Welcome to Friday Faves! Each Friday we’ll spotlight one of our favorite resources for students.
Have you ever wondered if your major determines your eventual career path? At the Career Center, sometimes we’ll hear students say, “If I want to go into [this career field] then I have to major in [this major], right??
Fortunately, the vast majority of the time, the answer to this question is a big NO. The truth is, there isn’t just one major for most career paths*, whether you think you want to pursue a graduate/professional program or work in areas like education, finance, international affairs, and more.
*An exception: If you want to be an engineer, you’ll need that engineering coursework. That said, engineers have many different options for their career paths as well!
So before you’re tempted to feel boxed in by a limited number of majors, talk to a career advisor about your options. Think about the classes you enjoy (or think you’ll enjoy). Of course, not every class is 100% fun all the time, but ideally you’ll feel a sense of excitement and fulfillment when you think about your potential major. If not, it might be time to reassess!
Another tool we offer is called “What Can I Do With This Major?” and it’s a database of 10+ categories, e.g., Social Science, with related majors within them. You can look at specific majors, e.g., Africana Studies or Anthropology, and get a big-picture sense of typical career paths within that major, sample employers, and strategies for learning more about the major and its many career options.
