A major decision: should your choice of college major cover it all or be as specific as your goals?Jason Dizik and Emily Paige Young Paige Young (born 16 March 1944 in Los Angeles — died 13 July 1974 in Los Angeles) was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its November 1968 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Peter Gowland. , both 21, entered Michigan universities with broadcasting career dreams. Dizik was sure of his goals. So the junior at Central Michigan University Central Michigan University, at Mount Pleasant, Mich.; coeducational; est. 1892 as a normal school, became Central State Teachers College in 1927, achieved university status in 1959. The university maintains a forest that is used for botanical and biological research. (CMU CMU - Carnegie Mellon University ) chose a specific major in broadcasting and cinematic arts and took a job as the sports director at the CMU television station. He's had broadcasting gigs for ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network and worked the Super Bowl for the Home Shopping Network “HSN” redirects here. For other uses, see HSN (disambiguation). The Home Shopping Network (HSN) is a mostly 24-hour shopping network that is seen on cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the United States. . Young, a senior at Michigan State University Michigan State University, at East Lansing; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1855. It opened in 1857 as Michigan Agricultural College, the first state agricultural college. , chose a more general major in journalism and public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most . It's a good thing she did--her interest changed from broadcasting to either public relations or print journalism. Without switching her major, she's still prepared to go in any of those directions. Which type of college major will serve you best: a specific major or a general major? Read on for advice to help you make that decision. Honing In on Specifics A narrow field of study can be a great way to pursue your career goals by concentrating on what matters most to you, says Kelley Bishop, executive director of career services and placement at Michigan State. If specifically designing Web sites excites you, for example, you might major in Web design rather than computer science Some fields require specific majors. "If you want to be an accountant, you need to major in accounting in order to acquire the necessary experience and skills," notes Julia Barlow Sherlock, CMU's career services director. Other fields that require graduates to have specific skills, and therefore to choose a specific major, include architecture, nursing, and early-childhood and elementary education elementary education or primary education Traditionally, the first stage of formal education, beginning at age 5–7 and ending at age 11–13. . Tonia Richardson earned a degree in early-childhood education from Wake Technical Community College Wake Technical Community College, commonly known as Wake Tech, is a two-year accredited institution of higher education and technical training school, is located approximately five miles south of Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina and county seat of Wake County. (WTCC WTCC World Touring Car Championship (FIA) ), in Raleigh, N.C. "When I realized I wanted to work with young children, I wanted to be an expert in that field," she says. Plus, in her state, Richardson's goal--owning and operating child-care centers--specifically requires a degree in early-childhood education. Scarlet Edwards, a WTCC counselor, adds that those with specific training feel best prepared to "complete tasks and solve problems" in their chosen field. Casting a Wider Net On the flip side Flip side In the context of general equities, opposite side to a proposition or position (buy, if sell is the proposition and vice versa). , having options is a primary reason for choosing a broad major. "We tend to think that selecting a college major is the same as selecting a career. For most careers, however, there are several pathways or majors that can lead a student to a particular career," says Edwards. By 1997, just over 50 percent of 1993 college graduates reported working in jobs related to their major, according to a National Center of Education Statistics study. Sherlock explains, "For about 80 percent of careers, you can major in whatever you want because your 'soft skills' are what's important." Examples of soft skills include teamwork skills, courtesy to others, self-confidence, and a good work ethic. For students who aren't yet sure about their career goals (about 20 to 50 percent of incoming first-year students), a general major may be the best choice. Students pursuing a more general major may choose to attend a liberal arts college Liberal arts colleges are primarily colleges with an emphasis upon undergraduate study in the liberal arts. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers the following definition of the liberal arts as a, "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge or a university that exposes them to different fields representing the core areas of thought and knowledge--such as math, philosophy, natural sciences, languages, arts, and history. "Students are taught to seek connections between the different aspects of an event, idea, or phenomenon," says Michigan State's Bishop. "The emphasis is on thinking skills, and the ability to gather knowledge, analyze information, identify themes and trends, and articulate a response." In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , exploring different subjects as part of a liberal arts education can be an ideal foundation for a wide range of careers. This approach worked for Beth Horn, 21, who entered Wilkes University, in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., as an engineering major. After taking a sales job in a shoe store and a personal and professional development course, Horn realized that sales was her passion. She switched her major to business administration, concentrating in marketing and finance. It's a major broad enough to prepare her for a variety of fields. Another strategy is to choose a general major as an undergraduate and then pursue a more specific graduate degree. Elena Kutz, 31, and Dave Schifrin, 32, work in sports management. But they took different undergraduate paths to get there: communications for Kutz and economics for Schifrin. Both worked in the sports industry after graduation--Kutz had stints at Madison Square Garden Current arenas in the National Hockey League Western Conference Eastern Conference in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. and with the Phoenix Suns; Schifrin worked for the Women's United Soccer Association The Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams nationwide in the United States. and the firm SportsNet. Both decided to further their education by pursuing master's of business administration degrees in sports business at Arizona State University Arizona State University, at Tempe; coeducational; opened 1886 as a normal school, became 1925 Tempe State Teachers College, renamed 1945 Arizona State College at Tempe. Its present name was adopted in 1958. . In fact, anyone looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a business career in a competitive industry, such as sports management, may benefit from pursuing an undergraduate program that emphasizes fundamental knowledge and skills and then gaining related work experience in the specific industry while in school. People change their minds about their careers all the time. Preparing yourself with a broad knowledge base can help you make a smooth transition between fields. An American worker, on average, will hold nine jobs from age 18 to age 34, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Experts estimate that many people switch fields two or three times in their lives. Elizabeth Matias, 22, is preparing for that possibility. Matias, a senior at Marymount Manhattan College Marymount Manhattan College is a small, coeducational liberal arts college located in Manhattan, New York City, New York. Marymount Manhattan's campus is located in the desirable Upper East Side. It's often referred to as MMC. , is majoring in business management. She's interested in both arts management and dance. Her general major and her experience as a dancer keep both career options open. "It's OK not to have your entire 10-year plan worked out," she notes. The Last Word No matter what major you choose, passion and drive are the most important factors. Wendy Adler, dean for academic support services support services Psychology Non-health care-related ancillary services–eg, transportation, financial aid, support groups, homemaker services, respite services, and other services at Dean College in Franklin, Mass., notes, "Determination has tons to do with getting the ideal job." Discuss * What are the benefits of choosing a specific major? What about those of a broad major? * What are the downsides of narrowing or widening your college major? Do Have students select a field and research five jobs or positions in that field. For each position, they should find out which college major or majors are recommended. Students can look through career guides, use the Internet, contact trade organizations, or ask people who hold that job. Have each student compile a chart with his or her findings and write briefly about how this knowledge will shape personal educational plans. Resource Comprehension check. After reading the April/May issue of Career World, test yourself to see how much you have learned! Answer each question, using information from the issue. 1. Which fields mentioned in "A Major Decision" (page 20) require specific majors? 2. When looking for a job, whom should you include in your network of potential sources? 3. What are some disadvantages of working the night shift? 4. How do media planners and media buyers get commercials on the air? 5. Where do mechanics get the training they need to work on hybrid vehicles? 6. How do mission-driven nonprofit groups differ from companies that sell products? Your Turn Read "A Major Decision," about choosing narrow versus broad majors. Another option offered by some colleges is not choosing a major at all or designing your own major course of study. For example, Will Shortz, who edits crossword puzzles for The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times, created his own degree, enigmatology (the study of puzzles), at Indiana University. Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper. * Would you be interested in a program offering more freedom, or do you prefer the built-in structure that a major provides? Explain your reasons. * If you could design your dream major, what would it be like? Major in Success, 4th ed., by Patrick Combs (Ten Speed Press, 2003)
Many Paths, Same Career
Your career goal might--but might not--mean choosing
a specific major. Here are some examples of specific and general majors
that can lead to the same profession.
General Major Specific Major Profession
Communications Television Television
production producer
Psychology Criminal justice Intelligence agent
Mathematics Statistics Actuary
Fine art Textiles Fashion designer
Biology Oceanography Marine
biologist
Software Video game design Computer game
engineering designer
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