By Jacquelyn Brookins
Contributor, Career Services
I remember the pressure I felt when trying to determine what my major would be. For some reason, making that choice felt like a decision that would be etched in stone, determining my professional livelihood for eternity. I know I cannot be the only one that experienced this heavy weight of choosing a path and sticking to it.
Have you felt like your major will bind you to an industry? Even more frightening is the thought that you’ll get a job in the field you desired, only to find out it wasn’t a fit or what you had hoped for. I have great news to put those discouraging thoughts at bay. Your major and educational background is more transferrable than you might think.
I once had a candid conversation with an FBI Special Agent attending one of our in-person career fairs. While Criminal Justice and Intelligence Studies seem like obvious programs to fit the bureau’s needs, the candidates they look for come from a variety of academic backgrounds. In fact, the Special Agent told me some of the best agents she had worked with were previously school teachers. This was an enlightening moment for me! Some of the skills and competencies the agents picked up through their education and experience helped mold them into desirable candidates for the FBI.
Just because you earn a degree in Information Technology, doesn’t mean that you are bound to the tech industry. IT builds the framework for all large corporations, no matter what the industry is. This perspective can be applied across the board. The possibilities for where you fit in are endless; you just have to be willing to look at your future options with an open mind.
In preparation for a career fair, analyze what opportunities are being recruited for by the various organizations. While the organizations may be from different industries, the skills and knowledge that you possess may be applicable to more job functions that you anticipated. Come prepared and communicate what it is about your experience and skillset that makes you an ideal candidate for the position they are recruiting for. You may find that you fit into an industry you didn’t anticipate; one that is just as exciting as the major you initially chose.
As for me, in case you were wondering, I graduated with my degree in Integrated Studies with a concentration in Elementary Education. I don’t work in a teaching capacity whatsoever. I even worked for a defense contractor before discovering higher education. I did not expect that my courses in communication, public speaking, conflict resolution and transformation, developmental psychology, and so on would be preparing me for a number of career possibilities! It’s really amazing when your eyes are opened to outcomes that you never imagined when you began your educational journey.
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