Stop and think!
Don't let your university routines, the timetable, and the smooth flowing programs fool you. Career planning and development is very different from academic development or when you plan for your studies. There is no simple guide as how you should proceed with choosing your career. In general, there are three major factors you should consider:
Choosing your major
Learn more about the majors, or the subjects of study and their requirements before one chooses a major. Don’t just consider one discipline. Begin with a few.
Find out if the requirements and study method would suite you. In general, the more they suit you as a person, the better the chance you will excel in it and continue your career in that direction. For example, law requires a lot of technical reading and sociology in contrast, requires very broad reading. Some disciplines have many tests while others have project-based evaluations, or require writing lengthy essays.
If possible, try to find out the skills, competencies, and social connections that you will acquire in the process of studying in the major of your choice.
Research the possible kinds of work or career that are related to your major.
Remember that whatever you do at this stage it is going to have a significant effect in shaping your future career and life in many years to come. So take your time sit down and do some research before you choose.
Books
Worthless: The Young Person's Indispensable Guide to Choosing the Right Major by Aaron Clarey
Panicked Student's Guide to Choosing a College Major: How to Confidently Pick Your Ideal Path by Laurence Shatkin
Career Match: Connecting Who You Are with What You'll Love to Do by Shoya Zichy and Ann Bidou
Professional orientations
While some majors are recognised as professional training, others are not and are not meant to be. More professionally oriented majors such as social work or education tend to be more practical in orientation. Others, such sociology and psychology, are more academically and research based and are prerequisites for further studies. This is of course not to say that the ones that are more professionally oriented are better.
Double majors
These days, many fields of study of are connected and so are some professional careers. Some university programs offer double majors which connect studies in two closely related areas. Double majors usually have extra workload compared to majors and require more time to finish. However, they may increase your career prospects.
Keeping options open
Before you decide on your major, you can also sit in some classes to find out more about the subjects you want to take. Remember it’s never too late to change. Like never before, opportunities for different types of studies are open. Make sure you choose something that suits you most before you continue on your study path.
Changing your major
If you find that your are working very hard but not getting good grades, or you are bored with your studies and that you are not learning anything, these may be indications that you are in the wrong areas of study. Students do change their majors. Talk to a student counselor or career advisor when you find yourself facing these problems.
Links
Do not be fazed when you are not sure what kind of work you will do in the future. Many great people had no idea what they were starting out to be. But think of it this way. Your work is about half of your wakeful life. It is worth giving some thoughts on. Here are what you can do:
Links
