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As any school counsellor will tell you, our priority when advising students on their futures is not necessarily to help them get into the highest ranked universities possible. It is to help each one find the place that is the best fit for their individual circumstances.

All our students have complex needs, and these can vary further depending on the setting in which we work. My setting is an online school that caters to students worldwide.

Online schools tend to attract students who need flexibility in their schedules. Increasingly, many of our students have full-time pursuits, such as athletics or performing arts, that demand their time and attention as much as does their academic study.

So how do we, as school counsellors, give advice to students who are already facing professional career-related challenges and deciding whether to pursue these areas of interest as careers?

Profession or high-level hobby?

One thing to keep in mind is that even if a student is working, playing or performing at a professional level, it does not automatically mean that they want to pursue it as a lifelong career.

Take the example of Christina, an internationally ranked tennis player. She came to online school because of her demanding training schedule and constant travel for tournaments. When I first met her, I admitted that I didn’t really know much about tennis, but said that I would do my best to help get her any resources she needed.

Christina then confessed to me that she didn’t really care that much about tennis. She did, however, acknowledge that she was very talented, so planned to use it to earn a scholarship to pay for university. In the end, that is exactly what she did, and she is now studying to become a doctor on a full-ride scholarship at an NCAA Division I school. Christina taught me how important it is never to make assumptions about a student’s motivations or what they want to do.

Learning to network

For students who are sure that they want to pursue their talents full time as careers, a big boost to their success can be mentorship. As counsellors, we might not always know someone in a field in which a student is interested. But students who are already working at a professional or semi-professional level usually have a leg up here. Either through their coaches, managers or simply the opportunities they are presented with, they are probably more well connected than they realise.

Encourage these students to seek out those who have gone before, whom they can use as role models and whom they can ask for feedback. If they say they don’t know anyone, encourage them to ask around. You never know the connections that others in the field will have, and the idea of networking is still new for most high-school students.

One previous student, Sara, is a professional singer and has chosen to pursue this full time instead of going to university. One of the reasons she was inspired to do this was that she was able to perform in a televised singing competition and meet some of the judges, who were encouraging about her talent. The motivation and connections she received from this experience have led her to great success, including her own album release.

Being aware of these connections is a great way to expand our network as counsellors and to keep people in mind as mentors for future students or as guest speakers at community events.

Facing a career crossroads

For the students who are at crossroads, trying to decide whether they want to pursue a talent or an academic endeavour, counsellors are in the position of trying to take the pressure off. These students are often dealing with more pressure than any others, trying to balance a talent or passion with a more “realistic” or “practical” future plan. They are often wrestling with family expectations and, more importantly, their expectations of themselves.

Consider Ahmed, a burgeoning football player at a scouting academy. He is torn between pursuing football and, he hopes, being recruited by a professional club in Europe, or applying for a programme in physiotherapy, which is something he is interested in and feels would be a stable career choice. It’s a big decision and the pressure he has put on himself to choose correctly is enormous.

As a counsellor, I try to encourage students such as Ahmed to aim high, but also to have back-up plans and accept that our lives don’t always follow linear paths. In the end, the decisions are theirs, and I will provide as much information as possible to students to help them make informed choices.

No matter the setting, our foremost objective as counsellors is to guide students towards the paths that best suit their individual needs and aspirations. Whether a student is juggling professional commitments, pursuing their talents or weighing career options, our role is to provide the support, encouragement and resources to help them make informed decisions.

Each student’s journey is unique, and it’s essential to approach their future with an open mind and a willingness to listen. By fostering mentorship, alleviating pressure and empowering students to chart their own courses, we can ensure that they embark on paths that leads to fulfilment and success – whatever that looks like for them.