Simplifying the Process of Choosing a Major

Most students who attend college today hope to emerge from their four years with their degrees and plenty of job prospects in their chosen career fields. Many times careers directly follow specific majors, such as accounting, nursing or engineering. However, students who do not have general career interests, and who perhaps even had trouble initially choosing a major, will find it much more difficult to find a job that they'll be truly happy with.

It all starts with having a plan and choosing to major in an area that interests you, while still obtaining marketable skills and experience that will make you attractive to potential employers.

This is not always as difficult as it sounds. Through internships, co-op opportunities, extracurricular activities and part-time jobs, you can develop skills that are immediately useful to employers.

Before deciding on one particular major, it is vitally important to first do a bit of self-evaluation and really think about what type of person you are, including your strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Think about what genuinely makes you happy. Many times students choose majors that are wrong for them because they lack sufficient information about themselves. Try to answer questions including, "What do I want to be? What do I really want out of life? Where do I see myself in 5 or 10 years?"

After developing responses to such questions, the search then narrows to finding the best academic program for your chosen career goals. In attempting to answer what you want to do, you'll find that the choice of an academic major takes on new meaning. After determining general career goals, you can then begin to chart your college career--using your goals as the basis for choosing your major. It also helps to visit the departments you are considering and ask for any information they might have for prospective majors. Also, talk to current students who've selected the major you're interested in, or sit in a few classes to help you determine if the major feels right for you.

Finally, it is important to remember when contemplating majors that not all jobs require a specific major. In fact, many career fields don't even require a specific major. Majors don't always have to limit you to one specific type of work. Your grades, the electives you choose, and the skills you acquire through course work and internships often give employers just as good idea about what you have to offer them. However, if you do choose to major in an area unrelated to your eventual career goals, you will need to carefully plan how you will get your foot in the door. To be competitive in today's job market, you do need the experience and skills related to your chosen field.

Mercer University's Career Services Office is available to help student's make informed choices about college majors and careers. The office offers many opportunities for students to identify and develop career-related skills, including the computerized career guidance system, numerous printed career resource publications, campus recruitment services, and computers with Internet access. The Career Services staff can also assist students in applying their skills toward individual career goals. Please contact the Office of University Admissions at (800) 840-8577 for further information.