Finding Purpose Beyond Marks and Trends

Students these days are under so much pressure from the educational and social environment to follow the "popular" career paths, get perfect marks, and keep up with everyone in the social comparison game that making the right career choice has become more confusing than ever. To offer students some guidance in this convoluted situation, EdInbox Communications Vertical Head PR and communications Pooja Khanna has released another edition of its Voices That Educate series special interview with Ms Pooja Khanna, Founder of Find Your True North, Assistant Professor at the School of Liberal Studies & Humanities, UPES, and North India Representative of the Asia Pacific Career Development Association (APCDA).

This is a great opportunity for all students and parents who wish to get their career related queries solved by a true professional. Pooja Khanna has immense practical and theoretical knowledge in the domain of career development as well as personal growth. For instance, Ms Khanna explains that only marks are not a gauge of your abilities and you can figure out who you are by taking a deep dive in yourself and finding the areas that feel natural or good to you. Similarly, the parents also need awareness about the career decisions of their children so that they do not try to control the child's desires through inappropriate ways).

Q.1 What is the most common mistake students make while choosing a career, and why does it happen so often?

The most common mistake students make is confusing visibility with suitability. They choose careers that are popular, highly discussed, high-paying  or socially rewarded, rather than ones aligned with who they are.

This happens because students grow up in an ecosystem driven by comparison, marks, rankings, social media success stories, and parental anxiety. According to OECD and World Economic Forum insights, young people today are making career decisions in a far more volatile and uncertain world, but with decision-making tools that haven’t evolved at the same pace.

When choices are made out of fear—fear of falling behind, fear of disappointing parents, fear of being “average”- clarity gets replaced by pressure.

Q.2How can students identify their real interests and strengths amid parental expectations and social pressure?

Self-awareness is not discovered overnight—it is built through exposure and reflection.

At Find Your True North, we encourage students to:

Explore before committing: internships, short-term projects, volunteering, shadowing professionals, and informational interviews.

Allow boredom: Some of the best self-insights come when students are not constantly stimulated by social media. Boredom creates space for curiosity.

Observe energy, not just performance: Ask- What activities make me feel engaged, even when they are hard?

Research-backed career development models globally emphasise career exploration as a process, not a one-time decision. Interests become clearer through experiences, not assumptions.

Q.3How important are academic marks in shaping a student’s long-term career, according to your experience?

Marks matter—but they matter less over time.

Academic performance may open the first door, but skills, adaptability, learning agility, and values determine how far a student goes. The research consistently highlights skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and resilience as future-proof capabilities.

I often tell students: Marks are a snapshot, not your full story. Long-term success depends on how well you can learn, unlearn, and reinvent yourself.

Q.4 At what age or stage should students begin thinking seriously about their career, and what should their focus be then?

Career thinking should begin early, but career fixing should not.

Ages 12–14: Focus on self-awareness—interests, values, personality, and curiosity.

Ages 15–17: Exposure—subjects, industries, role models, real-world work.

Post-school: Skill-building, experimentation, and reflection.

Global career frameworks, including those supported by National Career Services and APCDA, emphasise career readiness over career certainty. The goal is not to decide “what I will be forever,” but to understand what I want to explore next. Career is a journey; be ready for detours.

Q.5 Students today fear making the “wrong” choice. How can they approach career decisions with clarity and confidence rather than anxiety?

Students must shift from a fixed mindset to a navigation mindset. There is no single “right” choice—only well-informed next steps.Practical strategies include:

Breaking big decisions into small experiments

Using “Yes, and…” instead of “If… but…”

 (For example: Yes, I want security, and I also want meaningful work.)

Focusing on skills and experiences that transfer across roles. Career confidence grows when students realise that careers are built, not chosen, once.

Q.6What role should parents play in guiding career decisions, and where should they allow students to lead?

Parents should move from being decision-makers to decision-enablers.

Their role is to:

-Provide exposure, perspective, and emotional safety

-Share experiences without imposing outcomes

-Encourage effort, not just results

Students should lead when it comes to interests, learning preferences, and aspirations. Clear, respectful communication between parents and children, grounded in facts rather than fear, creates the healthiest outcomes.

Q.7 In today’s changing landscape, how should students balance degrees, skills, and practical exposure?

Think of careers as a three-legged stool:

• Degrees provide foundational knowledge and credibility
• Skills provide employability and adaptability
• Practical exposure provides clarity and confidence

Global platforms like OECD, APCDA and WEF emphasise that employability is no longer degree-driven alone. Careers are no longer about climbing one ladder; they’re about building a lattice of skills that grows with you. Students who combine learning with real-world exposure, internships, projects, freelancing, and research are better prepared for uncertainty.

Q.8 What is one piece of advice you would give to students who feel confused, average, or unsure about their future? 

You are not behind, you are becoming. Confusion is not a weakness; it is often the beginning of self-discovery. Build experiences, choose your peer group wisely, follow people who educate rather than impress, and remember:

Happiness is not something you arrive at after success; it is something you create through meaningful experiences.

Your career does not need to look like anyone else’s. It needs to make sense to you.