Emily Schock | Staff Writer
When students choose a major, they often feel pressured that it will determine the rest of their life. This is a misconception. Whatever you choose to major in, you should choose a subject that interests you and where you can excel.
I enrolled in college to major in business. I took pre-calculus in my first semester of college, but quickly realized I wasn’t good at math. I ended up dropping out of that class, frustrated that I would never be able to excel in my major because business courses are so math-heavy.
I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find a major that aligned with my interests and utilized my strengths, and as I looked into other majors, none seemed as rewarding as a business degree.
Many people explained to me that it’s not your major that matters, but your ability to build your personal brand and network. After much deliberation, I followed their advice and decided to major in journalism.
Many people assume I’m majoring in journalism because I want to work for a newspaper, but that’s not true. Majoring in journalism has given me a lot of hard and soft skills that are transferable to the business world.
I believe that even if you are not a business major, you can get a job in the business field, and this is true for any major – it’s not your major that matters, it’s how you network and how you present your brand to future employers.
According to a 2022 survey by Intelligent, “In addition to dealing with financial insecurity, only 46% of college graduates surveyed said they are currently working in their field of study. 29% reported working in a different field, and 16% of those under 54 (and thus less likely to be retired) said they are currently unemployed.”
The difference between a degree and a major is that a degree is determined by the level of education you have received. A major is specific to the area of study you are concentrating on. This means that your major does not determine your future career path.
Amy Rylander, director of Baylor University’s Career Center, explains that instead of focusing on job opportunities based on your major, you should major in something that will make you happy.
“You should study what you love and are good at. For example, I started school as an education major, but I didn’t really want to teach in school, so I decided to study what I love. I also took some writing classes, so I switched to English and then after I graduated I worked for an American company for 22 years in a corporate job, problem solving and stuff like that,” Rylander said.
Employers will want to hire someone who is personable, creative, teachable, and has many other qualities, rather than someone who may have the right major to match a potential job, but has no personality.
Companies often don’t look at what a candidate majored in college because they are interested in hiring people with good interview skills and a wide network of contacts. The job you get will never be determined by the major listed on your degree. It will be determined by the connections you make during your college years through internships and jobs.
Harvard Business Review states, “Networking is a necessity in today’s world. Extensive research shows that professional networks lead to more jobs and business opportunities.”
If you’re worried that your major isn’t the career path you want to pursue, don’t worry: as long as you enjoy what you’re learning and are putting in the effort to gain experience, build your brand, and expand your network, there’s bound to be a job out there that’s perfect for you.
