This post is by our regular contributor, Erin.
How many of you are employed in the same field you studied in college?
As the Class of 2015 recently graduated, I was reminded of the period of time between when I graduated and when I began my first job.
I knew straight away there was an unlikely chance I’d be able to work in the field I majored in, which was criminal justice.
I’m willing to bet many of you who majored in liberal arts or social sciences faced the same dilemma.
According to a report, Voices of the Graduate, published by McKinsey&Company in 2013, when college graduates were asked what they’d do differently, the results showed “half of all graduates would choose a different major or a different school.”
They also cited that “four in ten graduates of the nation’s top 100 colleges couldn’t get jobs in their chosen field.”
This isn’t an uncommon problem, but that doesn’t make it any less tough to deal with.
In light of that, I wanted to share with you why you shouldn’t let your college major define you. There’s more to college than the piece of paper you graduate with.
College Doesn’t Follow a Linear Path
Maybe you were starry-eyed and had high hopes for the future when you first began college. Many of us falsely believed getting a degree would guarantee us a job.
Obviously, the world had different plans for a lot of graduates.
I graduated right after the recession, when just about everyone was struggling to get a job.
But does that take away from my college experience as a whole?
No. I don’t regret going to college. Would I choose a different major if I could go back in time? Possibly, but I actually enjoyed learning about forensic psychology, criminology, and criminal law.
In all honestly, life doesn’t follow a linear path. We like to think we’ll graduate from high school, attend college, graduate from there, and then go on to an awesome career.
We also like to think we’ll meet our soul mate, get married, buy a house, start a family, and live happily ever after.
That may or may not happen. It may even occur in a different order than you anticipated.
Instead of focusing so much on the end result, sometimes it helps to focus on the journey.
I realize that’s easier said than done, especially for those dealing with unemployment. But perhaps a change in mindset is needed.
College Is Still a Learning Experience
A lot of people scoff at liberal arts degrees, but if you took the right classes or had the right professors, college still had the potential to teach you a lot.
I know I developed plenty of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, especially in my philosophy classes. Simply questioning why things are they way they are can really change your perspective, however boring that may sound.
Beyond that, college is where I met my closest friends and where I got pushed out of my comfort zone, both mentally and emotionally.
For that reason, I think college can be a learning experience outside the classroom, too. It’s supposed to be a time of self-discovery, right? I sure learned a lot about myself in four short years, but my degree doesn’t reflect that.
I’m a big believer in finding the bright side to something, even if it’s a tiny silver lining.
Think back on your college experience – wasn’t there something you enjoyed? Something you experienced that made you into the person you are today?
Hold onto that.
Letting Your College Major Define You is Limiting
Yes, I have my degree listed on my resume. Is it a huge part of who I am? No, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
I won’t lie – only being able to land entry-level office positions sucked. I knew I was capable of so much more, but my resume didn’t prove that, and my ego suffered a bit.
I was also stuck in the wrong mindset.
As I began to research what else I could do to get interviews, I realized I was ignoring the obvious: my major and my job don’t define me or what I’m capable of.
What I mean by that is your title may have been “receptionist” or “cashier,” but you probably learned other valuable skills along the way. You learn valuable skills in college and during internships, too. Why not focus on that?
I was listing what tasks I had performed and what my responsibilities had been, but not showing the value I could bring to a company. Likewise, your major doesn’t exactly reveal your value.
You may not think you’re qualified for a job in another field, but your experience and knowledge from past jobs (or your degree) may actually make you a good candidate.
You are so much more than just a title or a degree. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Need proof? A lot of the freelancers I know were in similar situations – in low-paying jobs that weren’t challenging, and had graduated with seemingly “useless” majors.
Yet, they’re now making a great living doing things they enjoy. That’s the power of getting rid of limitations and opening up the door to other possibilities. No one is going to open that door for you, though.
Regret Is Useless
I’ve had regrets in life like everyone else, but I’ve learned it’s useless to dwell on the past, especially when it comes to the decisions you made in college.
A few of my friends have been so distraught over the fact they chose a “horrible” major in college that it sickened them to pay their student loans back. Their debt serves as a constant reminder of their perceived failure.
But you’re not a failure! You’re only a failure if you give up.
My fiancé majored in graphic design. On top of it being a competitive field, he realized he had no desire to make a living doing it. Unfortunately, his mom had co-signed the loan and wouldn’t let him change his major.
He always hated talking about his student loans after he had graduated. He was stuck being a cashier, working for $9/hr, and yet, he had to pay this debt back regardless.
I understood the frustration, but it’s not healthy to resent yourself for your past choices. What’s done is done, and the best thing you can do for your situation is to move on.
________________
The good news is, there are plenty of free educational resources and tools online. You can pick up new skills without paying a dime.
It’s time to stop letting your college major define you and the path you should take in life. There are plenty of other opportunities waiting for you, regardless of the decisions you made in college. Work your way toward them, even if the odds seem against you.
Have you struggled with letting your college major define you or the jobs you apply for? How did you overcome it? Do you regret your choice of major?
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Great topic for discussion. My husband’s degree was intended to make him a commercial airline pilot. He’s worked menial airport ops jobs (fueling aircraft) to customer support. He’s now landed a great, high paying job for a renowned company writing government contract proposals. It’s very tangentially related to his degree but he only landed it because he sold all his “crappy” jobs well. I actually still talk about a minimum wage job I had 10+ years ago in my job interviews! It’s about what you learn and demonstrate – not the title or the day to day duties.
I never felt like I made a very good accountant despite my accounting degree because my heart just wasn’t in it. What you talk about here are excellent points that can really take the weight off people who are feeling guilty because they aren’t doing what they studied. College is really just learning how to learn, it’s not always so much about the degree.
The older I get, the more I see people moving away from their majors. It’s so hard to know what you want to do at age 20. Often that changes by the time you’re 30 and that’s okay! I have a law degree and now I’m a financial planner – I never would’ve thought this 10 years ago.
“Life doesn’t follow a linear path.” This is so true and so freeing to accept. This is an important post because our secondary-education system is set up to lock you into a career path, along with major debt, at age 18, which is simply absurd. More students have little access to hands-on training or shadowing, or don’t know to seek this out, so they pick a career off a list with all the wisdom and foresight of a high school student. I wish students could feel less pressure to be funneled straight into college and a major at such a young age, or could at least have more real-world career exploration opportunities during high school. And more financial education so they could make better choices about taking on huge debt for degrees which may not lead to the means to pay them off.
I can actually think of very few people I know who are working in the same field as their college major. Life takes plenty of twists and turns! At the end of the day, it probably doesn’t matter that much.
It’s so difficult to know what you want to do for a career when you’re 17/18 that the stats really aren’t that surprising. I’ve seen a fair number of people not be in the same field as their degree and is the case for myself. My undergrad was in History and haven’t used one bit of it. I really don’t regret it as I still took a ton of life lessons and learning in different areas to more than make up for it.
I’m actually doing what I majored in in college, but if I had to go back and change it, I probably would. I do think that you learn tons of soft skills in college that can be applied to many jobs, and I don’t regret going at all. I loved it!
indebtedmom Great illustration, Kirsten! You really never know just how those “crappy” jobs will help you out. I tend to believe things happen for a reason, and the jobs you’ve held will shape what kind of worker you become. They’re all valuable in their own way – regardless of what your major was.
Mark@BareBudgetGuy That’s an interesting point – to look at it the other way. I’m pretty sure if I followed my major and became a police officer, I wouldn’t be very happy, either. (There were no opportunities where I lived anyway!) You shouldn’t pigeonhole yourself based on your major.
Financegirl I completely, completely agree! I look back and wonder how the heck I was supposed to know what I’d be happy doing after college. I never once thought I’d end up writing in any capacity. There are so many career paths we can take, and most of them we’re unaware of at 20!
Pretend to Be Poor Yes! I definitely agree with this. While I am an only child, my two older cousins went off to college, so it was just assumed that that’s what I would do as well. I had a strong interest in what I studied, but didn’t exactly think about how that could be applied to a job. Our system can certainly be improved, and I’m glad there’s been a few movements proving that you don’t need to go to college to be successful in all cases.
Holly at ClubThrifty I have a large group of friends that do use their degrees, but they set out to be teachers and they’re extremely passionate about it. Nothing is guaranteed after graduation, though – like you said, life takes twists and turns, and that’s okay!
FrugalRules That’s what I try and focus on – I still learned a bunch just from going to college. It was a period of growth and I don’t think I’d be where I am without the people I met and the professors that challenged me.
Beachbudget Yes – you definitely do! There is so much more to college than just the classes you take and the material you learn.
I studied architecture, which usually leads one to become an architect, but I’m not. I’m still really happy with my decision to study architecture, though, because it really framed the way that I see the world. I think a good college education sets you up for continued learning throughout life, so the specific major really isn’t all that important.
I regretted my major (English) for just a tiny bit; I did choose the wrong school for my Bachelors, and it sucked the life right out of my passion for teaching. It took me a few years, but going back for my Masters at the right school this time made it all better! Now I’m doing what I originally wanted to do, and loving every second of it.
I hear a lot of people bashing English majors, though — two friends of mine majored in English, and both scoff at their decision to go for it just because they loved to read. English is such a diverse field, and while many people think you are limited to teaching or being a secretary there are tons of fun things you can do when you are well written and able to communicate well.
I think that many people view their degree as their “foot in the door” to entry level jobs, and I think that within the Fortune 100 (Google aside) this tends to be an important prerequisite. However, the proving ground for how much value you provide is within the workforce (just like you said), and there are certainly many ways around those requirements, most notably using your experience at other jobs to get around the so called “academic requirements” for a new job.
My degree isn’t in finance but I don’t regret my degree in communications because it is still very relevant to what I do. I do agree that most people end up in careers that don’t match their degree. These days having “a degree” is often times more important than what the degree is in, provided you have the skills/experience for the job you want.
Ali_AnythingYouWant I like that point – I think what I studied opened my mind to other things as well. It’s amazing how your world view can change from your major!
AlexandraRSF That’s great, I’m glad to hear there was a happy ending! Deciding which school to attend can be really tough. I sometimes wonder if I made the right decision there, as I based it mostly on cost.
I totally agree with that. English was my favorite class all throughout school, and I came close to choosing it as a major. Being able to communicate clearly is a *must* these days, especially when it comes to email.
Hannah UnplannedFinance There are definitely certain positions where you need to choose the right degree and put your all into it as the field is extremely competitive. That’s especially when it comes to all the Silicon Valley companies, and sometimes, startups. When I was looking for a job, most employers didn’t care at all that I had gone to college and received a bachelors. They cared about what I could do, how fast I could learn, and how responsible I appeared. Previous work experience, regardless of the field, always helps!
ShannonRyan Exactly, Shannon. I think that’s true as well. Besides, I know I had fun taking certain electives in college. I minored in Business and Psych, and I think both of those rounded out my education pretty well!
My husband went to a technical school and is still really bitter about the loans he took out to this day. That’s because he didn’t have the money after graduating to take the necessary tests to get into his field. They fail to mention that, beyond overcharging you, you’ll still have to come up with $300-500. He wasn’t in a position where he could do that.
But, as I point out to him, the degree itself is almost certainly what got him the last job he had. (He’s now on disability.) And since I was on disability myself at the time, that job is what allowed us to pay off most of our debt. So something did come of it, even if it wasn’t what he was hoping for.
AbigailP I really wish programs would be more realistic about what happens after graduating. There are quite a few fields that require some really expensive tests or ongoing certifications! I like how you looked on the bright side, though. There’s usually one positive we can focus on.
I think that unless you want to work in an extremely specialized field, your college major really doesn’t matter. My brother is going to be graduating from college soon and expressed regret in not having changed his major sooner since it was now too late. He didn’t understand that just because he’s an accounting major, doesn’t mean that he can’t snag a job in pretty much any other business-related position.
I couldn’t agree with you more Erin!! I got a business major in college and pursued a career in corporate finance right after college; however, most of what I learned at my job, I learned on the job. I think that most people just need to work on building basic skills during college and realize that for the majority of jobs,except maybe those in healthcare, you will likely learn everything you need to learn from your peers, mentors and bosses.
Christina@EmbracingSimple Right! It’s such a bad feeling to have when you’re graduating and don’t value the time and work you put into it. It’s a mistake to sell ourselves short. Our major doesn’t make us any more or less valuable as a person when you’re not going for something specialized, as you said.
blonde_finance Yep, job experience matters SO much more. Nothing beats gaining hands-on experience and being able to build your resume that way. Your education section is likely going to be a few lines – your job experience, much more than that! Plus, besides having mentors, you’re building a network. A major doesn’t always do that.
This is something I’ve been coming to terms with myself. I went to law school and I’m practicing law right now, but I’m not sure it’s a good fit for me. It’s hard to think about stepping away from what many perceive as a somewhat prestigious field to do something more creative. I don’t regret going to law school because it taught me many useful skills but I’m still trying to figure out how to best utilize those skills and live a balanced life while continuing to pay off my student loans.
I was a finance and political science double major. I came pretty close to going the polysci route, but ended up getting an internship in accounting and I’ve been at that company ever since. Now my only regret is not getting a double finance/accounting major. I’m coming to terms with the fact that we can’t “go back” and change our major. What we can do, though, is gain the skills we desire regardless of whether they are in our current career/work or not.
Settle Your Finances I think that’s something a lot of us are going through! It’s so hard to know whether or not you’re going to enjoy working in the field until you actually do it. Studying is one thing, doing is another. Ultimately, I think happiness has to take precedence. I’ve seen far too many older people go through life hating their jobs, and it takes such a toll.
DC @ Young Adult Money Exactly! Regret is normal to feel, but it’s not going to do anything useful for us. There are plenty of ways we can improve our skills and work situation, though. It’s important to focus on that.
When you’re in college, it’s so easy to allow your major to define you separated into groups and one of the first things student say when they meet someone new is ‘What’s your major’. Out in the real world, it doesn’t really matter much to me. I just so happened to do something that aligned with my college major but my major and minor are so broad that I could have chosen from a wide variety of career fields or something completely unrelated. I think it only truly matters if you are planning to do something extremely specialized that requires a specific degree.
In all honesty, most majors besides engineering, nursing, or maybe accounting probably don’t have huge income potential without a graduate degree. My biology undergrad major is not worth very much by itself, but the optometry degree is what pays the bills. College is a great life learning experience regardless of what you major in. I don’t think you’re ever defined by your degree, but it does really suck when people choose a low paying major and rack up six figures in student loans. Sadly, most people don’t think outside the box like you in terms of diversity in income. I say major in what you want, but don’t become indebted for life to do it.
Great topic. Beyond letting a degree define you, and the road you travel, I would add that people shouldn’t let any one thing define their total being. I spent 21 years in the Army, and unfortunately, a lot of people defined themselves by their rank. In the civilian workforce, I have seen a lot of people that are completely defined by their job title. The risk of defining yourself according to a degree, position or a title is that you might box yourself in. Moreover, what becomes of you if that one thing you prided yourself of having or being is taken away or closed off to you?
Chonce That’s true, Chonce – it’s really easy to stick with classmates with the same major since you’re all in the same program. It can definitely become part of your identity while in college, and it’s hard to break out of that when you graduate.
Eyesonthedollar Love that last statement! I’ve said it a lot of times, but if I hadn’t started blogging, I’m fairly sure I’d still be in the same position of working at an office. A lot of people just aren’t aware of the opportunities to be had elsewhere.
RetirementSavvy I completely agree, and I’ve been thinking about how we let our jobs define us a little too much lately as well. Especially when you’re self-employed! There’s a real danger in tying too much of ourselves to any one thing. Like you said, if that thing ever goes away, it usually results in a lot of emotional turmoil.
I’m one of the few that currently practice in the same field as my degree (accounting). However, I completely agree that you shouldn’t let your degree limit your opportunities. I don’t want to work within the accounting field my entire life and look forward to pursuing other opportunities in different areas. A degree can be used for so much more than just a specific job, industry or field.