By Dr. Manish Mittal, Founder and Chief Counsellor, Global Careers, Surat · Updated October 2026
The short answer: the best career counsellor for your child is one who is qualified in career counselling, has guided students for many years, reads every test result personally, and tells you honestly what is and is not possible. Price and convenience come after that.
This matters more today than it did a generation ago. A wrong course or college now costs a family years and lakhs of rupees to undo. You would not take a casual opinion on a serious medical decision. A decision about your child's education and career deserves the same care.
Below are the questions we suggest every family asks, whoever they finally choose.
Why cheap advice can be the most expensive
There are no free lunches in career guidance. Advice that costs very little usually saves its cost somewhere else: a ten-minute conversation, a fixed list of colleges, or a report printed by software that nobody checks.
The real cost shows up later:
- A stream chosen in a hurry after Class 10 can close courses a student later wants.
- A course chosen because it is "hot" may not suit the student, and switching after a year or two wastes fees and time.
- A university abroad chosen without a fit check can cost a family more than any counselling fee ever would.
What worked for your parents may not work today
Many families still pick a career the old way: what a cousin did, what friends are choosing, or what an online video says pays well. Ten years ago, or in a parent's time, that sometimes worked.
Today new fields appear every few years, old ones change, and admission to good universities looks at far more than marks. A career plan needs to fit the student first and the trend second.
Seven questions to ask before you choose a career counsellor
Ask these in the first meeting. A good counsellor will be happy to answer every one.
- What are your qualifications in career counselling? A short online certificate is not the same as years of formal study and supervised practice.
- How many years have you guided students, and at what stages? School, college and working life raise different questions.
- Who reads my child's test results? Ask whether a person checks them with the student, or whether the report comes straight from software.
- Will you suggest options in India as well as abroad? A counsellor who offers only one path has a reason to push it.
- Will you tell us what is not possible? Honest feedback on a profile is worth more than easy reassurance.
- Is this one meeting, or a process? Career counselling starts a conversation. Findings need time to check, and students often need exploration and profile building before the picture is clear.
- Who will guide my child? Find out who will guide your child, and how often you will meet that person.
If you feel rushed, or the answer to every question is the same college list, keep looking.
A psychometric test is like a blood report
A blood report is useful, but you would not decide on treatment from the numbers alone. A doctor reads it with your history and asks questions before advising you.
A psychometric test works the same way. It measures a student's interests, aptitude and personality. It cannot tell, on its own, whether the student rushed, guessed, or answered the way they think they should.
So when you compare tests, ask:
- Does it measure more than one thing? Interests alone, or personality alone, give half a picture.
- Does a qualified person check the results with the student? This step reduces response bias.
- Who writes the report? A report written for one student reads very differently from a generic printout.
A cheap or instant online report can look impressive and still point a student the wrong way. That is the costliest kind of mistake. More on our in-house psychometric test.
Choosing a study abroad consultant
One of the main reasons study abroad goes wrong is the wrong course, not the wrong country. So the first question about any study abroad consultant is simple: are they also a serious career counsellor?
Then ask:
- Do they check course fit, college fit and destination fit, in that order? A country is not chosen like a holiday destination, and the one in the news this year may not suit your child.
- Will they discuss every university your child deserves, including ones not on a ready list?
- Can they evaluate the profile honestly and help build a stronger one over time, without costly activities chosen only to look good?
- Do they talk about scholarships and the full budget early, not after the applications are sent?
- Will they say if studying in India is the better choice? For some students it is.
A consultant who answers these well is worth far more than one who promises admission. See how we approach study abroad consulting.
How we answer these questions at Global Careers
We would rather you ask us these questions than take our word for anything.
- Qualifications: Dr. Manish Mittal holds a PhD in Psychology (Career Counselling) and the College Counselling Certificate, New York University, and is a certified practitioner of the MBTI and the Strong Interest Inventory.
- Experience: he has guided families in Surat since 2000, from school students to graduates planning a Master's or MBA.
- The test: our in-house psychometric test covers interests, aptitude and personality. Dr. Mittal and his team verify each student's results in person, and he writes the report himself.
- India and abroad: because we guide students for both, we first ask whether a student should go abroad at all.
- Honest feedback: every profile is evaluated when a student joins, including what is not possible.
A consultation with Dr. Manish Mittal is by appointment, at our New City Light office in Surat or online. Read more about career counselling in Surat or Speak with Our Team.
Frequently asked questions
Which career counsellor is best?
The best counsellor for your child is qualified in career counselling, experienced, reads test results personally and gives honest feedback. Use the seven questions above to compare.
Are study abroad consultants worth it?
A good one is, because the wrong course or university costs far more than the consultation. Check that they are also a career counsellor and do not push a fixed list.
Is an online career test enough?
Rarely on its own. A test is a starting point. It needs a qualified person to check the results with the student and turn them into a plan.
When should we start?
Class 9 is ideal and Class 10 is still a good time. Starting at the last moment, just before choosing a stream or course, leaves little time for an informed decision. Read when career counselling should start.
About the author. Dr. Manish Mittal founded Global Careers in Surat in 2000 and has guided school students, graduates and their families ever since. He holds a PhD in Psychology (Career Counselling) and the College Counselling Certificate, New York University, and is a certified practitioner of the MBTI, the Strong Interest Inventory and Multiple Intelligences. Read his profile · Speak with Our Team