Flickr user teddy-rised
It’s a long-standing myth that students who choose ‘practical majors’ such as business, finance, engineering, accounting, or biology, have a better chance of snagging a job immediately after they graduate. At first thought, it seems very plausible but on second thought, there are a lot of flaws to this reasoning.
Hire Rates
While certain STEM or business-related degrees do have impressive hire rates after graduation (especially computer science), you might be surprised to find that people who major in Education or Communications also have very high rates. However, it’s important to emphasize that no degree will automatically guarantee you a job. It’s the skills you learn and how you apply them that will lead to employment.
Diversified Workplace
When looking to hire workers, employers do not aspire to fill all available positions with clones. What they look for are smart, creative applicants who have great potential and who stand apart from the crowd. Employers assess applicants based on their acquired knowledge, writing skills, research ability, and critical thinking skills. Because of this, liberal arts students are often hired by big corporations.
Right Major Fit
Enrolling in a program only because it comes under the ‘practical major’ categories can be a huge mistake. If the ‘practical’ program you chose doesn’t fit you, you’ll struggle with the course work.
That will most likely reflect in your low grades. Worse still, choosing a wrong major will not allow you to make the most of your intellectual potential. Education experts often advise students to study something the student finds truly interesting.
That passion is what reflects in the grades and the work they do.
Another argument for choosing a major that is a good fit for you rather than one of the more ‘practical majors’ is that it will pave the way for earning a living doing something you love rather than hating every day that you have to get up and going to work.
Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!
