It is true that a child is the reflection of their parents, but is also true that the child is a reflection of all the hardwork that teachers put in towards the growth of their students. Besides parents, they are the ones who help students in shaping their future and guiding them towards the right path forward. While teachers help in building a child’s basic characteristic, a student counselor plays a key role when it comes to higher education and career-oriented decision-making. In today’s scenario, where students have numerous colleges and courses to choose from, Mamta Bhutani guides them in the tangential career growth roadmap. Founder of Ikigai Careers and a promising student mentor, Mamta has donned numerous hats in her career as a teacher, administrator, career advisor and now as an entrepreneur.

With more than 25 years of experience in the education field, Mamta has coached and directed students through the entire process of college applications to joining their dream college. Having graduated from St. Stephen’s College with a postgraduate degree in History, Mamta also holds a degree in M. Phil from the Delhi University. She is also a certified Career Counsellor with Univariety Certification and University of California, Los Angeles Extension. Mamta Bhutani’s contribution to student career counseling is significantly remarkable, and in this edition, Women Entrepreneur Magazine converses with her about the illuminous journey in a session which is illustrated below.

Explain about your current role at Ikigai careers and how are you leveraging the best of these elements across your company’s operations?

My Career Counseling, Mentoring and Coaching Company, Ikigai Careers was launched in 2020. At the core of my counseling strategy lies the effort to help students achieve their well being throughout their professions. It is my vision and hence, I am directly active in the processes that have been developed to achieve the objectives. With Ikigai, my aim is to provide students with impartial advice and encouragement to help them understand and navigate through the different options available for them to choose the right career path.

What were the major challenges that you encountered during your professional journey and how did you manage to overcome them?

Over the past five years, I have been counselling and guiding students about their career-related decisions and have served in a plethora of nuances including a school and a company dealing with admissions to national and foreign universities. Every workplace, every city has its agenda and focus. For instance, the students in some cities focus on rankings and the ‘brand names’; while some others fix themselves on just setting foot abroad. In either of the circumstances, the choice of an institution is not based on the right parameters. In certain instances, the end dictates the means, although it should be the other way around.

To ensure success, it is very important to consider one's personalities and interests, and then to match them to an appropriate course or institution. Throughout my career as a teacher and a counsellor, this is the biggest challenge that I have encountered. At Ikigai, we make people question and analyze the basis of their decision-making and then help them navigate the path using the right determining factors. To accomplish this, I focus on having one-on-one interactions with the students and parents as it helps me develop a rapport and a deeper understanding of their needs. As the students need assistance on how to think and process, I see myself more as a mentor whose aim is to tell the children where to look, and not what to see.

“At the core of my counseling strategy lies the effort to help students achieve their well being throughout their professions”

Tell us what keeps you going what is that driving force or inspiration. Also, brief us how you keep yourself abreast with the latest trends and technologies in your domain.

As I said earlier, it is my goal to make students aware that it is not what you do in the ultimate game of life that matters but how you do it. I want the students to become KASH rich by understanding the significance of Knowledge, Attitude, Skills and Habits in their life. Once they do that, the decisions that they will take in life will be informed decisions and will ensure success.

Ikigai Careers has also partnered with Univariety, India’s largest career-guidance platform with cutting-edge Edtech products to provide end-to-end career guidance services to students and parents. I am also part of a few networks and platforms for Counsellor Engagement at an individual level, where we discuss and exchange knowledge of the latest practices in our industry. I have even subscribed to a few educational and learning-related e-magazines so that I can keep up with the developments in education and careers. I share significant news and announcements related to admissions and also update students about new and upcoming fields of education through social media channels. I organize interactive sessions and webinars to connect students with alumni of universities from India and abroad. I also participate regularly in webinars conducted by Indian & Foreign universities to keep abreast with their latest news.

All these efforts are geared towards one objective – helping the students take career decisions after analyzing all aspects at hand.

As a woman in leadership, how are you influencing and inspiring others in and around your professional and personal stratum? Also, how do you manage to maintain a balance between your personal and professional life?

I have always believed in setting an example by practising what I believe in and will always endeavour to do that.

On the personal front, my children are now independent adults who don’t need much mothering! Might sound cliché but I am truly blessed to have a supportive husband and kids who are constantly urging me to put my best foot forward.

Mamta Bhutani, Founder & Student Counselor, Ikigai Careers

Mamta is a Student Counselor and education sector veteran with strong experience of over 25 years. Prior to her current position Mamta has also worked as an Expert Guidance Counsellor with Higher Edge Counsulting Pvt. Ltd., a Canadian corporation that is a global and registered representative of Canadian universities. Mamta is highly skilled in Counselling, Mentoring, Coaching, Team Building and Public Speaking and her excellence is well reflected through her work at Ikigai Careers.