College Majors are a Minor Deal

Since childhood, we hear that choosing our major in college will affect our career prospects farther down the line. For many jobs in technical fields such as STEM, that can be true; however, for most other degrees without a clear career path. Two factors are even more important than your major the ability to do the work and your network, making you visible to the kinds of employers for which you’d like to work.

For many employers, work experience is much more valuable than a degree on its own. How do you get work experience? Internships. Many companies offer Internships to students to help them gain work experience and easily find people who can do the essential work in the field and build on the skills the student is learning. Many colleges work directly with companies to help find interns.

The next biggest hurdle is a lack of visibility and access to employers; how do we gain this access? Networking. You demonstrate value to others through activities like volunteering, community events, affinity groups, or even clubs at school. Participating in these increases chances of being seen by an employer and also help to build out a resume.

Managing time for internships, networking and classes can be very, very challenging, but the effect it can have on your career will be worth it in the end.