Majors / Careers

You are making some very important decisions about your life. While the opportunities in front of you are so exciting, it can also be a little scary. “Which college is my first choice?” “What do I want to major in?” “What do I want to be?” It can seem like too much, and while these are important questions, it’s important to take a deep breath and know it will all be okay.

Not knowing your college major and career field right away is perfectly fine. However, you can start the process and narrow your search by getting to know yourself and the world of work. You can revisit the results of your EXPLORE and PLAN tests, look back at what high school courses captured your interest or what clubs at MND became passions. For a great article to read on this subject, go to: www.quintcareers.com/choosing_major.html.  

Major

A major is the subject you will study in greatest depth while in college. You will take between one-quarter and two-thirds of your courses in this subject-area. At most colleges and universities, students must complete a required number of courses in their major to earn a degree. There are hundreds of majors from which you can choose. Usually, the larger the college or university, the more majors they offer.
 

• When must I choose a major? There is a lot of pressure on high school seniors to pick a major. Many colleges ask for your major on their applications (although “undeclared” is usually an option). Parents worry, not without justification, that if you can’t decide right away, you may be in college for more than four years.

  A few of your classmates may already know in what they plan to major. Many of them, as certain as they may feel, will probably change their minds. Most 18 year-olds have never studied philosophy or anthropology, so how can they eliminate such majors? If you are undecided, don’t think “confused,” but rather “open-minded.”

  Many colleges ask students to declare a major by the end of the sophomore year or early junior year. This allows students to spend at least a year and a half to “shop” for a major by taking a variety of general courses. During this “shopping period”, take courses that appeal to you, and ask other students what they have liked and what was involved in the course.

  It’s also important to note that once you declare a major, that doesn’t mean that you are irrevocably chained to it. However, by changing majors, you may have to take additional courses and spend longer than four years in school, which means more time and tuition.
   

• How are a major and a career connected? Some majors are very closely connected to a career. For example, if you are majoring in nursing, you will most likely become a nurse. But not necessarily. As a nursing major, you will have taken several science courses. You could go on to medical school or a career in sports training.

  Other majors have more broad applications. Degrees in English, philosophy, sociology or other liberal arts fields may show employers that you are a problem-solver, creative, a “thinker.” The employer is happy to provide you with on-the-job training specific to that position in order to maximize your broad knowledge base and skill-set.

  Statistically, the likelihood that your job will be connected to your college major ten years after graduation is small. People often switch jobs and careers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average American will have 3.5 different careers and work for 10 different employers. While most majors afford skills that are applicable over a variety of careers, it is important to find a college major that is best for you at this time. The following websites can be very helpful:

  www.uncwil.edu/stuaff/career/Majors/index.htm
  www.undergrad.osu.edu/majors.html
   

• How do I choose a major? All the experts agree that you should start your search for a college major and/or career with a good look at yourself. This is much easier said than done. The important thing is to stay positive. There are many tools to help you discover parts of yourself that you may not have recognized. It’s important to determine what you are interested in and, just as important, what you are not interested in.
   

Career

Again, this is a big decision. A good place to start is not only by determining your interests, but also assessing your skills – those you currently have and those you want to develop.

It is also important to assess your values and personal style to feel fulfilled by your career. To get started, rank the following in order of importance:
 

• Contributing to Society
• Accessibility
• Excitement
• Status
• Job Security
• Starting Salary
• Potential Growth in Salary
• Helping Others
• Fame
• Intellectual Challenge
• Potential for Advancement

Think about whether or not you like to take risks and want adventure; whether you prefer to work alone or with people; whether you like to take charge and motivate others or would rather be the “worker bee.” Would you rather sit in a quiet office all day or a chaotic noisy office?

Once you have a sense of yourself, it is time to look at the career world. What your focus should be now, as a high school student, is to develop an initial focus that hones in on your options. There is no need to put pressure on yourself to pick a life-long occupation, but rather to begin to create the picture of your future lifestyle that nurtures your interests, skills, values and personal style and how your career will fit into that picture.

Don’t miss the opportunity to talk to people you know that are in your potential career paths. At MND, juniors are encouraged to shadow a potential career path for a day. This is information gathering at its best! You can also look into volunteer opportunities in potential fields.

To learn more about different career paths, check out the following web sites:
www.acinet.org
www.bls.gov/oco/
www.jobstar.org
www.collegeboard.com/apps/career/index