The Best Way to Choose a Major, Career Lies Within You

By: Allie Jackson

With the economy in a downward spin, choosing a career can be a difficult task, but it is a task that every student must eventually come to terms with. The question is; what is the best way to choose your college path and ultimately, your career? The answer is – it lies within you, at least that’s what David Ragsdale, Odyssey and Iliad Magazine advisor and English teacher at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Ga., says.
“I think internships are really helpful as a means to immerse a student into a given field,” Ragsdale said. “I think site visits and conversations with professionals working in field help a great deal. Again, I think a student’s natural aptitudes and talents have to be tapped into for a successful choice of major.”
According to a recent publication by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the top slots for careers in 2010 resembles a 2009 survey of top paying majors, with eight of the top paying 10 degrees manifesting as engineer-related and the other two in the field of Science.
Although the automotive industry has faced some turmoil in recent years, the demand for energy and economic development ensures the stability of the field according to the report.
Although the survey suggests top paying college degrees play a role in career choices, Ragsdale suggests that money should not always be a top priority when choosing a major.
“I can’t speak to a student’s individual needs for money,” Ragsdale said, “however, I do think a student’s natural aptitudes, passions and disposition must be factored into career choices.”
Some tips in discovering your natural talents, said Ragsdale, is to become involved in internships, observe, attend interviews and take a variety of elective courses in order to get a flavor for what occupation suits you best.
Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness at Athens Technical College in Athens, Daniel J. Smith also agrees that the economy and money should play a factor in making a career decision, but it shouldn’t be the sole factor.
“The first thing students need to do is to evaluate their interests through interest inventories,” Smith said. “Oftentimes, prospective students state that they want to major in Career ‘A’ simply because a friend or family member has worked in that field. They have no idea what the field entails. They need to spend time with someone (other than their friend or family member) who works in that field,” Smith said. “They need to grill the person to see what they like and dislike about the field. They need to find out what types of courses they need to focus on in high school in order to prepare for the career field.”
When asked whether or not money should be the No. 1 issue in deciding a major, Smith had this to say, “Absolutely not. Money doesn’t buy happiness. If you are making a lot of money but are unhappy, get out and do what you want to do,” Smith said.
Senior Counselor for Clark Central Lenore Katz said that she doesn’t recall seeing any certain trends when it comes to Athens’ students choosing a major, but there are several broad areas such as psychology, English and Science that seem to always be popular. From the technical college perspective, Smith said that Clarke County teens are applying most often for life Sciences fields such as nursing, radiography and dental hygiene.
According to NACE, the top five highest earning’s for a Bachelor’s degree based on the average starting salary, is as follows:

Degree
Average Starting Salary Offer
Petroleum Engineering $74,799
Chemical Engineering $65,628
Computer Science $61,112
Computer Engineering $59,917
Electrical/Electronics Engineering $59,391
Source: Summer 2010 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers.