How Do I Know Which Major or Career Path to Follow?

College can provide a platform to develop and grow while learning technical skills in specific fields and critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. But how do you know which major or career path to follow? There are so many choices, how do you pick the right one?

Choosing a major is a decision that should ideally balance personal interests and market viability. Here’s how a student can approach this decision:

• Self-Assessment

  • Interests and Strengths: Students should begin by assessing their own interests and strengths. This can be done through self-reflection or more structured approaches like personality and aptitude tests.

  • Assessment Tests: Help students understand how their interests relate to different jobs and fields of study. These assessments can act as a preliminary guide to narrowing down fields.

• Exploration

  • Curriculum Exploration: Students should explore the curricula of potential majors. Understanding what courses are involved in a specific major can help students decide if they would enjoy and excel in studying that subject.

  • Experiential Learning: Engaging in internships, part-time jobs, or shadowing professionals in areas of interest can provide tangible experience and insights into what a future in that field might look like.

• Consulting With Others

  • Family and Friends: Talking with family members and friends about their educational and professional journeys can provide personal insights and advice that might not be available through other channels. Especially valuable are discussions with those in fields of interest.

Decision-making is not a one-time process. As students grow and learn more about themselves and their world, their interests and decisions might change. Keeping an open mind and periodically reassessing choices is crucial. Regular check-ins with advisors and mentors can aid in this process.

Take the Quiz to Help Find Your Major

Explore your interests, your options, your future. Find a major, degree program and career that fits you with me3®, an online interactive major and career quiz. Easily explore majors and careers that fit your interests and passions. Then chart an academic pathway to find a degree program that leads to a career so you can design the future you want.