On 16^th January 2019, a mixed group of students from Bhandarkar’s Arts & Science College in Kundapur joined a Career Guidance session in the afternoon. The session was facilitated by FSL-India’s Field Officer, Manjesh and 2 international volunteers, Linda and Carlota.

The session included many different activities: some energisers, an individual reflection activity, a discussion in pairs, and a group brainstorming. All these activities were related to the topic of the session, so the primary intention was that the students could reflect and discover their main interests, skills, aptitudes and dreams, as well as which aspects they prioritise in a job-related perspective.

To conclude the session, there was a small reflection, with the entire group highlighting some ideas such as believing in ourselves to achieve our goals, sharing our dreams with our parents or important people, so we can get their comprehension and support, keeping a high motivation and creativity, and exploring different ways to understand ourselves and the world of work.

The participation of the students was very high and they shared many interesting opinions. It was a very special group, and we could feel that they reflected a lot at the individual level.

The English level of the students was very good, and they were able to follow the session easily, to express their ideas, and to freely participate in each activity. As a curiosity, the facilitators found it interesting that the students assumed it was the first time that they were thinking about themselves and who they are.

As it was the second Career Guidance session held by these 3 facilitators from FSL-India, they could observe the different reactions of each group. This fact taught them to be flexible and to adapt to the specific needs and dynamics of each group of students.

The group of students and the facilitators agreed on the fact that the career is an ongoing process that can change constantly, in a way that requires flexibility and adaptability, and a constant reflection on our own priorities. Moreover, it is important to keep in mind the effects of our career decisions on the community, the nation and the whole world.

According to the students’ feedback, their take-aways were many from the session, and they could learn a lot. The facilitators also learnt many things from the student’s points of view and everyone enjoyed the session. However, the facilitators considered that with another session the learning process would be even more productive for the students and plan to come back to the college in the near future.