The first steps to finding the right career fit are often taken while you’re still in school. As soon as you start selecting your elective classes in high school, you are moving towards figuring out what fits you best. For those who stay in school and go to college, the next big step (other than selecting a college) is choosing a major. Choosing a major can be stressful because you’re forced to confront that adult question of what should I do with my life. After all, choosing a major is putting yourself on a specific path…and that path can have a big impact on whatever it is you’ll be doing with your life.
The learning you do on that path can bring your career fit to you by inspiring you to take your life in a certain direction. It’s also possible that you’ll find the background you’re developing from your major is perfect for certain career opportunities – you’ll of course need to weigh whether those opportunities feel like the right fit for you. Your major might even limit your career opportunities (majoring in art might not lead you to that MBA program). Some people have paths mapped out in their heads before college even starts – those people want to choose majors that will best deliver those paths to them.
How did you choose your college major? If you’re done with school, how did you find the right career fit for you after graduation? Did that fit last?
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Picking a major was tough, I thought I wanted Journalism but Communication Studies ended up being better for wanting to work in music since I went to a school that didn't have a music business program. Turns out the things I learned were important but actually getting an internship and meeting people helped more. My job fair landed me in insurance and it took getting laid off from that first job to get me back on track taking extension classes at UCLA and getting an intership later at A&M. Would have been great to know some stores of how folks got started to help make a path since no one I knew personally had the answers. Good luck with the site, bet you'll help tons of people!
Lawyer or…lawyer. Those were the options I was pre-determined to consider going into college. It was not that my parents had put any pressure on me. Rather, I just thought this was a respectable career that would allow me enough money to raise a family. And then, my first week of college–boom–an epiphany. Wait, do I even want to be a lawyer!?
No longer sure of what career path I wanted to choose, I decided instead to pursue a major that focussed on my interests. Would history get me into law school? Into that MBA program? Or, homeless on the streets? I didn't know and I didn't care. I chose a major that I was passionate about, allowing me enough time to carefully analyze what I truly wanted to do with my life. And, ultimately, making me a happier college student and equipping me with the right attitude to tackle a job hunt.
Wow, did I make a mistake after college–I jumped at the first job opportunity I was given. Not that this is necessarily a bad move if this first opportunity is the RIGHT fit.
I chose to become a consultant right after school. And, while the compensation and benefits were incredible, these could not compensate for the daily boredom and lack of purpose I felt crunching numbers.
Ultimately, I decided to leave this career and pursue something I was truly passionate about–working with children. And, while financially I have taken a large hit from this decision, I would instantly trade my high salary I once had for the daily satisfaction I get from changing kids' lives.
I chose English as my major in college, mainly for lack of anything that I was more interested in. After a couple different careers (which were fun, but not always fulfilling) I ended up in a career that's pretty much perfect for an English major and a great fit for me: proofreading. It's something I never thought about as a job while I was in college, so I had no idea I was preparing for it at that time. But it worked out perfectly!
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Picking a major was tough for me. I went for nursing and was pretty determined but I finally realized science was not my best subject. I had to get through those classes to get to clinical’s. After failing a few classes, I decided to switch my major to business. I’m good at math and I realized my best bet was to do something with that. So I’m going to do business with finance. I’m not sure if that is what I plan to do for the rest of my life but it’s a start. Once I get some experience in that field I know more doors will open up. I never had an ideal career but dreams to travel. I’m a broke college student who can’t afford it so once I get a real job then I will begin my passion for travel.