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What is a major that I'd be able to use in any part of the world?

I am currently going into my Junior year of college and I am kind of undecided with regards to what I want to major in. Due to some circumstances, I don't know how long I will be able to reside within the United States. I want to graduate before that decision has to be made, but I want to major in something that I could continue pursuing in any part of the world, just in case I have to move. Any kind of input would be highly appreciated. Thank You!

#career-counseling
#career-choice
#travel
#college-major
#bachelorsdegree
#career-choice

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Subject: Career question for you

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Ken’s Answer

Very interesting question. Many career areas can be used universally anywhere in the world. The important task for you is to find that one that best fits your personality traits and interests. Let's say that you wanted to buy rubber boots, which can be used anywhere in the world. Would you just go to the shoe store and pick up a pair without trying them on and walk out of the store hoping that they will fit? Probably not, unless you could stand to have foot problems from ill fitting boots. The same situation goes for careers, many of which can be used anywhere in the world. However, it is important for you to determine which "fits" best for you. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I encountered too many people who had studied the wrong majors and did not like the practical application of which they had studied, as they had not done the proper process to determine if the career area "fit" them. From my experience, I offer the following suggestions, which may help to answer you question.

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to work with your academic adviser and the counseling department at your school to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the interests and personality traits necessary to enter any particular career field.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your college who tracks and works with graduates (possibly the Director of Alumni Relations) to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
Thank you comment icon Thank You for your response. Initially, I asked this question because if I were to move outside of the U.S, I would like to major in something that could hold validity in another country. Say, compare a business degree to a Computer Science degree and putting it into the context of using those degrees in another country. I just have the assumption that companies in those respective countries would be more keen on hiring a foreigner if that person held a degree in a field that seemed more lucrative/important. Antonio
Thank you comment icon The importance of the fit of a career area to a person is very important. By participating in networking, as described in the answer provided, one increases the possibility of finding a position within that career area and being hired for a respective position for which one is qualified, not matter where that might be located. Ken Simmons
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Bryan’s Answer

I would expect the current shortage of technical workers to continue. Computer-related jobs will be around for a long time, much of the work can be done remotely, and you'll always be able to find a job. Different majors can vary from the more business-oriented CIS or MIS degrees, to programming and software development focus of CS or a more engineering-related Computer Engineering degree is also an option.


Businesses operate in every country in the world. A basic business degree would likely be useful no matter where you live. It's not my area, but you don't have to get an MBA. If you are looking for transferable skills you could try for a degree in Business or Finance without too much focus on U.S. specific rules and regulations and find coursework that'll apply in other countries.


Writing will benefit you in every field, and writing clearly in English can open doors for lots of different jobs. Making a career out of being an author is out of reach for most of us, but being able to express yourself clearly in writing will benefit you in every job.


Social skills are something that are just as important as technical or knowledge-related ability. There are a lot of complex problems and very large organizations in the world. Being able to work on a team to solve a problem is probably the most valuable skill you can learn if you intend to work for a company of any size. Find ways to learn to work together with people to solve even simple tasks and remember to 'work friendly' even if it is difficult. That will open many doors for you.


Good luck and best wishes, wherever you may be in the world.

Bryan recommends the following next steps:

Help someone - If you can find someone who needs help with something--a task, answering a question (like I'm doing now), or completing a small project, you may find that you are able to do things that they can't do themselves. That can lead you to your answer. Set aside a day to assist someone you know or volunteer for an organization. Even if it seems like work that you may not expect to develop into anything useful, it can change your routine and get you around people who might be able to suggest the next steps.
Write your story - If you can publish a short article or story about your experience, or a topic you're interested in, you may find that others respond to it. At the very least it's an excuse to research a topic, and you'll learn something. There are many web sites that will let you self-publish for free on the internet.
Start a company - Create a business plan to start a company that solves a problem. If it is something you think has a chance of success, you can register the company with Legal Zoom. It's a website that will allow you to form your own Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). There might be limits on it for nonresidents, but it is worth a try. Businesses form in every part of the world. Going through the experience of starting something from scratch, even if it is just the administrative initial paperwork to get the ball rolling will be part of the picture for a small business. Other things you'd need to look at would be creating a budget and arranging for financing.
Install Linux - Download and install Oracle VirtualBox, create a VM, and install one of the free Linux distributions on your new VM (CentOS or Ubuntu are good). This will give you an idea of how the systems behind websites function. Jobs that might need this would be Systems Administrator or Systems Engineer. Install Wireshark - Download and install Wireshark to inspect network traffic to/from a computer. This will give you a feel for how data flows across a network. Jobs that use this would be Network Engineer or Network Architect.
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Wayne’s Answer

Antonio, the responses given here are excellent, however it appears you may be asking a different question than what we are attempting to answer. It sounds like you are looking for a degree that will command respect with potential employers in the country you expect to be going to if your fears come to pass and you have to leave the US. It sounds like you feel that some degrees will better enable you to get a job than other degrees.

To a certain extent this is correct. If you have a degree in accounting but try to apply for a job as a Dr, then yes, the degree matters and would not be accepted as a valid degree for that role. However, that same degree would be looked on with favor if applying for an accountant position. The degree matters most when applying for jobs that require a specialized skill set. Many other employers look for a degree, but they really don't care about the major. The important thing is that the degree shows your ability to stick with something and complete it as well as a willingness to learn. Many companies in my experience can train a person to do the job the way the company wants it done but they need someone who is willing to put in the time and effort to do it so they look for the degree.

For example: I got my degree in Animal Science with a minor in Math. That degree helped me get several jobs including: Meat Market manager, Food sales, Food distribution operations manager, Dry goods warehouse supervisor, Food manufacturing quality control manager, Furniture laminate manufacturing research & development and currently high tech manufacturing inventory control manager.

The important thing is to pick something you like to do (I enjoy working with animals), get a degree in that area so you know you will be happy with a career in that field, and then begin your career which is a journey and not a destination. It may (as it did in my case) lead you through several career categories but each experience gained was valuable for the next step in the journey.

If I were to add to the list of items to check out in the other responses, it would be to look at the area you expect to be going to and do some research there as well. Who are the employers? What jobs are available in the area you are interested in? How can you build a skill set that will bring value to the prospective company?

Take that information with you to the advisers and others you meet as you continue your research. Always remember that it is you who will be "stuck" with the job so it is better to be stuck with something you like rather than some "job" where you draw a paycheck. If you are unsure of what you like, look at what you do in your spare time now. Are they outdoor activities or inside? Are they helping others or solving puzzles? These are clues you can use since someone who loves to be outdoors exploring new things would most likely be very unhappy in a job working in a cube looking at numbers all day.

I would also recommend getting the Strengths Finder 2.0 book from the bookstore or online and taking the survey in it. That will help you filter out what your strengths are and when you talk to others, it will help lead the discussions.

Good luck in whatever your choose to pursue.

Wayne recommends the following next steps:

Take strengths builder survey
Look at what is available in the area you expect to be living (chamber of commerce or equivalent is a good source)
Follow suggestions in the other resonses.
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