Career conversations often begin too late. For many generations, choices were framed as commitments rather than explorations. By Grade 8 or 9, students were already expected to decide, narrow down, and prepare for a single defined path. At Good Shepherd International School, that philosophy has been consciously reimagined.
For Saumya Tripathi, Head of Career Guidance, early conversations are not about locking students into a profession. They are about unlocking curiosity.
“We are not trying to create commitment,” she explains. “We are trying to create curiosity.”
In a world where the jobs of 2030 may not even exist today, certainty is no longer the goal. Adaptability, self-learning, and exploration are.
Curiosity Before Commitment
Saumya often reflects on how career conversations unfolded in her own school years. Students were told what they “had to do.” There was limited space to question, to explore alternatives, or to imagine possibilities beyond the obvious. The result was early commitment, but often at the cost of curiosity.
Today’s students are stepping into a dramatically different landscape. Reports from global institutions such as the World Economic Forum suggest that many future roles remain undefined. In such a context, early career guidance must serve a different purpose.
“If we do not know the exact jobs students will step into, what can we do?” Saumya asks. “We can help them develop skills. We can help them become self-guided learners. And we can help them keep their curiosity alive.”
At GSIS, career guidance begins early not to prescribe a path, but to broaden perspective. The residential ecosystem plays a significant role in this. Students gain exposure not only through formal counselling sessions, but through conversations with subject experts, internships on campus, alumni interactions, and lived experiences across disciplines.
Internships in horticulture, exposure to environmental studies, service initiatives, and interdisciplinary experiences allow students to see careers not as labels, but as lived realities. The conversation becomes layered and nuanced rather than transactional.
Redefining Success Beyond Admissions
In competitive educational environments, success is often measured by university admissions and rankings. Saumya views it differently.
Success, she believes, lies in developing the ability to learn how to learn.
“The next generation may change careers seven times,” she says. “We cannot prepare them for one fixed identity. We must prepare them to adapt.”
This means nurturing three essential traits: self-guided learning, openness to experiences, and sustained curiosity. Students must know how to acquire knowledge independently, how to connect ideas across disciplines, and how to remain flexible when industries shift.
The measure of readiness, therefore, is not simply an offer letter. It is whether a student leaves school with clarity, confidence, and the ability to design their own definition of success.
Expanding Possibilities in a Changing World
Traditional career paths such as medicine, engineering, and business still hold value, but even these fields are evolving rapidly. Engineering now includes psychology and philosophy. Business integrates sustainability and ethics. Medicine incorporates data science and technology.
To help students understand this interconnected world, GSIS has built a multi-layered exposure model. Universities visit campus regularly. Alumni internships provide hands-on experience in manufacturing, retail, marketing, and development sectors. Group sessions and one-to-one meetings ensure personalised guidance.
Equally important is parent engagement. Over the past three years, involvement from families has grown significantly. Saumya believes this partnership is essential.
“It is impossible to guide a student effectively unless parents are part of the conversation,” she says. “When parents understand the landscape, they can support exploration instead of fearing it.”
Teachers also play a vital role. Training sessions equip faculty with insight into how different university applications are evaluated and what experiences strengthen specific academic profiles. The aim is coherence. Students should not feel pulled in conflicting directions. Instead, information from teachers, counsellors, and parents should fit together like pieces of a puzzle.
A Journey from Law to Public Policy
One student’s journey illustrates the power of early and sustained conversations.
Beginning in Grade 9, she frequently sought guidance, hoping for a definitive answer about her future. Rather than offering a prediction, Saumya engaged her in ongoing dialogue. Many discussions happened informally at the dinner table, touching not only on careers, but on friendships, books, and interests.
The student initially gravitated toward law. She pursued related internships, wrote research papers, and selected subjects aligned with that ambition. As her exposure deepened, however, she realised her interests extended beyond practising law to shaping the policies that inform it.
Public policy emerged as a more aligned path. She eventually pursued her undergraduate studies at the National University of Singapore and later began postgraduate studies at Oxford.
The transformation was not sudden. It was built through years of layered reflection and exploration. Early conversations created space for evolution rather than locking her into a premature choice.
Measuring Impact Beyond Data
Unlike standardised academic assessments, career guidance does not lend itself easily to numerical metrics. Saumya measures effectiveness differently.
“When a student begins by saying, ‘I have no idea what I want to do,’ and leaves saying, ‘This is my plan,’ that shift tells us something has worked,” she explains.
Confidence, clarity, and direction become the true indicators.
Long-term tracking also plays a role. Maintaining contact with alumni allows the department to support students even during university years. Conversations continue about internships, research opportunities, course selections, and even transfer decisions.
If a student chooses to change universities or fields, the key question is not whether they stayed on the original path, but whether the change was informed and confident. The learning process matters more than rigid adherence to an initial plan.
The GSIS Difference
What distinguishes the GSIS approach is its focus on fit rather than prestige.
“We are not pushing students toward brand names,” Saumya says. “We are pushing them toward the right fit.”
She has seen students gain admission to highly ranked institutions only to struggle because the environment was mismatched. For her, the goal is sustainability. A student should not simply enter a university, but thrive there.
The residential model enhances this process. Conversations are not limited to scheduled office hours. They unfold over meals, during walks, and in extended discussions that allow students to think aloud without pressure. The absence of rigid time boundaries enables depth.
Looking Ahead
As technology reshapes every profession, career guidance must evolve accordingly. Technology is no longer a specialised career path; it is a universal skill set. Regardless of field, students must understand data, digital systems, and evolving tools.
“It is no longer optional,” Saumya notes. “It is pervasive.”
Yet amid this rapid change, one message remains constant.
To parents, she offers a simple request: do not label careers as good or bad. Frame conversations around suitability, strengths, and openness to exploration.
To students, she offers a reminder: you can do anything, but you cannot do everything. Depth matters more than superficial involvement in multiple activities. Choose thoughtfully.
Her own story underscores this belief. Though she once cleared a medical entrance examination, she chose instead to pursue English literature, a decision that initially surprised her family but ultimately aligned with her strengths and passions.
“Give your child time,” she says. “They will find their path.”
At GSIS, early career conversations are not about predicting the future. They are about preparing students to meet it with curiosity, courage, and clarity.
