College is a time of exploration, and that includes major and career options. If your student is undecided, advisors tell us this isn’t a disadvantage. In fact, college can be a great time for students to explore interests and learn more about themselves, which will help them make decisions on majors and career paths. While some of this learning simply takes time, there are things your students can do now to start thinking through the more than 150 majors and 90 certificate options available at UW–Madison.
A good place for any undergraduate student to start is with the Career Exploration Center (CEC). CEC career advisors support students who are undecided about their career and/or academic goals. They help students gather information, personal insight, and experiences that help them discover options and provide direction in career planning. Any undergraduate student can schedule a one-on-one appointment with a CEC career advisor and attend drop-in events throughout the spring semester.
Majors don’t always determine a career and your student’s interests may shift over time, which is why meeting with a CEC career advisor can help provide clarity and direction. They can help answer questions like: How do I know if a major is a good fit for me? How do I choose classes if I am not sure of my major? I have some career ideas, but how do I pick a major to achieve them?
Additionally, each UW–Madison school and college also has its own career services office, which is tailored to prepare students in their respective fields for employment and graduate school.
Here are three common misconceptions that may be on you or your students’ minds around choosing a career path:
Myth
Students should know their major when they start college so they don’t fall behind in their coursework.
Reality
Some students may know their major as a first-year student, but many do not. Many who have already chosen a major may change their minds several times in their first years of college.
Most majors don’t require that a student start them as a freshman. Some exceptions are the pre-professional programs, e.g. engineering, landscape architecture, and dietetics. However, even with majors such as those, students need to complete general, introductory coursework in their first few semesters before they start on the major-specific classes.
Many majors at UW–Madison are only 30-40 credits, or about a quarter to a third of the total degree requirements. This means students can spend one-three semesters taking courses of interest to explore their major possibilities and still have time to complete their major and degree in four years.
Myth
Your student’s major will determine their career.
Reality
This is not necessarily true! Many may assume that a biology major means a medical career, or that a history major leads to a teaching career. Most of the time, however, a major does not equal a career.
According to a study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, only about 27% of college graduates work in a career related to their college major. A biology major may work in market research, public relations, or academia. A history major may wind up in banking, artificial intelligence, or communications.
A major is just one part of your students’ college experience. Their outside-the-classroom experiences, their connections, and how well they are able to articulate their skills to employers are all factors in finding a job after graduation.
Myth
Students who major in the social sciences, arts, and humanities will not be as prepared for careers as those who choose business, computer science, or engineering.
Reality
While there are certain careers that require specific undergraduate training (engineering, accounting, and dietetics, for example), many, many careers do not. And don’t underestimate the value of a liberal arts & sciences education: students in these majors gain crucial skills that employers seek, such as problem-solving, analyzing, communicating, and critical thinking. We also strongly encourage students to enhance their education with out-of-classroom learning – student jobs, internships, volunteer work, research, and leadership all help students gain skills and learn more about themselves and the world of work.
So, how can you help your student as they explore major and career interests? Advisors say that it is often as simple as:
- Being open and willing to listen to your student’s ideas about majors and careers.
- Encouraging your student to explore their options, and help them plan out steps for exploring.
- Letting your student know they are not alone in being undecided.
- Encouraging them to set up appointments with both their academic advisor and a career advisor, and to attend major- and career-related events on campus.
- Emphasizing the benefits of outside-the-classroom experiences, such as volunteering, students jobs, and student organizations.
Visit the CEC website for information for parents, families, and community members to learn more.