Career Path and College Major Choices
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“What do I want to be when I grow up?”

If we had a penny for every time that question is asked, none of us would need to wonder about what our future occupation or profession would be, because we would all have enough pennies to retire at a very early age. The reality – even though this question is repeated often by children, teenagers and working adults – is that we don’t get a penny every time, and so we all need to plan on making some extremely important career decisions to steer us toward the most satisfying and inspirational career possible.

At a very early age, little Johnny wants to be a policeman, and tiny Suzy wants to be a ballet dancer – but let’s face it – that will change significantly between age seven and the mid-teen years when college planning starts kicking in. Preparing for college is when “what do I want to be” stops being cute and starts having real life meaning to “when I grow up.” If taken lightly, the education received during the college years can be misdirected away from a person’s true interests. This can create additional costs for more studies or even lead to a working adult career that is unfulfilling.

College-bound students are faced with the elusive decision of what career path they want to pursue. Most times a career path is chosen based on career popularity or salary potential because many individuals have a difficult time mapping something of personal interest into a career or occupational option. The college major chosen will begin to shape the next four years of college and begin the long-term personal and financial investment based on a specific career target.

Statistics show that more than 75% of college graduates do not work in a career field associated with their major area of college study; More than 60% of college students change their major two to four times; The average American changes careers at least three to five times during their life. These numbers indicate the importance of choosing the most suitable career path and college major as part of the college enrollment process. Entering college as “exploratory” runs the risk of extending the number of years required to graduate – all tying back to not having a clear career goal and declaring a specific major area of study.

Spending a little bit of time and a small amount of money on a career interest assessment, before deciding on a career path and college major, can pay off in more ways than one. It can position you to graduate on time saving significant time and money. For working adults who are already in a career you do not like, you should consider a career interest assessment to help identify career change options.

The bottom line, and most important, is to identify the type of job that will bring you personal satisfaction, inspiration and happiness.