News | 08 October 2026
“With us, the future can be explored on the students’ own terms”
Behind secondary school choices, work experience placements, and future plans lies a professional role with a very special mission in schools. In connection with "Careers Guidance Day" today, we are visiting the career counsellor’s room – a place where no ideas are wrong and where the pressure of grades is left at the door.
For many, the career counsellor (SYV) is synonymous with the intensive work surrounding upper secondary school selection in Year 9. However, the Education Act and the national curriculum set a significantly broader framework. The role is just as much about building students' decision-making skills, challenging ingrained norms, and serving as a safe space in everyday school life.
Mr Volkan Serengil works as a career counsellor at IES Liljeholmen and is also the SYV coordinator across IES. He describes the profession as a wide-ranging mandate where ongoing discussions with students form the very heart of the work.
“The fact that we don’t award grades makes us a neutral party that both students and guardians can easily turn to. With us, students get the chance to think out loud in a safe, protected environment – a place where no ideas are wrong and where the future can be explored entirely on their own terms,” explains Mr Serengil.
Because the career counsellor role sits outside formal administrative authority, discussions around grading feel far less daunting. Visiting the counsellor is also something every student does, which removes any potential stigma. The trust built up through these sessions means meetings quickly become about much more than just future studies.
“It becomes just as much a relationship with everyday check-ins before the school day starts or catch-ups about the weekend’s football match and how things went at the vet’s,” he says.
Challenging norms early on
An important part of the mandate revolves around equity and ensuring that neither gender, socio-economic background, nor cultural background limits what students believe is possible.
“It’s not about children choosing a career path at a young age, but about giving students the tools to evaluate different possibilities, so that neither gender, cultural, nor social background sets limits on their academic and career aspirations,” says Mr Serengil.
To all students and parents feeling stressed about the future, he offers a reassuring message:
“Upper secondary school should be three sustainable, enjoyable years. It’s not the end of the world if you choose the ‘wrong’ path – our education system makes it easy to supplement your qualifications later through adult education (Komvux), folk high school, or foundation courses. Considering we’ll be working well into our 70s, a year here or there is a very small investment compared to your well-being. The most important thing is that the choice feels right in your gut.”