How relevant is your major in searching for a job?

Hi Christina!

I do not think that a specific major is relevant for searching for jobs, it is more important to have experience in the field and/or show why although your major is not the norm for the field your volunteer work and internships show that the field is your passion. It might even help to make you stand out from other applicants. However, have a major in the field can be advantageous since it provides the required knowledge and better insight to the field. For example, to get into medical school there is no required major instead one must do great on the MCAT and complete prerequisite courses. Hope this helps!

I definitely think your major plays a big factor in determining relevance for your career. The skills your learn such as programming languages, accounting, biology research, etc. are all sources of relevant tools you will need to perform your job. Lots of times, skills tend to cross over typically into the same department, but laying out a foundation for your career is essential, you need basic-advanced skills to at-least some extent thus making yourself a great candidate for the jobs you do apply for.

Hello Christina,

In today's job market most graduates find themselves in a dilemma with not being able to find jobs related to their majors. But your major will always play a major part in whatever position you will be able to handle as your knowledge of the job you have chosen increases. For example if your major is in Journalism but you can't find a steady job or even an internship at a radio station or newspaper company so you end up with a job at the post office. Certainly, issues will present themselves about the general managers feeling they are losing customers to online services because they lack the funds for advertising. You may find yourself remembering something your learned in one of your courses and implement an idea such as creating a blog to use the free advertising options on the website also uploading pictures of the post office and placing them on either the left hand or right hand of the well written blog that explains the benefits of post offices in local communities. My point is you never know where the knowledge and understanding of certain courses from your major will come in and advance you. Most importantly always network with circles dealing with your major. I wish you the best.

Hi Christina,

A major typically tells an employer that you did the training for the skills. However, experience is important too. Some employers consider your major (or related field even) and/or experience.  Both really give you an advantage so they are both relevant and not just one. Having the major will give you better understanding of the industry and the experience shows that you have hands on knowledge of it. For example, having a major in Business with IT experience is a big advantage in both industries. So work on getting that experience either through related jobs, internships or volunteer work. Additionally, you can impress employers if you have taken courses relevant to the skill sets for the job and not just your major. But, I still think it is better to have a major in the industry you want to work at so that you make use of your degree. Good luck.

Hi Christina,

If an applicant has experience, the degree is less important. Experience includes a body of work that one can document, a portfolio, and references. If the applicant has little or on experience, the degree is very important.

Consider that nearly all job applications are web-based, and they go through a sorting process before they are seen by someone who might give you an interview. There are three broad categories: 1) Education and no experience, 2) Experience and no education, and 3) Education plus experience. Your best opportunity to land an interview is category #3.