Making the decision to go to college is not an easy or inexpensive one, and regardless of whether or not it is being paid for with scholarships, hard earned savings from your parents or student loans, choosing the right degree to set you up for success is often something that is overlooked by budding students.
So how do you choose what degree to obtain? It can be confusing to navigate, but since you are paying a lot of money for it, you should spend a lot of time thinking about it.
1. Go through the list of what is available and narrow it down
Looking at all the disciplines and majors available can be overwhelming, but take your time and cull down the list until you have your top three choices of what you think you might like to study.
2. Research into what jobs are available post-graduation in those disciplines
Within those narrowed down disciplines are jobs that are available, and you should find out the feasibility of what you could do with that discipline after graduation. Too many students take what sounds interesting in college only to realize upon graduation that their discipline is either too much of a mixed bag to be useful to an employer, or that there is simply too much competition and supply in that industry or field and employers cherry pick who they want to hire.
3. Find out how likely it is you will be hired and what your salary will be
The best way to figure out if your degree is something employers will pay for is to go online and look at job search boards like Monster or Workopolis.
Take a look at what jobs are available for the degree you are planning to obtain, and after you know what your job title might be and the companies you might be working for, visit the GlassDoor website and try and gauge how much you might expect to get paid as a starting salary for the position you are aiming for.
It’s always a good idea to have a goal position in mind before choosing a degree, so that upon graduation you aren’t floundering as to where to apply and for what degree they might require to work there.
4. Connect with someone in the industry
The best way to figure out what your chances are in the industry, is simply to connect with someone. It might seem daunting just to go on LinkedIn and ask for help or advice, but you would be surprised as to how helpful people want to be to those coming into the industry.
Be sure to take the time to think about how to politely request for help and advice, maybe even suggesting a coffee meet up if they live in your area (with you footing the bill of course).
After they give you advice and help you figure out if it’s something you might enjoy doing, don’t forget to thank them.
The connections you make in researching what job to do can also be valuable for when you graduate because if you do decide to go into that field, you will already know someone there and they may be able to help you get a coveted summer internship where they work, or better yet, a job offer when you’re ready.
The bottom line is that it can be a fine balance between following your dreams and making sure you have chosen a sustainable career.
One last piece of advice is not to forget that you can always do both – dabble in your passions on the side and concentrate on a career during the work week.
Great article! I’ve spent a lot of time in school, even pursuing a phd for a time (and then proudly dropping out).
I agree that looking at what potential jobs are available is incredibly important. And this doesn’t mean looking at what job you could have – it’s what jobs do the majority of people with this degree have.
Yes, a business management degree may be something that many CEOs have. However, how many management graduates are actually CEOs? You’ve got to seriously consider these things.
Anyway, thanks again – great websites and I’m glad I’ve come across it!
Rob @ MoneyNomad recently posted…Why I Plan on Investing in Alibaba’s IPO
All great tips. I definitely think that the most important one is to connect with somebody in the industry. That’s invaluable advice; I am glad that I did that before starting my career but wish I had before starting my program.
Daisy @ Prairie Eco Thrifter recently posted…Stay on track with bringing your lunch to work
I studied something that I knew initially wouldn’t pay a lot but I knew the potential was high and it was something I wanted to do. I knew if I went this direction I would have to graduate with no debt because I couldn’t afford to pay off loans. I worked like crazy in school and with a job in school to make sure I could graduate debt free. It’s makes such a big difference. Great ideas and smart planning. We put so much time in effort studying for the SAT/ACT and what college to go to but not as much time as to what we are going to do after school and how much we can afford to go in to debt with the occupation we are choosing. Can make or break you for life and all in your late teens and early 20’s…so kind of a big deal.
Lance @ Healthy Wealthy Income recently posted…Retirement Plans Derailed: How to Delay and Ruin All Your Investments for the Future
It is so important to see what kind of growth a career is expected to experience over the next decade or so. Fortunately, this data is readily available at BLS.gov.
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I think researching what jobs are available is PIVOTAL in deciding what major you get. I had a double-major and was well aware of what I would do with each of them. With my finance degree I would work in corporate America. With my polysci degree I would get my phd and be a professor or work for a think tank (or be a political writer/analyst). In the end I went the finance route, but the important thing was that I was well aware of what I could do with each degree.
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I just transferred to a university in a different state and there was a ton of research involved. I also wanted to live in an area that was somewhat close to a major city because I’m such a city girl, haha.
I also agree that speaking to professionals who are already working in the fields of interest you have is a good way to gauge the reality of future work prospects. I understand the concept of do what you love, but I don’t value the idea of doing what you love and being broke so it’s important to be realistic when choosing a program of study.
Kassandra @ More Than Just Money recently posted…Dear Debt: Success Is The Best Revenge
I think it’s hugely important to determine if there will be a good shot at having a job that will pay the bills after you graduate. I’m all for pursuing your dreams, but when I see kids getting degrees in music composition or English literature, I feel for them. If they don’t want to teach or get a graduate degree in something else, they very well could end up waiting tables with $50K in student loan debt.
My best advice would be to pick a career that you don’t hate where you can earn a decent income. Work as hard as you can and save at least half for 10 years, then you should have enough saved to “retire” and then do what you want. The myth that we have to do a job we hate until we’re 65+ is just that, and it doesn’t have to be reality if you live below your means and make smart choices.
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Those are good tips for those just starting to look into furthering their education. I wanted to be a photojournalist but a close family member told me I would never make it as one and that I should do something practical like being a nurse. So I switched majors and by the end of my 2nd year of classes knew I would never be happy in that field but I already had a few thousands of dollars in student loans.
Today I am a stay at home mom living my real dream. But if I ever went back to school I would have to re-evaluate using your tips.
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If I had to do it over again, I would have chosen different majors. I have two very specialized degrees that make it hard to get a job outside either of those fields. The first degree is in theatre, which really doesn’t have a great ROI to begin with 🙂 Choosing a degree field in which you can be hired and make money upon graduation is super one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.
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Even when I went to university over 30 years ago, choosing a field that offered employable opportunities was even a concern. I was really happy to attend a University with a Coop program. Took 5 years to do a 4 year degree but I got fabulous (paid) work experience that lead directly into a full-time job upon graduation. Still today the coop options are very strong and a great complement to academia. I saw my degree as a means to an end and loved my work terms. I would recommend this to anyone looking into university programs.
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Number four is so, so important. Sites like Glassdoor are amazing, but nothing can replace insight from an actual person who’s living, breathing, and working in the industry. Not only can they give you a reality check, but they can also give you insights that may determine how you spend your college career preparing for your real world one.
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