WHAT TO MAJOR IN AT COLLEGE
STOP LOOKING AT MAJORS AND START LOOKING FOR A JOB FIRST!
Okay, let’s be clear. You need to go to college!
I’m in no way encouraging you to not go to college. In fact, I’m going to tell you all the reasons why you need to start looking for a job before you go to college in order to help you on your college journey. I’m going to help you figure out what to major in at college and how to be ahead of the game when you graduate.
WHAT IS A COLLEGE MAJOR?
If you’re in high school, you might be wondering what exactly is a college major.
A college major is simply the area of study a student seeks to specialize in. It’s important because your degree will reflect this area of study. A student will spend years learning courses to earn a degree in this specialized field so it can help with their career opportunities. Employers will want to know you have the knowledge to work in their field. Hence, a degree is your golden ticket.
WHAT IS THE BEST JOB FOR ME?
Now, when I say look for a job, I don’t mean whatever it is that you can get as a first job.
I’m talking about the BEST job for you. Importantly, you’re going to college for an education to get a good job somewhere. Most importantly, it should be a job that has something to do with your PASSION.
Remember…
“Chase passions, not careers. Passions and careers are not made equal. A career can be a passion, but a passion will always be more than a career. The difference is literally your happiness“
GrindPolicy #10
Don’t go to school to go get a job just to make money. That’s mistake number one.
Can you make money? Sure, but I want you to think about happiness. After all, you can have both. To clarify, you can have a job that gives you happiness and supports the lifestyle you want to live.
THE PROBLEM WITH COLLEGE
Now, the point is you’re going to have to pick a college major. However, the problem is that schools and institutions don’t teach us some important things we need to know about this process. Even parents don’t teach us that when we go through college and graduate that many of us won’t have a job waiting for us.
If you just blindly go with a major, there’s a good chance you’re going to graduate just to find out that you don’t have all the requirements for a job you actually want to work.
Flat out plain and simple, we may not get the job that’s along those lines of what we really want to do, our passion. Then it will take more time and money in order to meet those requirements.
However, if someone could just tell you certain pieces of advice it would save you years of frustration. Good thing for you that’s exactly what I’m about to do! Unfortunately, I didn’t have anybody there to tell me anything like the advice I’m about to give you.
WHAT HAPPENED TO ME
So, just a quick background, I majored in Criminal Justice. Here’s the funny part. I changed my major a couple of times but when I switched it to Criminal Justice, I still didn’t really know what I could do with the degree. I was just thinking about all these different agencies you hear about on TV like CSI and FBI. Typical aspirations from someone with that degree. When I graduated, a lot of these places like the FBI wanted something more specific than just a Criminal Justice degree.
In fact, they were probably more likely to take a Psychology major over a Criminal Justice major. You have to have specific expertise in areas that will be beneficial to that agency. Not even your Criminal Justice teachers will tell you this.
Had I looked for positions in those agencies ahead of time, I would have known the requirements and had the time to achieve them without delay. There are more lessons I learned that I’ll elaborate on later. First, here’s all the reasons why you should look for a job before picking a major.
WHY YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR A JOB FIRST BEFORE PICKING YOUR MAJOR
I’m here to tell you what others aren’t. There’s a bunch of reasons why you should be looking for a job before you go to college and I’m going to lay them all out for you.
#1 FIND YOUR PASSION
Looking for a job is going to help you identify what your passion is. It’s hard to make such a big decision at a point in our lives when our experiences in the working environment are so limited. It’s difficult to know what our passions are when we’re coming out of high school.
You don’t know all the career opportunities that are out there. I guarantee there are jobs you never thought of before that you may actually enjoy. Not to mention, you’ve probably never even heard of them. So of course you’ve never imagined working them when you didn’t even know they existed. The real bummer is when you could have loved them. This could just be my opinion, but some of the coolest jobs are jobs most people haven’t heard of.
So, what’s your passion? Do you really know if you don’t know all the opportunities that exist? Maybe you do, but it’s better to have as much information as possible before you make a decision that will play a major part in your life.
Unfortunately, many people make this discovery after they get their degree. You may see a job that you would love to do, only to find out they require a different degree than yours!
In short, looking for a job will open up your mind to the other opportunities that you might find happiness in. You can better discover what your passion is by having more options available to you.
JOBS THAT YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED
Check out these articles to see some interesting occupations
20 Best Jobs You’ve Never Heard of
15 High Paying Careers You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
#2 WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?
Looking for a job will let you see the requirements of these positions. What degree or area of expertise are employers looking for? If you find something you really like you can start preparing to meet those requirements. Starting with picking the right major in college.
If the job doesn’t list enough information on their requirements to help you decide on a major, go ahead and give them a call to ask! This will give you great insight into what they’re looking for and help you build a connection with that company. This is helpful because you can ask about their ideal candidate as opposed to their minimum requirements.
Not only will you get the right degree, but you can start working toward the right certifications if necessary.
#3 GET IN THE DOOR AND MAKE CONNECTIONS
Looking for jobs will give you the opportunity to get your foot in the door and make connections. Importantly, this will bolster your resume and give you an extra advantage over your competitors. You’re going to need these advantages because a degree simply isn’t enough.
DO DEGREES MATTER ANYMORE?
Nowadays a degree doesn’t say as much as it used to. This is because society is normalizing college education to the point where it’s expected. There’s been a greater push for college to be free as well. This is great for the overall well-being of our citizens, especially for those who need help. I know I did.
However, it will make the competition a little stiffer in the job market. Having an undergraduate degree is no longer as special. You’re going to have to do a little extra to stand out from your peers.
GET A JOB IN THE FIELD
I highly recommend you work a job while you’re in college. When you’re looking for a job to help you decide on your major, you will be able to see the field in which you want to work. As such, there can be entry-level positions in this field that will help you get the positions you want when you graduate.
Many people have jobs to help put themselves through college, but getting a position in one’s desired field can make a huge difference! This is because a college degree takes years to accomplish. And in that time, an entry-level position can turn into a promotion or two, giving you years of experience and growth along with the required education after you graduate. Subsequently, making you the highest qualified candidate right out of college!
After you discover your desired occupation, you can start researching the companies that offer that kind of position. The work environment will play a big factor in whether you enjoy your time as an employee. And the trick here is if that company is hiring any position that’s entry-level, it may be worth your time to get in. Even if it’s as a janitor. The reason being is that you can make connections.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW SOMEBODY
You might hear that you have to know somebody in order to get in. Well, looking for a job before you go to college can help set that up. You can make your first connection by calling an employer and asking about their ideal candidate for your dream position. Also by getting whatever entry-level positions they may offer.
Once you’re in you can build the connections you need to advance. Let them know that you’re putting yourself through college in order to have that desired position. Let them know that while other people are still figuring out their college lives, you have taken the initiative to know where you want to be after you graduate, and it’s with their company!
Even if it’s with a competitor company, it will still give you the ability to make connections and gain work experience. In the four years it could take to get a degree, you will likely move up within the company you work for. At the same time, don’t be surprised if you have to help cover for someone else’s position while at work. This lets you learn what their positions are. My tip to you is to claim that work experience on your resume too!
Additionally, you can get a letter of recommendation from a qualified professional from the connections you make. Possibly from someone already doing the kind of job you’re trying to get.
Making connections and getting a job in your field can even open up better internship or shadowing opportunities.
#4 KNOW WHAT THESE JOBS REALLY MEAN
Looking for a job will give us the ability to conduct further research. We often don’t know what it really means to be a doctor. All the different things they have to go through to be a doctor and what the actual job entails. We can spend the time to research and figure out whether or not we really think it’s something we are going to enjoy.
It’s incredibly helpful to speak with people who do the job you want to do. Even if you want to start your own business. It’s invaluable to speak with someone who had opened a similar business to find out about their experiences.
#5 CREATE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITY
Looking for a job before you go to college will help you pick your major for all the reasons above. This still applies if you were the entrepreneurial type and were seeking to create a business for yourself.
Getting a job in your field lets you see the inner workings of other companies. The experience will help you better understand your field. Similarly, the connections you make can provide a great resource for advice or even potential partners.
#6 SAVE TIME
There are those who would rather focus on college and just worry about a job after they graduate. And depending on the difficulty of the degree, this can even be advised. But if you’re going to work a job while you’re in college, make sure it’s within the field you’re trying to go into. All the benefits mentioned above are to help you do the one really important thing…
Save time. Time is your greatest asset in life. More time saved trying to accomplish your goals is more time to use and enjoy them.
This is why I advise getting a job in your field. School and grades will be important for your degree. However, you can do a job and study much easier in your youth than when you’re older.
After college, you’re going to tend to your other goals and dreams that you will likely have. Life doesn’t stop after you graduate, you’re going to want the time to do so many things with your life. And the best opportunity to give yourself that time and happiness is to suck it up through college and get shit done.
Conversely, don’t do anything at the expense of your health and well-being. If it’s too draining, worry about your health first. But if you can work a job and go to college, do it!
TIPS ON HOW TO LOOK FOR A JOB
Hop on your favorite internet search engine and start looking.
- First, start typing in jobs along the lines of what you think you want to do. If you have passion you can try searching for jobs based on that. Explore the results.
- Second, try researching jobs related to different college majors. For instance, you can search Criminal Justice Jobs or Psychology Jobs.
- Third, just explore what jobs are offered at different salary ranges. Start out at the highest salaries you can find and work your way down. Take note of anything of interest!
- You will want to search both your Federal, State, and Local County or City Government job websites to see what opportunities are available. USAJOBS.gov is a good place to start. Both government and private sector jobs will have interesting opportunities you haven’t heard of before. Use sites like Indeed.com to explore private-sector jobs. Just be wary of any scam listings! (Here is some valuable insight on job posting scams to be aware of from the Federal Trade Commission)
- Keep exploring until you feel like you have a well-rounded idea of the opportunities available. It lets you know where you want to apply yourself so that you can get your dream job or even start your own business!
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND A WORD OF CAUTION
MY MISTAKE
I had worked at Calvin Klein for five years while in college. I figured it’s wasn’t difficult and didn’t take away from my studies. This job gave me some money to spend during my college years. Mistakenly, I even declined a management opportunity because I felt like it would take away from my ability to enjoy my college years.
THE RESULT
When I graduated, no one wanted to hire me with just my degree and experience at Calvin Klein under my belt. As a result, the promise of college felt like a lie. All I had to show for my expensive degree was a massive amount of debt from my student loans.
I had to get an entry-level position at Kohl’s, working as a loss prevention associate helping catch thieves. Albeit, the job was a lot of fun. However, it was not paying any of the bills. Many of the jobs that I was applying to needed other requirements and degrees that would take me years to get. I had to work with what I had.
NEEDED CERTIFICATION AND CONNECTION
I sought out certified training for things that could expand my abilities and my resume. So I took the Wicklander – Zulawski Interview and Interrogation Techniques course.
From there I was able to get a certification to bolster my resume. More importantly, I was able to make a connection. I met the Regional Director of TJMAXX who was impressed that I was taking the course of my own accord. Many other people taking the course were paid by their employers to be there. I was able to give her my resume and in turn, she was able to get me an interview with HomeGoods, a store that is part of the TJMAXX conglomerate.
This happened to me while I was still working at Kohl’s. Kohl’s had finally promoted me and offered me promises of further promotions even though I could see how exaggerated their claims were. I accepted the promotion before I found out I was offered a position at HomeGoods. The position only offered me a dollar more in pay. $13 an hour to be exact. But I knew the chances for promotion were greater at HomeGoods as I was the only loss prevention employee for the whole city and the company was continually expanding.
This brings me to my word of caution.
WORD OF CAUTION
While there are those who say to not burn bridges, I also would add to not take your employer’s word as gospel. Kohl’s was quite upset at me for taking a job for only 1 dollar more after offering me a promotion. Now they would have to go and train someone else. But the fact of the matter is, HomeGoods was a better opportunity for me. I wouldn’t see an increase in pay worth my degree for years if I stayed with Kohl’s. And while they were unprofessionally verbally upset with me for not staying, I leave you with this…
“Don’t let other people tell you when your allowed to be successful. It’s not up to them.“
GrindPolicy #38
The same people who were upset at me for leaving ended up leaving themselves for better opportunities within a couple of months. Just goes to show some companies will only care about their bottom line and the time and effort it takes to train someone. Keep in mind you need to do the same for yourself. Do what matters to you. If you believe you have a better opportunity somewhere else, you should take it even if it turns out just to be a learning experience. The point is not to wait for others to tell when you’re allowed to be successful.
FINALLY EARNING MY DEGREES WORTH
But also take away that I moved forward with a job that still wasn’t worth my degree. But it was the year of experience I had with this company managing loss prevention for their three stores, understanding laws, and apprehending thieves, that gave me the additional credentials I needed to finally get the job that was worth my degree. I was able to become a State Compliance Investigator overlooking business practices.
The point is though it took me nearly three years after I graduated to do what I could have done while in school. The Kohl’s position was entry-level, the certificate course could have been taken right out of high school, and connections could have been made anywhere if I was looking.
This is why I am here telling you to look for a job before you go to college. So you can get it right the first time!
CONCLUSION
Look for a job before you go to college. You will see opportunities you didn’t know existed and might actually enjoy.
This will help you pick your major and see what other requirements may be needed for your dream job. Moreover, you will have the chance to seek an entry-level position in your field that will offer growth, experience, and a chance to make valuable connections.
When you graduate you will be ahead of the game.
