By: Jonathan Adams, Assistant Director, University Career Services
What’s your major? What do you plan to do with that after you graduate? At this point, no matter what your year at UNC, you have probably been asked these types of questions. If you are unsure of how to answer these questions you are not alone!
In fact, as many as 50% of students enter college undecided on their major, and the average college student changes their major up to 3 to 4 times. In addition, only 20-30% of college graduates are in a career field that directly connects to their college major. When you talk to alumni or other professionals about their career path, they are likely to share that their career journey was more like a winding road then a straight line. While there is often not a linear connection between your major and career field, it is still important to approach your career exploration process with intentionality. By gathering information about your values, interests, personality, and skills, you can make an informed decision on major and career options to create the best fit.
The good news is that UCS has many resources to explore your interests as they relate to majors and career options! This Spring our “Connecting your Interests to Majors & Careers” workshops will be held on January 10th, February 17th, March 21st, and April 4th, from 4-5 PM on the 2nd Floor of Hanes Hall. During this session expect to learn about different self-assessments, including the Focus 2 that provides a better understanding of how your values, interests, personality, and skill-set connect to major and career options. The “Exploring Majors and Careers” link on the UCS website can connect you to additional tools like What Can I Do With This Major? which provides examples of industries and settings where people apply the skills they develop through their major after graduation. Our career advisors are also available to discuss major and career ideas. Feel free to schedule an appointment with a career advisor by calling 919-962-6507.
Jonathan Adams
Assistant Director, University Career Services