Choosing a major is something to not take lightly. It is the moment where any student makes a decision that will define them for the rest of their lives. It is a decision that will lead someone to specific jobs and specific industries and it is something to not just be taken lightly. While it may seem like it can be something as simple as checking of a box in an application, choosing a major need to be something that’s had a lot of thought and care put into when making the decision.
Here are the things to consider when choosing a major:
*Major that fits desired career path
The first thing to consider about a major is how it will help with a future career path. Sometimes this is a question that can be answered with “what do I want to be?”. This is the step in the career process where someone can start piecing together what they want to be when they finish college, the industry they would like to work in and the role they would like to play in it. The thing with some majors is that they sometimes are more gateways to a wide variety of jobs instead of being a stepping stone to one specific job.
For every accounting degree that may lead someone into a specific job in accounting, there is a communication degree that leads to a variety of different jobs in things like customer service, project management or public relations. It is very important to know the kinds of things a chosen major will lead you to, as they can either be very narrow or very wide open in their options.
*Understand your personality type
This goes a bit more into subjective territory, but sometimes it is very important someone knows the type of person they are to have an idea what kinds of jobs would fit him. The beauty of the industry is that there are so many different kinds of jobs that can fit perfectly into the someone’s specific personality, so it’s better to keep in mind how the job would fit the person more than it contradicts them.
For the outgoing personalities, being in industries that requires a lot of people interaction would be the better fit. For the more quiet, introverted personalities, being in industries with lots of interactions may be a little more challenging if they perform best in more intimate environments.
This is why it is important to understand someone’s personality traits, as they can dictate the kind of future work environment that will help them perform at their very best. Each person is different from one another, so it’s better someone understands their unique place instead of wanting to be or do something that may not fit them well. Knowing a personality can help narrow down which major would be the right one to pick.
*Study what you love, but know if it will sustain you
Can you imagine pursuing something that will dictate your professional career for years to come, and not enjoying any minute of it? This may seem like a weird concept to some, but there is nothing wrong with pursuing a career path of things they love and makes them really passionate. While in high school, everyone Is in it to just reach their senior year and graduate. Everyone is in the same path. In any higher education environment, this is the moment where someone defines who they will be for the rest of their lives. Taking that into consideration, why hinder someone’s future by pursuing a career path they simply just don’t enjoy? Why not pursue something that fits someone’s passion and will make working in those environments something more fulfilling in the end? It has been proven that the more someone engages with something they are passionate about, the better the results will be in the long term. Great work will be delivered because there is love a passion behind it.
Now here is the other side of the argument. It is great if someone finds a career path they can love and have great burning passion for. At the same time, in real life, there are bills to pay. It is very important to understand the median income of someone that works in the industry you want to pursue.
Love and passion can only carry someone so far if the job they get in that industry doesn’t pay enough to sustain them. It is very important to find a balance between passion and sustainability when trying to pick a major. It’s good to find an industry that will pay well, but if it is work you just won’t enjoy and hate every minute of, it will make someone miserable for the rest of their lives. At the same time, life can also become miserable even if a job you’re so passionate about doesn’t provide enough to sustain you. Find what you love, do thorough research to see what you’ll earn in it, and you’ll have a good idea of what major to pick.
At C3S, we provide degrees for people who are passionate in the world of business. From business & marketing degrees in the bachelor’s, masters and doctorate levels, as well as management degrees in places like the Tourism and Hospitality industries, students passionate to pursue these careers can do so through us.
For more information about our career options, visit C3S Business School.
