences career expectations and access to career guidance activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is one of the reasons good career education matters not only for individual development, but also for equal access to opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In &#8220;New Horizons&#8221;, students explore the world of work, broaden their idea of the roles open to them and begin to connect their interests and skills with different career paths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We don&#8217;t want them to memorise a hundred professions. We want them to start thinking in a new way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, a skill such as the ability to explain complex things clearly can be applied in teaching, medicine, engineering, journalism, business and many other fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An interest in nature does not necessarily mean just one possible profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When students see these connections, the world of work gradually stops being a list of ready-made choices and starts to look like a space to explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, no game can fully replace real meetings with professionals, workplace visits or internships. But it can help students get much more out of these experiences, because they already have questions, interests and a starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mission 4. &#8220;The Architect&#8221;: What do I want to create, and how do I start?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many young people have dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The harder question is what they do with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One student may want to become an entrepreneur, yet never have tried organising a small project of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another may dream of being a writer, but not write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A third may have no idea what they want to become, and feel left behind their peers because of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In &#8220;The Architect&#8221;, students explore their personal definition of success, their values and possible directions for growth. Through creative tasks, work with the &#8220;Values&#8221; cards and goal-setting activities, they move from reflection to concrete decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here we deliberately do something important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We do not require every student to have a clear career goal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because that isn&#8217;t realistic. Nor is it necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, the mission offers two paths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first is for those who have a direction and want to set themselves a specific goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second is for students who don&#8217;t yet know where they want to go, but can choose one meaningful skill to start developing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In both cases, the focus is on the first real action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because at 15 you don&#8217;t need to know who you will be at 35.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it is very useful to start learning at 15 how to set a goal, how to plan and how to work consistently towards something that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is a skill that stays with a person long after their particular career dream has changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do the four missions work as one complete methodology?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now for the most important part. The four missions are not simply four interesting topics bundled into one game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They build a logical sequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, the student begins to realise what shapes the way they see themselves. Then they explore what interests and abilities they have and how they can develop them. Next, they look out at the world to discover where these can be applied. And finally, they choose a direction or a skill and take concrete action on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>From awareness to growth. From growth to opportunity. From opportunity to action.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why do I think this sequence matters so much?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because each of these steps is incomplete without the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Self-awareness without exploring the world can leave a student shut inside their own assumptions. Knowing about professions without self-awareness can lead to a choice that looks prestigious or sensible, but has little to do with their interests and values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the two together can remain just an interesting conversation if they never turn into action. At the same time, life rarely follows a perfect sequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes a person first discovers an interesting profession, then realises what skills it requires, and only then begins to get to know themselves better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is why the four missions can also be used on their own. They form a complete methodology, but not a mandatory, strictly linear procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is precisely this combination of sequence and flexibility that is one of the defining features of &#8220;My Career Path&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why a game? And why does it matter in a real classroom?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s imagine a lesson devoted to strengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the first version, the teacher gives a presentation. They explain what talents, interests and skills are. The students listen, and at the end they answer a few questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the second version, the students receive game cards, work on a task, compare observations, discuss what they have discovered and create their own outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The topic is the same. But what the students are doing is fundamentally different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I want to be clear: not every game is good education. Just as not every lecture is bad education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A game-based approach makes sense when it serves a specific educational goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In &#8220;My Career Path&#8221; we use missions, cards, challenges, and individual and group work to create situations in which students have to think, explore, choose and justify their decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Abstract concepts such as values, influence, aptitude and personal success become concrete tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This has one more advantage. When young people work through game situations, they can discuss difficult topics without all the attention necessarily falling on them personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For some students it is easier to reflect first on a particular voice, card, character or situation, and then, if they wish, to make a connection with their own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Especially with sensitive topics, the teacher should respect students&#8217; right to personal boundaries. Not every task requires sharing in front of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is part of good design of the learning experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Perhaps the most practical innovation: career guidance that teachers can actually use<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is something I have learned from my work in education: <strong>it is not enough for an idea to be pedagogically sound. It also has to be usable in practice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We can create a wonderful methodology, but if it requires hours of preparation, specialist training and resources the school doesn&#8217;t have, the chance of it reaching more students shrinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is why, with &#8220;My Career Path&#8221;, we deliberately looked for a way to make the activities usable by teachers, form tutors and school specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The programme offers ready-to-use game materials, clear instructions and facilitation guides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And a teacher does not need to be a career counsellor to run a conversation in which students explore their strengths, career opportunities or personal goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, this does not mean that specialist career counsellors and psychologists are unnecessary. Their work remains extremely important, especially when students need in-depth individual support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But quality career education should not happen only when the school manages to arrange a meeting with an outside specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can be part of everyday school life. Modular design makes a huge difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A teacher can choose a single activity, several activities or a whole mission. They can work with one form period, a series of lessons or a larger school-wide initiative. This lets different schools start wherever they are able to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking ahead, the planned AI assistant for teachers could make it even easier to plan a specific mission. But the heart of the programme remains human work in the classroom: the questions, the conversations, the shared exploration and the students&#8217; own actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because technology can help the teacher. It should not replace their role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What should we measure if we truly want better career guidance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is one more question we should not skip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How will we know whether a career guidance programme is actually useful?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is not enough for students to say they enjoyed the game. That is nice, but it is not proof that they have developed skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nor is it enough that they have filled in a test or received a certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What matters more is what they can do after taking part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, can they recognise a belief that is holding them back? Can they name interests and abilities they want to develop? Have they discovered new career opportunities? Can they justify a choice they have made? Have they formulated a concrete first step?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are outcomes that can be observed and tracked through students&#8217; work, their reflections and their follow-up actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here, however, one distinction is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">International research shows why such skills and activities matter for career preparation. But that does not automatically mean that every specific programme, including &#8220;My Career Path&#8221;, already has scientifically proven effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To be able to claim that, we need systematic data collection, tracking of outcomes and proper evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This kind of consistent work is exactly what quality educational programmes should strive for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not just to be interesting. To be useful in a way we can demonstrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does it really mean to prepare a student for the future?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s go back to our 15-year-old student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a few years&#8217; time, they may choose a profession that has existed for centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They may work in something that is only just emerging today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They may become a doctor and later decide to build their own company. They may study engineering and then discover they want to teach. They may work in several countries, change profession or create a role that didn&#8217;t exist when they were at school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We don&#8217;t know. And we probably don&#8217;t need to. What we can do is give them the tools to find their own way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To recognise their own strengths and limitations. To question the beliefs that hold them back. To explore new opportunities. To develop skills. To choose. To take responsibility for their decisions. To start again when they need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This, in my view, is the big shift in career guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>From the question &#8220;What do you want to be?&#8221; to the question &#8220;What kind of person do you want to be, and how will you learn to create your own path?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is exactly what lies behind &#8220;My Career Path&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We don&#8217;t promise students that after four missions they will know for certain what they will be doing in twenty years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And I don&#8217;t think such a promise would be honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We want something more important: for them to start developing the ability to build their own future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because the role of today&#8217;s school is not only to prepare young people to adapt to the world as it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>It is also to help them become people who can create the world they want to live in.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8220;My Career Path&#8221; in schools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;My Career Path&#8221; is an educational game and programme for personal and career development, created by Edu Compass. The four missions can be used as a complete programme or as stand-alone modules, depending on students&#8217; needs and what the school is able to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The programme gives teachers structured activities, game materials and methodological guidance, through which topics such as self-awareness, critical thinking, strengths, career opportunities and goal-setting can become part of real classroom work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why choosing a profession is no longer enough, and how we can teach students to know themselves, discover opportunities and build their own future. There is something almost absurd about the way we sometimes do career guidance. We ask a 15-year-old what they want to do when they grow up. We expect them to choose [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5605,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[105,106,107],"class_list":["post-5606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-karierno-orientirane","tag-career-guidance","tag-education","tag-teachers"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edu-compass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}