How Much Does Your Major Really Matter, Anyway?

Choosing a college major can be one of the single most daunting and intimidating decisions for an individual due to the common misconception that it will be the determining factor for the course of his or her entire life. It’s absolutely insane to conceive of the notion that fledging adults should be capable of deciding their role within the “real world” upon only just entering. 

Luckily, they don’t have to. While it is becoming more important to have a college degree within the professional world, what that degree is exactly is growing less important. Unless you’re absolutely certain that you want to become a doctor, a rocket scientist, or an engineer (or some other profession that requires extensive knowledge of some esoteric subject), you should follow this simple and logical advice: study what you love.

If you’re planning on studying just about any major within the humanities, they become virtually undistinguishable by employers. You could study Art History, English, History, Sociology, or Philosophy, but the fact of the matter is that these obviously don’t strictly lead to professions as art curators, writers, historians, social workers, and philosophers (respectively). These basically gain you a ticket into any number of professional positions that could be within any number of fields.  

On the flip side, your cover letter and a writing test could hold more weight while applying for an editing position than having a major in English. Willingness to acquire certain certifications could mean a lot more than having a Sociology degree in the application process for a social worker.

Major is not the only thing that employers are paying attention to when they skim over your resume and cover letter. A can-do attitude and experience hold a lot more importance than what you studied in college. Of course the painful conundrum that must be faced is: how can you possibly get experience in a field that already requires experience? The answer is internships. 

If you’re looking to go into a more technical field where it is next to impossible to obtain a position with no previous experience or a related degree, finding an internship is the way to go. Internships sometimes require no previous experience and are more interested in a passionate interest in the field, unwavering commitment and the ability to cope with the prospect of little to no pay. Someone with an internship in the field they want to go into and an unrelated degree has a better shot at the job than someone who has a related degree yet no experience.

Another important fact to take into consideration is that if you realize you don’t want to use your undergraduate degree in your career or professional life, you can always go to graduate school for something entirely different. While some graduate programs have specific core requirements that imply you have a basic knowledge of the field, you can always complete these requirements at a city college to save on the cost of tuition.  

In the long run, there’s a good chance that your college major won’t end up being crucial to your life course or in any way inextricably knotted into your fate. If you know what you want to do with your career, then make your choice accordingly. If you know what you love to study, then it should be a simple decision. If you’re like the majority of undergraduates who still don’t have a clue or are plagued by a multitude of doubts, don’t sweat it. If you have the desire, you will have plenty more opportunities to steer your destiny toward any direction that you may choose.