Imagine a world in which employers only looked at one’s college major to determine if they are the proper candidate for a certain job. In this world, no other attributes, such as communication skills, are considered in the job market. What would it be like to live in this world?
There would most likely be less appreciation for the arts and humanities, and these areas of study would become lost in the mix. Admittedly, I would likely change my major to something STEM-related or something in the business field. I could do this in real life if I really wanted to, but my true passion is within the humanities. This is not to say that engineering students in the Watson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and students in the School of Management do not appreciate the arts and do not love what they do.
If I did not study what I loved, I would not be the same person I am today. If college majors were the only qualification employers cared about, I would lose myself in the desire to make money rather than to pursue what I genuinely enjoy doing.
Some people also believe that certain majors like sociology offer few job opportunities due to the lack of marketable skills. This is simply not true.
One’s future job opportunities do not directly correlate with one’s major, and people can certainly possess marketable skills outside of their major. Someone with great communication skills who is good at interviews and networking can earn a fantastic job, regardless of their major.
Someone can be at the right place at the right time and land an enjoyable, well-paying job. For instance, perhaps one can be in an interview and the interviewer gains a soft spot for the candidate because they went to the interviewer’s alma mater, regardless of their major.
Life is not set in stone and one’s path is not always certain; so many curveballs can be thrown at someone 20 years down the line after college — they can find themselves in a job they never expected to be in and their college major can become a blur. Personally, while I am open to change, I currently plan to work toward a master’s degree after I graduate, which can cause potential employers to put less emphasis on my undergraduate major.
Patience and faith that all of the puzzle pieces will fit together one day is key to a successful, fulfilling life. It can take five years, 20 years or 50 years. I acknowledge that this may not be the most popular viewpoint, and you can call me overly optimistic, but I find it to be a stronger, more marketable driving force than a major.
Brad Calendrillo is a senior majoring in English.