How To Figure Out What to Do With Your Major

I’m pretty sure the amount of people who have chosen a major and know exactly what they want to do with it is a lot lower than we all think. Like, even if you have chosen your major and you sort of know what you want to do, you might have doubts and question yourself and wonder if that’s really what you want to do or if that’s what you think you want to do and…you know what I mean.

Once you’ve finally chosen a major (Pssst…check out my How To Choose A Major  and Signs You Chose The Right Major before reading this!), you’re on a great track but you need to keep going from there. It’s great you know which field you want to be in, but now you need to start to find your place. Honestly, I’m pretty sure of what I want to do but sometimes there are those moments where I question myself–nothing in life is totally certain, but having at least a sort of idea of where you want your major to take you is always helpful.

There are so many careers out there or paths that exist that you might not have ever considered, so hopefully this little post can help you start to think about just what you’re going to do with your major.

1. Figure out what you definitely don’t want to do.

Process of elimination always worked on multiple choice tests and you can totally apply them to your career. That sounds scary, but it can actually help you hone in your options. For example, if you’re a psychology major who definitely doesn’t want to go to medical school, you just narrowed down your possibilities. If you’re a Digital Video major who doesn’t like editing cartoons, you just narrowed down what you want a little bit more. You can narrow this down either by not wanting to get further education (like a Master’s) or not having an interest in a particular field relevant to your major.

2. Realize your major doesn’t define you.

Having a Communication major doesn’t mean you won’t be able to work in a totally different field. Honestly, while your major can help you and benefit you when it’s relevant to your field, you can also broaden your horizons. As a Communication major you can end up working in a mayor’s office or a hospital or a record company…your major doesn’t automatically shelve you into a box so don’t be afraid to explore your options. So, yeah, this post may be about figuring out what to do with your major, but your major is just a small piece of the puzzle.

3. Intern

Internships are a good way to test the waters without making a huge commitment. Even though they’re typically seen as ways to gain experience, network and beef up your resume, internships can also help you figure out what you do and do not want. For example, taking a print magazine internship and hating it might make you realize you want to go digital or interning at a small company might make you realize that you’d like to work for a small company and so on.

Interning is basically like tasting all of the flavors of ice cream to find your favorite before you pick which one you’re going to commit to. Actually, if you’re reading this and super stressed out take a moment to treat yourself to some ice cream. Life is hard and ice cream is delicious.

4. Ask people in the field

If there’s a company you’ve been looking into, reach out and ask for an informational interview. There’s no commitment and it just allows you to learn more about the company and some positions. You can also contact people you know or your friends know or your professors know in the field and just ask some questions or ask to shadow them for a day.

This is when you really utilize your network by contacting alumni, professors and colleagues to see if they know someone or know someone who knows someone. If you don’t have a network, don’t fret. You can even send an e-mail on a whim to someone who has a job you want to learn more about to see if they’re willing to tell you more about it.

5. Think outside of the box

Really broaden your horizons and consider different ways you can stretch your major. If you have a major on a topic you love and you’re literally like, “Ok, I’m happy that’s great but how about when I graduate? What do I do with this major?!” you might want to even consider becoming a professor or teacher of that subject.

Basically don’t let your major and the standard careers for that major limit you. If it helps you can even search “unique careers for ____ majors.”  Think of your major as your expertise, not as a box you have to cram yourself in. It doesn’t lock you into a career path, it simply gives you a little boost.

6. Write down what you like and don’t about your major/potential careers

Every major has its best and worst parts. If you can identify what you like the most and don’t really care for, you can help find careers that fit those pros and cons. For my Journalism major I know I love getting to write creatively and being able to incorporate my own style into my work and I don’t really enjoy writing where that is limited. By knowing this, I’m now leaning towards more of a career at online magazines or more lifestyle sort of publications rather than drier news ones.

For example, if your favorite part and biggest strength in your Political Science major is in-class debates, perhaps becoming a lawyer could be an option for you. On the other hand, if you’re an education major but have realize you don’t like working with young children perhaps becoming a high school teacher is a better path for you. Look at what you like and don’t like but also look at your strengths and weaknesses.

7. Look for career ads that are searching for your major/field

A search of “___ major wanted” or “___ jobs” related to your major can help you come up with more ideas for careers. Even if you don’t plan on applying to any of these jobs, you can still see what sort of companies are looking for your major or what job titles are involved.

If you have a minor or concentration be sure to search that as well whether it be in a separate search or alongside your original search. This broadens your window even more!

8. Find some role models in your field

Read their books or watch their videos or listen to their podcast or even follow their Twitter. The more you learn about your favorite people in the industry the more you learn about the industry itself. Perhaps they have tips for it or a career path that inspires you. A lot of my favorite writers have gotten their start at a similar publication, so it makes me feel as though that publication would be a great fit for me.

A great way to do this for PR, Journalism and Communication majors is by attending the Her Conference, it happens each year and it’s a fun time and a great way to get tips about the industry and to meet some really cool people that could be great role models or mentors. Once you find someone that is your, “#CAREERGOALS” you can let their path inspire you a little bit on your own.

9. Attend a career fair

I know most colleges host a career fair each semester or throughout the year, be sure to attend it even if none of the companies interest you right off of the bat. This can also give you some experience with wearing work-appropriate dress and speaking with companies, so that’s a plus if nothing else.

10. Try combining other interests

If you have an interest in social media but also love data, why not consider being a social media analyst (or something like that). If you have an interest in advertising and fashion why not do fashion merchandising? Perhaps you love public relations but also history–maybe PR for a museum could be a path for you. By combining other interests that you haven’t necessarily majored or minored in you can also expand your potential career trajectory and open yourself up to more options.

All in all, I can’t tell you what to do with your major and I’m not some sort of expert at helping you plan your life or figure out what you want to do. Hopefully this post has given you some ideas to bounce around or get you started to help you find a career path that sounds absolutely dreamy…or at least somewhat interesting.

What are some career paths you’re interested in?