Choices for a Degree – What to Do After College?

    Job or no job?

   That's the question you need to be able to answer when you are considering what major to declare.

   Some students enter college with an exact degree in mind while others take a few courses here and there and then decide.    Whichever camp you're in, it would pay to do a little homework on what the job market actually has to offer for your particular field of study.

   Check around to find a list of college majors with the highest unemployment rate and see if your chosen major is among the top ten. Then search to see what companies are hiring and what skill you need to be employed.

   You should be taking a close look at your prospects and what you'll need to compete.

   The shift in the job market, unemployment rates, and rising costs in education should be a warning that considering a degree in psychology, art history, philosophy, journalism, or film/TV production may not be the soundest decision you can make for your career. Investing four years and thousands of dollars in a dead-end degree is a waste of time and money.

   Interesting classes don't necessarily transfer to marketable skills.

   What exactly will you be able to do with your degree? What jobs are out there for the liberal arts major? Sure taking those women's studies classes are interesting, but what do they bring to the job market?

   College graduates make more money than high school grads. But if the degree you earn doesn't have a job market, what's the difference? You could have a bachelor's degree competing for the same minimum wage job as a high school kid if your career choice doesn't have a job market.

   Employment trends continue towards technology, healthcare, and service industry jobs. Check the want ads to see what jobs are available in religious studies, library science, or visual and performing arts. Then check to see what the listings show for computer software engineer, special education teacher, and occupational therapist.

   College is a gateway to better opportunities. It is a time to learn new skills, adapt to the ever-changing trends, and to gain experience. Take those classes that you have an interest in. Learn about criminal justice, fine arts, and genetics.

    But then make sure when you finally declare a major it is in a field that will actually have some sort of career waiting for you on the other side of the diploma.

   If nothing else, you can always teach.