Ten Steps to Help You Choose a Major at SU
Contrary to popular belief, most
career fields do not require a specific major. In fact, the majority of
employers who recruit on campus or on-line through
eRecruiting, Salisbury University’s employer database, advertise their
job openings across all SU’s major fields.
There are some exceptions, namely those majors categorized as
pre-professional--career fields requiring certifications or licenses, such
as Nursing, Education, Clinical Laboratory Sciences/Medical Technology,
Accounting, Engineering, Athletic Training, Environmental Health, and
Respiratory Therapy.
Since most college majors don’t offer specific preparation for a single type
of work, your choice of major is only one factor in determining your future
job prospects and career path. The skills you acquire through your
coursework, and the career-related experience you acquire
through internships, volunteering, participation in on-campus activities,
travel and study abroad, on and off-campus employment, undergraduate
research, and service learning opportunities, are often more important to
employers than your major.
Ten Action Steps to Help you Choose a Major
- Consult the University course
catalog to find the
courses you like best, and then go to this Career Services website to see
what can you do with that major.
- Conference with your
academic advisor about various
options.
- Talk by e-mail to an alum who has majored in your
target field via Salisbury’s
eRecruiting Mentor Network.
- Enroll in an introductory course in your prospective
major to see if you like it or consult the course syllabus and browse
course textbooks at the campus bookstore.
- Join a
student club (or at least attend a few
meetings) related to your prospective major, such as the American
Marketing Association, the Medical Careers Club, the Spanish Club, the
Social Work Club, or the Philosophical Society.
- Complete an online
career interest inventory in
Career Services to help you pinpoint your area of
interest. Make an
appointment with a Career Services professional to
guide you as you move toward a decision.
- Research
occupation information. Check to see what books are available in
the
Career Services Library.
-
Volunteer your time to test the waters in a
particular career path.
- Find a career- related summer or
part-time job to help you test out your “major” decision.
-
Interview or shadow a professional in a related field.
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