One of the most important decisions that high school and college students make is their major in college. Some students have this figured out, but for those who haven’t, the choice can seem daunting. There are many things to consider when choosing a career pathway, including a student’s interests and whether or not the chosen major will lead to a career after college.
Thoughtful consideration for one’s major is important. First of all, it’s imperative that a student considers their interests. As the saying goes, someone can have all of the money in the world, but if they aren’t interested in what they’re doing, it won’t make them happy. That’s why it’s important for students to think about their strengths and passions.
“You really want to look at what type of work makes you happy,” counselor Lori Hallberg said. “Do you like working with people, do you not? Do you want to sit at a computer? You need to really think about what makes you happy and where will you be successful.”
DHS has a representative from the Educational Service Agency (ESA), Melissa Cockrell, who comes to school few times a week. Students can set up a meeting in the counseling center, and meet with her while she is here. She can answer questions about creating resumes, applying to jobs, and set up job shadowing. Job shadowing can be excellent way to decide whether or not a career is the right one for you.
“It can be a full day, it can be a half a day, it just gives you time to go and observe what they do daily, and ask them lots of questions, really get to know them, get like the nitty gritty, the good and the bad in the career,” Cockrell said.
It’s also very important for students to consider the career options that they will have after earning their degree. Unfortunately not all fields are projected to need many employees. A student needs to consider their chances of making an actual career out of their degree.
“You invest a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of energy learning about the career that you want to go into,” Hallberg said. “And if you, at the end of schooling, get your degree in and then go and look for a job and there’s nothing available, then you’re kind of back to square one.”
Hallberg suggests looking into a website called Career Cruising. The website provides an extensive look at many career types that students can explore. Each career has information on its requirements at a glance, the earnings and education requirements, and the core tasks. There is a general login for students who only wish to peruse, which is available in the counseling center. There is also a personalized login for every student. With this login, also available in the counseling center, students can take skills quizzes, learning style quizzes, and save job searches that they are interested in for later use.
To learn how to use Career Cruising, click here!
