CAREER PROSPECTS
The career prospects presented in this site are based on a review of the Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook
, as well as my own experience in the business environment. But the job market is subject to varying influences and interpretations.
Much of what happens in the initial years of your career is beyond your control. Also, as a human being, you're probably
better off making a little money at work you enjoy, rather than a lot of money at a job you hate. So if political science
or music is your passion, major in it, and plan to enter the field. But if the field is overcrowded when you graduate, it
might be useful to have statistics or business administration experience as a backup.
MINORS AND DOUBLE MAJORS
Generally speaking, minoring in a subject only requires that a certain number of minimum credit hours be taken in a given
subject, with the number of hours being considerably less than those required for a major. A double major, on the other hand,
means that the complete requirements must be met for both majors, with only a few efficiencies of scale where certain courses
are required for both majors. Usually, when available, minoring makes sense, particularly if you have no "winners" on your
list of majors, and need a "backup." A double major may make sense, but is a greater commitment of time and effort, so take
everything into account before making that decision.
WORKING IN YOUR MAJOR AREA
This is probably the most important bit of advice on this web site: Plan on spending a significant amount of time working
for someone in your field of study. Even if you can only find a job mowing the lawn or emptying trash cans in a firm that
does what you would eventually like to do, the experience serves many purposes: (1) It looks good on your resume, (2) It
exposes you to opportunities and problems in your chosen field, (3) It gets your foot in the door when the time comes to look
for a full time job, and (4) It helps determine whether you really want to major in, and work in, that field. If nothing
else, an unpaid internship in your chosen field should be relatively easy to obtain.
A FINAL IMPORTANT REMINDER
All of the material presented in this web site is for general guidance only, and is meant to provide a framework for choosing
a major. Economic and academic conditions change, and differ by geography and institution. As with everything in life, the
responsibility for your final decision is yours.
