Does My College Major Limit My Job Search?

I will be straight with you, having a college degree matters, but the type of degree? Not as much. The vast majority of people in the workforce today are working in a job or career that is unrelated to their major.

A few majors correspond directly with trades, like engineering and nursing, but most others are general areas of study. No one is employed as an "business major" or an “communications major” for example. Instead, degrees teach a broad set of skills that can be useful in any professional setting. Almost all of the other skills you need for a job are learned on the job or through independent professional development.

With that said, we do think that having a degree of any kind is going to give you an advantage. These days a two to four year college degree is considered a prerequisite for many jobs in corporate industries.

“College graduates see 57 percent more job opportunities than non-graduates, and it is estimated that, by 2020, two-thirds of all jobs will require postsecondary education. ”

-Shayna Joubert, Northwestern University Blog

Once you have a degree, shift your focus to building marketing skills and seeking out experiences for the jobs that interest you.

Focus on Your Skills and Experience to Grow Your Career

Both newbies and seasoned professionals can benefit from a skills based approach to professional development. You can learn new skills based on types of jobs that interest you. Or you can look at your existing skills and find jobs or industries that value them.

There are many skills that are valuable across a wide variety of roles and industries. Which means you could easily change careers several times throughout your work life.

Not sure what skills you need for your dream job? Look at the skills listed on the LinkedIn pages of people in roles that you aspire to have.

Your College Major Won’t Define Your Career

There is no reason that your college major should limit you or define your career. Instead, your degree reflects your interests and is a jumping off point from which to build a toolbox of marketable skills that are valuable in a wide variety of roles.