When you’re 17 and applying for college, life gets really serious really fast. One second, you’re thinking about what your color scheme for prom will be and the next, you have to decide what you want to do every day until you’re in your 60s. This weight that was (or is) placed on us as high school students, whose prefrontal cortexes are nowhere close to developed, gives the illusion that this one choice will define your entire life. Not only that it will dictate your daily responsibilities, schooling, and future income, but also the image you have of yourself. When you look at actual “big kid” job listings on LinkedIn, however, it becomes clearer that your major does not always have to indicate what job you get.
Misconception of 1 job per major
It is a common misconception that there is only one — or very few — jobs that each major is capable of obtaining. There may be a particular job that is very common for someone in your major to strive for, but that doesn’t mean that people always do _____ if they major in _____. A quick google search of “careers with _____ degree” can show that majors are way more diverse than people perceive. With advancing technology, new kinds of jobs are popping up yearly for STEM and liberal arts degrees alike. It can feel a little silly, especially if you’re already in college or have your diploma, but you never know what backgrounds certain employers are looking for.
You don’t get 100% of the jobs you don’t apply for
If you’ve taken a gander at job listings that you’re interested in, you’ve probably gotten good at scanning descriptions for your qualifications. You may be looking for your degree or experience in the requirements, but deciding not to apply for a job just because the company wants a bachelor’s in marketing and you have an associate’s in communications, is like forfeiting your turn in a card game because you don’t think you have the right cards. The people writing the job listing aren’t going to list out every major they accept, which qualifications they’re more flexible on, etc. Submitting an application is an easy thing to do when the reward could be getting a great job.
Not so specific after all
At the end of the day, it’s not your specific title that will get you where you want to be, it’s how well you will do the job. Picking a major isn’t signing a magical contract that binds you to one job for the rest of your life, it’s the first step in the direction you feel called to.