Choosing the wrong major and career path is the number one fear of college students. It is a big decision, and no one wants to invest $100,000+ to realize a few years later that they’ve made the wrong choice for long-term fulfillment. If you’re wondering how to choose a major that is right for you, you’ve come to the right place.
How to Choose a Major that is Right for You
1. Realize you must choose a career before a major
Before I jump into how to choose a major that is right for you, I want you to realize you need to decide on a career path first. I recently spoke with a parent who majored in theatre arts when she went to college. She said it took years for her to find a fulfilling and financially rewarding career path. And, unfortunately, it has nothing to do with theatre and she had loads of debt to pay back. Choosing a major with confidence requires us to choose a fulfilling career path first.
2. Know the factors that bring you fulfillment
I always start with students by building a list of criteria that we need a career to meet. I am working with a student now that has identified that she needs job security, variety, and autonomy. In addition, she wants a career that allows her to utilize her artistic and creative strengths. We began the planning process not by identifying tasks she likes doing by building a list of criteria and factors that she needs in a career.
3. Match careers to your list of criteria
After you’ve made your list of criteria start looking for careers that you think match that list. You can use a personality assessment to help you with this; however, it is important to note that your gut and intuition are often one of the best tools!
When you’ve got several careers that match your criteria, start doing low-stakes research to see if your perceptions of a career match reality. A few of my favorite tools for this step include online research at www.mynextmove.org, watch videos about careers on YouTube, and, my favorite, conducting informational interviews.
Informational interviews are one of my favorite career planning activities because they are a low commitment for all involved. It only takes a few minutes of everyone’s time and can provide a wealth of information to students. If you want help planning an informational interview, get my free guide here!
4. Choose a career path of most interest and gain experience
The only way to be sure you’ll like a career is to experience it for yourself. When you have found a career that you think is the right one for you, find a way to get some first-hand experience. You could complete a job shadow, get a part-time job, or participate in an internship program.
5. Choose the best major based on your career goal
As you are gaining perspective and information, it is important that you ask questions about education and training. Not all degrees require a four-year degree! Additionally, some careers have multiple degrees that could make a candidate qualified for employment.
When visiting colleges, I highly recommend asking questions to get information on employment rates and opportunities after graduation. I have a list of great questions to ask during college visits that you can use! If a department cannot tell you where its alumni are working, it may not have a great employment support system established for students.
Do you need help choosing a major that is right for you?
I’ve helped hundreds of students choose and plan for a fulfilling career, and I can help you too! I work with students one-on-one to establish criteria, explore career, choose the best path for them, and plan for a successful future. I offer free consultations to anyone who wants to talk about careers and planning for the future!
