It's the eternal question. After you do all that work in the end you have your shiny new major in...what? Pick your poison: sociology, anthropology, post-colonial studies, pre-Socratic philosophy, classics, women's studies, Austrian economics and...not English literature. Don't tell me you did English literature as you major. Did you?
Well, don't fret about it. It's all water under the bridge, now. The fact is you did do all that hard work; put in those long, long nights of cramming for your exams, parties passed on to hit the books, and now here you are. Finally, a light bulb goes off in your head: Heck, what am I going to do now? What can I do with this major? Admittedly, this can be a daunting revelation. The real world is suddenly posed right outside your dorm room door. But there's no reason to panic; I'm here to help. And, no, you haven't just flushed the last four years of your life down the drain.
However, let's start with some precautionary advice. If by chance you've had the foresight to consider this question before registering for your major, there are some steps to take to make sure you're going in the right direction.
1. First, figure out what major would interest you. If you haven't done that, do it immediately. Peruse the offerings at your college of choice and write yourself a list in hierarchical priority.
2. If you've already decided what major you're interested in pursuing, or at least, once you've decided, start asking around. You probably know people who at least know people who've gone down precisely the path you're considering. Find out what they did with their major.
3. High schools and colleges have on staff counselors and advisers whose job is largely to address just these kinds of queries. Be sure to employ all the resources that these institutions make available to you.
4. Or, like, if you want to go totally crazy, why not have a shot at a focused Google search: something like, what in blazes can I do with this English literature major? (You might actually find something.)
No need to fret though if it's too late for such proactive prevention. The fact of the matter is that all those suggestions in points 2 through 4 are just as good for figuring out what to do when you already have your major. Find what have been the career options and choices of those with the same major. However forlorn you feel about your future, rest assured that the college adviser has heard it all before. Furthermore, lots of universities these days have career centers. Don't think for a second that you're the first major in Renaissance poetry to wander in looking for career leads.
But whatever else you do, don't miss out on your Google search - the fount of all info, good and true! But we've already done some of the work for you. It turns out that many universities have resources to look up just this sort of stuff. For instance, you can check out the University of California career center.
They provide data on the career options for those with dozens of majors - including some pretty obscure ones. They probably even have yours!
Groove on this all you English majors out there. It turns out with that wildly impractical English major you can still score an average salary of $43,589. (You can buy a lot of copies of Chaucer for those smackeroos.) And, better still, consider the actual occupations open to you: you can be an analyst, an editorial assistant, a product development coordinator or even...wait for it...a college adviser! Just imagine the poetic justice, as you get to lean back in your chair, with an air of confident bemusement, feet perched on your desk, with hands folded behind your head and smile knowingly each time another petrified grad comes stumbling into your office and nervously asks: uh, what can I do with this major?
So chin up all you grads; however improbable you may fear was your choice of major. There is hope for your future. Heck, there might even be hope for a pay check in your future!
Well, don't fret about it. It's all water under the bridge, now. The fact is you did do all that hard work; put in those long, long nights of cramming for your exams, parties passed on to hit the books, and now here you are. Finally, a light bulb goes off in your head: Heck, what am I going to do now? What can I do with this major? Admittedly, this can be a daunting revelation. The real world is suddenly posed right outside your dorm room door. But there's no reason to panic; I'm here to help. And, no, you haven't just flushed the last four years of your life down the drain.
However, let's start with some precautionary advice. If by chance you've had the foresight to consider this question before registering for your major, there are some steps to take to make sure you're going in the right direction.
1. First, figure out what major would interest you. If you haven't done that, do it immediately. Peruse the offerings at your college of choice and write yourself a list in hierarchical priority.
2. If you've already decided what major you're interested in pursuing, or at least, once you've decided, start asking around. You probably know people who at least know people who've gone down precisely the path you're considering. Find out what they did with their major.
3. High schools and colleges have on staff counselors and advisers whose job is largely to address just these kinds of queries. Be sure to employ all the resources that these institutions make available to you.
4. Or, like, if you want to go totally crazy, why not have a shot at a focused Google search: something like, what in blazes can I do with this English literature major? (You might actually find something.)
No need to fret though if it's too late for such proactive prevention. The fact of the matter is that all those suggestions in points 2 through 4 are just as good for figuring out what to do when you already have your major. Find what have been the career options and choices of those with the same major. However forlorn you feel about your future, rest assured that the college adviser has heard it all before. Furthermore, lots of universities these days have career centers. Don't think for a second that you're the first major in Renaissance poetry to wander in looking for career leads.
But whatever else you do, don't miss out on your Google search - the fount of all info, good and true! But we've already done some of the work for you. It turns out that many universities have resources to look up just this sort of stuff. For instance, you can check out the University of California career center.
They provide data on the career options for those with dozens of majors - including some pretty obscure ones. They probably even have yours!
Groove on this all you English majors out there. It turns out with that wildly impractical English major you can still score an average salary of $43,589. (You can buy a lot of copies of Chaucer for those smackeroos.) And, better still, consider the actual occupations open to you: you can be an analyst, an editorial assistant, a product development coordinator or even...wait for it...a college adviser! Just imagine the poetic justice, as you get to lean back in your chair, with an air of confident bemusement, feet perched on your desk, with hands folded behind your head and smile knowingly each time another petrified grad comes stumbling into your office and nervously asks: uh, what can I do with this major?
So chin up all you grads; however improbable you may fear was your choice of major. There is hope for your future. Heck, there might even be hope for a pay check in your future!
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Thomas Ryerson has recently offered some great insight into what one should consider when consulting the Business Week MBA Rankings
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