SERENE HOUR THE MOST TRUSTED COUNSELLING CENTER MANAGING THE COUNSELLING NEEDS OF INDIA
Every individual at some point in life may need to reach out to someone who could help them with an honest opinion, unbiased guidance, genuine listening or be a mentor/guide who has their best interest in mind. Right from a young age, parents wanting to decide which school and board is right for their child, to students of grades 9 to 12 wanting to decide which stream to pursue, what course to choose, which occupation would likely be right for their future success.
Students in colleges need to reach out to someone who could help them understand their next right career step. Should they study further, look at study abroad options, or join the workforce? If they choose to join the workforce, they need guidance at writing their resume or understanding how interviews work. Working professionals or Home-makers both at some point need to reach out to a counsellor if they feel stagnant in their careers, feel stressed and are unable to cope with that stress. During all these junctures people need to reach out to a professional consultant who understands Education & Careers. This is where Serene Hour Counselling & Career Advice Consultancy prides in calling itself a one-stop point for all counselling and consulting needs for Parents, Students, Working Professionals and Adults.
Serene Hour’s services include, Career Counselling for students in schools and colleges, Career Coaching for Adults, Home-makers, Working professionals, Study abroad guidance, Resume Analysis and Interview Coaching, conducting Workshops called “Be Industry Ready”, School Education Consulting, Personal Counselling & Life Coaching.
WORK ETHICS AT SERENE HOUR COUNSELLING & CAREER ADVICE CONSULTANCY
At Serene Hour success is measured in terms of repeated clients and clients who come by referrals or through word of mouth. Client satisfaction and providing them with value driven service is the internal yardstick of success at Serene Hour.
Serene Hour is different from other consultancies in the market because they are not affiliated with any Indian or foreign-based universities or colleges. Being independent career and education consultants, their priority lies in having the client’s best interests. Serene Hour does not depend on sales or cuts received by affiliations subsequently. Known for their honest and objective counselling, they have won their client’s loyalty and trust.
WORKING AT SERENE HOUR COUNSELLING & CAREER ADVICE CONSULTANCY
Being a woman-led organization, Serene Hour understands the day-to-day struggles of working mothers. A 2019 Deloitte study reported that the involvement of women in the labor force in India has declined from 36.7 per cent in 2005 to 26 per cent in 2018. The occupational policies of Serene Hour reflects this understanding by allowing a period leave and flexible work from home hours for their woman employees. They strive to make the workplace inclusive and tap into their female workers’ under-utilized potential. The organization seeks to build a positive work culture through its policies that are healthy and conducive. Not only encouraging women to give their best at work, but also garnering a lot of work enthusiasm and team work from its employees.
The world is going digital. Keeping up with the global spirit of our times, Serene Hour provides online Career/ Personal counselling to clients all over India and the globe. During the Covid 19 Pandemic, this organization was able to flawlessly incorporate work from home and adapted to online counselling with great ease because of its forward thinking work policies.
GIVING BACK TO THE SOCIETY
Serene Hour places a significant value in ‘giving back to society’ notion. For Instance, when there was a sharp increase in the need for counselling services throughout the country during the national lockdown in India. Serene Hour delivered guidance and counselling to clients impacted by the pandemic on a pro-bono basis for a large duration of the lockdown. Serene Hour understood the anguish and restlessness suffered by the youth and students all around the country and abroad and did its best to ease the panic caused amongst the masses.
THE FOUNDER’S STORY
Ms. Sherene Aftab is the Founder and CEO of Serene Hour Counselling & Career Advice Consultancy that is considered one of the most trusted consulting centers for Students, Parents and Working Professionals.
Sherene says that during her tenure as a lecturer and trainer for various graduate & undergraduate colleges in Mumbai, she was acutely aware of the gap in awareness and information regarding education and career choices amongst students in both schools and colleges alike. She would find young adults and graduates jaded with their college degrees and education realizing they had neither the passion nor the aptitude for what they chose to pursue as their career.
Her workshops and trainings often revolved around educating the youth on industry related skills, career coaching, and bridging the skill gap between the needs of an industry and the skills of a graduate. “I founded Serene Hour because I wanted to help and reach out to the youth of India in making the most impactful decision of their lives – choosing the right career path for themselves. In my practice, I have come across one too many adults who are unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives because of lack of career satisfaction. At the heart of my business lies the motivation to reach out to people and make a positive difference to their lives.” says Sherene
Armed with degrees in Marketing, HR and Counselling Psychology, as well as, with certifications in RE-CBT and an International Graduate Certificate in Counselling Skills. Her expertise expanses in the areas of teaching, training and counselling. She is an avid contributor and writer for various offline and online publications for her expertise in Education, Careers, Women Empowerment and Entrepreneurship.
Appointed as a paper setter at the University of Mumbai, Sherene closely understands the inner workings of school and university systems and is able to guide parents and students through education consulting work. Having firsthand experience in working with students and adults through her training workshops and mentoring. Sherene has a firm grasp at connecting and understanding her clients’ perspective, needs and issues.
For her exceptional work, she is also recognized and awarded by IIWA (International Inspiration Woman’s Award powered by GISR Foundation with the title ‘Best Woman Personality of the Year 2020′
MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH
Your choice of career is the most poignant decision you could make. This decision influences your happiness, success and overall life satisfaction. Without the wisdom that comes with age and experience, young students may not always be able to make the wisest decision for themselves. Reach out to professional guidance because the plethora of knowledge available on the internet may get confusing and may not always be applicable to your individual journey. This is not just applicable to students, but adults too may need to reach out to a professional coach at some point in their career probably to discuss ideas, thoughts, and frustrations or to cope with stress. Reaching out is crucial.
In conclusion, Sherene wants to express that her entrepreneurship story has been a journey of grit, perseverance and hard work. She also adds that “money follows hard work and passion but doing it ethically with a moral code will bring you the ultimate peace of mind and joy”.
