With 3000 colleges to choose from, you’ll certainly find a “match” for your lifestyle preferences, what you can afford, and the academic rigor. And there are plenty of books and counselors who can help you find a college that “fits”.
But once you’re at college, your decision about your major is your next hurdle. Even if you have chosen a major, you should verify your decision as a freshman or sophomore.
And one thing is sure: What you think is going to happen to school, won’t.
I coached a seventeen-year-old young lady this week, bound for Tufts University. Kaitlyn is very focused on majoring in biomedical engineering and took all the AP classes she could. In our “Wheel of Life” exercise, she really didn’t want to talk about her career direction; and was sure that this was already taken care of. She’s motivated and focused.
During our coaching session, I was plagued by a question: “Can Kaitlyn really know what’s going to happen when she gets to college?” So I asked her: “Kaitlyn, how open are you to new ideas about your field of study?”
Kaitlyn’s thinking could certainly change once she makes new friends with different ideas. And most colleges offer unique courses, even in the core program, with professors who can inspire and challenge your thinking.
With so many college majors -- and so many job titles -- out there (over 31,000!), you’re doing yourself a disservice if you get too focused too soon.
Freshmen and sophomore college students find themselves torn between finding a major that gets them a good-paying, reasonably secure job; and one that promises real, personal satisfaction.
Furthermore, the real connection between college majors and job titles is fuzzy, at best.
What To Do??
To make a “happy” decision about your college majors, you must know the facts, and know yourself as well. Talk to anyone you know who is in a satisfying job and ask him or her how they made decisions.
And do you own fact-finding; either by yourself, or with a career coach. You’ll have to:
1. Connect the college major with a career area, and then a job title.
2. Think about the job prospects: salary, growth, number of openings and where to find the jobs. (In my previous posts, I talked about the Occupational Outlook Handbook as the source for this information.)
3. Put your SELF first. Reflect often: What types of things do you like to do? WHY do you like to do them? What type of environment would be fun to work in, and what type of people would be cool to work with? What’s important to you?
I’ve talked about career clusters and how to find the fit between you and the World of Work. So remember:
• Your personality is likely to stay constant over the years, but your values could change.
• Most of your interests (abilities and skills) TRANSFER to job skills but you may have to think CREATIVELY about them.
What’s Your Major? coaching and workshops can guide and encourage you through the process. We also offer academic coaching to help you build social and emotional intelligence; and creative and critical and leadership skills: the skills that employers value most when hiring. We’re affiliated with LifeBound, and offer many resources for middle, high and college students, on our site.
You can do much of this research on your own. However, a coach will help you extend your thinking and stay accountable to your goals.
A workbook like Ed Colozzi’s Creating Careers with Confidence presents a thorough and methodical approach. You’ll have to make some trade-offs along the way to come up with a practical college and work plan. The challenge is that there are so many choices. But that’s the good news, too.
Several good guides can help you start the conversation about college majors:
Michael P. Voillt’s College Majors that Work
Paul Phifer’s College Majors and Careers
Laurence Shatkin’s Quick Guide to College Majors and Careers and 50 Best Majors for a Secure Future
Terry Ward’s Major Decisions: A Guide to College Majors
Contact me for personal help with your academic skills and career plans!
My mission is to empower youth with: - The knowledge about career possibilities, and the education and training needed to attain them - The creative-thinking and emotional skills that make for good career decisions and which employers prefer; - And the resilience needed to flourish in life.
