Entering college or other forms of higher education can be exciting. Where you choose to attend and what you decide to study can be a determining factor for many aspects of your life. Some people know exactly what they would like to do for a career from a very young age. However, for many, determining your major can be a difficult task. As you are deciding here are some basic questions to ask yourself that may eliminate some options and make your decision easier.
Do you want to work with people?
This can but doesn’t necessarily rule out some fields. For example the medical field requires a lot of interaction with patients. Education is also a field where you’re probably going to have to work closely with people. If that isn’t something that’s important to you that can help you in your decision. There are plenty of high-paying jobs that involve little human interaction.
How important is creativity and self-expression in your life?
What do you enjoy doing? Do you appreciate numbers, processes and things of that nature? Would you rather do something that requires you to be creative? There are plenty of jobs in graphic design, web design, and other artistic fields that can push you creatively.
In contrast, there are several fields that don’t require an eye for design or the arts. Fields in science, accounting, mathematics are often very logic-based. If self-expression is not something that is personally meaningful to you, there are still a lot of options.
What kind of compensation do you want?
The financial experts at Frisch Financial will encourage you to strongly consider the lifestyle that you’d like to have. There are certain fields that are easily more lucrative than others. The go-to fictional non-paying major is Feminist Dance Therapy. Chances are, that field has very few openings and the demand for an individual with that type of training would be very low. As a result, the compensation would probably be quite low as well. Jobs that require technical abilities often compensate much greater. The medical field, computer programming, electrical engineering are all great examples. If you want to have a more robust lifestyle, chances are you are going zo need an occupation that can provide one.
Are you okay making big decisions?
This may be more of an indicator of where you want to end up within your chosen field. In more executive positions, you’re going to need to have the ability to make some hard calls. In a lot of entry-level positions, you’re likely going to just need to keep your head down and work. There are fields that require a lot more strategic thinking than others. Once again, the compensation is likely greater for those that are willing and able to make those decisions. However, with that compensation a lot of stress and pressure may accompany it.
Do your research into the fields you are considering majoring in. Find out if they can provide the lifestyle that you are wanting. Interview people who are working in the field. Shadow them and see their day to day tasks if possible. Choose wisely and good luck!