Mindler: Revolutionising career counseling in the post-Covid-19 era

Promoted in 2015 by Harvard University, Indian School of Business and IIT alumni, Mindler is a pioneer in India’s evolving career guidance and  counseling landscape. Led by Prateek Bhargava, founder-CEO, Mindler Education Pvt. Ltd aims to “revolutionise the unorganised career counselling sector and make scientific career guidance accessible to millions of students” through its comprehensive suite of career guidance and counseling services to students. 

Moreover, to address the shortage of 15 lakh career coaches in India, the Mindler team is committed to certifying and training career guidance professionals through its International Career Coach Programme in collaboration with the US-based NCDA (National Career Development Association) and CDA (Career Development Advisor).

With offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Dubai, Mindler has signed up over 200 education institutions in India and the Middle East with 150,000 students and certified and trained 1,000 career coaches so far. 

Mindler research on impact of Covid-19 on career planning 

Responding to the widespread disruptions triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, Mindler promptly conducted a research to assess the impact of the pandemic on the career and higher education decisions of high school students. “High school students are now questioning their career roadmaps given the unprecedented circumstances. The research allowed us to identify some of the key issues that students would need to consider as they go about planning their careers in these ambiguous circumstances. According to the findings of our research, over 42 percent students are reconsidering their career choices in the wake of the COVID 19 outbreak which makes professional career guidance and counseling all the more indispensable,” says Bhargava, an alumnus of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, with over a decade of rich corporate experience in Strategy Consulting, Data Analytics and Education Advisory before promoting Mindler in 2015.

Career planning in the post-Covid-19 era 

According to the Mindler team, some of the key concerns of students while making career decisions in the post-Covid-19 age are:

1. The New Normal: With COVID-19 defining a new normal for the higher education sector, the online teaching-learning landscape is bound to be revolutionised.
2. Change in Application Assessment: Universities across the globe are changing and upgrading their application assessment processes which is bound to drastically affect students’ decisions and plans for university admissions.
3. Crisis Management: This will no longer be an option but a necessity for universities as well as for students.
4. Reconsidering Course and College Selection: Students who are planning to enroll in a university in the upcoming fall will have to reconsider their degree and college options.
5. Dilemma on Studying Abroad: Students who were earlier sure about pursuing their degree programmes at universities abroad will now have to reconsider their choices given the strict travel restrictions across the globe.
6. Seeking Backups in India: Students who were sure about pursuing their higher studies abroad are now having to seek backup options in India. As a result, Indian universities are witnessing an upsurge in applications.
7. Online Entrances and Virtual Interviews: Students are having to prepare themselves for and adapt to online proctored entrance exams as well as virtual interviews, as part of the admission process to several universities. 

In light of these prevailing ambiguities, Mindler has proactively adapted its existing solutions for students and career guidance professionals  in the following ways:

“The online version of the ICCC has not only been a viable option but has also witnessed resounding success spanning over 2400 career coaches. The higher the number of coaches being trained, the higher the number of students we can help in their career decision making process. The relation is directly proportional, and we are anticipating this number to double in our upcoming cohorts of the Online ICCC,” says Bhargava.

Bhargava believes the Mindler team is well prepared to navigate unforeseen challenges and continuously design innovative solutions to redefine the career planning landscape in the post-Covid-19 age. “Change is the only constant – this has been one of the major takeaways from the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Understanding the need of the hour, Mindler has proactively adapted to the changing circumstances, and geared itself to lead the revolution in the career guidance landscape both for students and educators. We are bound to witness a dramatic shift in the career decision making process. Students are skeptical about how this academic year will turn out to be, and they need guidance from trained career coaches, now more than ever. As the prevailing crisis evolves, Mindler will continue to further its endeavour to provide for innovative and progressive solutions. We are determined to shape the career guidance landscape even in these times of uncertainty.”