Lifology, an Indian start-up that holds the Guinness World Record in the arena of career guidance has developed a unique solution for this problem. If you are a parent,
Lifology is on a mission to makes you a ‘Super Parent’; confident, informed and capable of providing proper direction, guidance and mentoring for your children.
Praveen Parameswar, CEO of Lifology, a widely acclaimed TEDx speaker, alumnus of Cardiff University and London School of Economics, says “for 76% of children, parents are the most powerful influencer in career selection. Only if parents are rightly empowered, India would be able to channelize the current demographic dividend we enjoy to the right direction”.
Excerpts from the conversation Dr Marliyn Myres, Education Specialist did with Mr. Praveen Parameswar is given below.
"What is the real problem you are trying to solve?"
It is every parents’ dream to see their children in careers where they enjoy both happiness and financial security. Choosing the right schools, best colleges, investing in hours of tuitions and recently, e-learning platforms are just a few ways in which all parents express and direct this common purpose. As parents, we are always on our toes, trying to make sure that we are providing our children with proper guidance and support. However, most of us are hardly capable of guiding our children when it comes to study options, career choices and new opportunities arising in this rapidly changing world.
It has been found by the University of Oxford that 47% of jobs in this world will vanish in another decade. World Economic Forum says computerization will take down more than 5 million jobs across 17 Asian Countries alone. COVID – 19 is in-fact making this transformation faster.
How many parents among us can confidently claim to have sufficient knowledge in the new age career fields such as Genetic Engineering, Digital Marketing, Data Analytics, or Nano Technology, to list a few. Parents are going through a real dilemma of figuring out how to balance their desire to support their children in making smart decisions for the future while secretly feeling incapable to do so.
Q: How are you trying to solve this problem?
A: Lifology attempts to solve this problem through its phenomenal Super Parent Eco-system that is comprised of Lifology Magazine, Lifology TV, Lifology Hub, Lifology Connect and the most vibrant and engaged Super Parent Community.
We are enabling parents to gain a deeper understanding about the new age career options, changes in the world of education and upcoming trends in employment. They are given an opportunity to connect to the world’s top coaches, industry leaders and mentors. In addition, every parent is provided with a scientifically designed toolkit powered by Artificial Intelligence to map children to the most suitable career options.
Q: How would you describe the role of parents in this Post COVID-19 world?
The Covid-19 has forever changed the way our world approaches education. We have been stuck in a rut, following the same centuries-old lecture and classroom approaches. Covid-19 has served as a catalyst for not only educational institutions but also parents to look for new, more affordable, more innovative approaches to education. Although it is too early to tell how exactly the educational system will be reshaped, we at Lifology believe that it will be more internationalized, democratized and centered around technology. The efficiency of traditional schooling will be questioned, current capabilities of teachers will be challenged, and quality will take priority in the market. Unschooling, home schooling and self-learning will rise to its peak. In this scenario, parents will carry a much greater responsibility for their children’s future. It’s time for parents to take a more proactive approach, involve more in children’s education and support them to move forward to a successful future.
Q: Don’t you think that more involvement from parents will act as an enforcement of parents’ thoughts and aspirations over their children’s dreams?
Decision on a person’s career and education is a family matter in India. In a collective, bonded and well-wired society like ours, parents and children cannot exist as independent members; they are a part of same unit, ‘family’. Promoting the notion of ‘
your career your choice’ can not be effective. This is one of the major reasons why most career guidance initiatives in India consistently fail. We are trying to follow western ideals and systems of guidance, which allow little to no input at all from parents when it comes to their child’s career decisions.
Even though, in our culture it is undoubtable that parents serve the most important role in helping their child choose their path of education and subsequently their career, but this does not mean that the choice should be entirely theirs. Lifology strives to equip parents with the right tools, most up-to-date information and expert advice which in combination with their own experience, wisdom, network and possibilities can be shaped into the most powerful guiding force to help the child make the right decisions.
In short, we believe that the most efficient solution is not to alienate parents from career decisions of their children, but empower them to be enlightened, efficient and capable coaches and mentors for children. Lifology believes that this is the true formula for success, not only for India, but for their entire world.
Q: What are the major factors Lifology urges every parent to focus on while helping children decide higher education and career?
The world of career is really tough and competitive. Only if a person has high levels of grit, they can enjoy sustainable growth. This requires a person to be in a profession where a strong conviction, passion and personality come together in perfect harmony. In addition, the profession a person chooses should also provide ample growth and earning opportunities.
Considering these factors, parents should try to help their children choose a career with lots of opportunities, which is also in sync with their passion and suits their unique personality. And our comprehensive, cutting-edge platform, Lifology.com provides a plethora of tools for parents to get inspired to achieve this Herculean task.
Q: What are the other projects Lifology is currently pursuing?
We are the permanent partner of GEMS Education, UAE, in career assessment and coaching for children from more than 40 countries. We also partner with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Government of Karnataka in guiding children to the right career tracks. Along with Adani Foundation, we have done multiple projects across the coastal regions of Kerala. In addition, we work digitally with parents and students from the UK, Singapore, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Our aim is to support one million parents in next 24 months, and empower them to lead their children to a meaningful career where they enjoy happiness, fulfilment, financial security and purpose.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Forbes India journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
