Class registration is coming up, and for a lot of students that means declaring or reconsidering your major. In my office, I see lots of students who thought they wanted to pursue one field, but end up wanting to choose another for a variety of reasons.
One of the most common trends I’ve noticed in career counseling is that students aren’t aware of what their options are. More often than not, students will just start Googling information which can lead to even more paranoia! Students likely have limited knowledge of various majors offered at Georgia State University. Furthermore, they aren’t aware of the various career paths that could lead from their studies.
Below are a few recommended online resources that will help you explore majors, career paths, and occupations. These valid, reliable sources are helpful for those of you that are reconsidering your major or wondering what you can do with your major:
- Explore Your Major Options
I’m shocked by the amount of students I see that say they want to change their major but haven’t looked at all of the majors that are available on campus. The Georgia State University Majors List gives you information on possible degree programs with links to department websites (helpful for researching opportunities for involvement, research, and more), list of classes, and potential minors/concentrations. Make sure you keep an open mind and follow what sounds interesting to you. - Discover Career Paths
Once you find a major that stands out to you, see what you can do with that degree by using the “What Can I Do With This Major?” tool. This resource helps you explore what areas you could go in to, types of employers you could work for, and strategies on how to get involved and be successful. There are also several additional links to professional associations with career information as well as other sites relevant to that particular area. You are not defined by your major: there are still lots of career paths and work environments no matter what degree you choose. - Research Occupations
Finally, once you’ve researched majors and career paths, it’s time to get more specific information on occupations using the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Published and continually updated by the United States Department of Labor, the OOH is a fantastic resource for exploring pay, education requirements, license/certification requirements, and similar occupations. The OOH is also well known for job outlook data (Is this occupation growing? How fast?). The publishers recently added region specific information so you can see what industries are growing fastest here in Atlanta!
As you consider what you want to study (or even if you already know!) it’s important to explore all of your options. If you need assistance in exploring your interests, personality, values, and skills, make an appointment with a career counselor so that we can discuss your concerns in more detail.
Failing to explore all of your options is like to going to a new restaurant and trying to pick out the tastiest dish without even looking at the menu. There are a wealth of options out there, and while it can be overwhelming and confusing, we are happy to help you navigate potential majors and careers.