Do You Choose a College Major for Interest or for Career Prospects?

When you finish high school and decide you want to go to college, you will have to choose your major. If you are lucky, you have an interest in a major that also leads to a really good career. However, most students don’t really know what they want to be when they’re older yet and hence choose something based solely on their love of a subject. This can be a concern for adults and children alike, because there are a number of fields, such as art, fashion and music, that involved industries that are hard to get in to. But does this mean that a child should be discouraged from looking into music colleges?

Not so Popular Majors for Jobs

There are a number of majors that are less likely to lead to a job in that specific field. These include psychology, philosophy, art history, music, humanities, communications, theater, sociology, Latin, dance, language and literature arts and so on. As a result, graduates may end up working in a field that is completely unrelated and, unfortunately, at times well below their academic knowledge. Naturally, there are always exceptions. Additionally, the vast majority of graduates from these types of majors are not unhappy with their careers. However, it is something to be aware of.

Questions to Ask

If you want to find a major that is something that you love, but you want to be as sure as possible that you will actually find work in that area as well, there are a number of questions you need to ask. These include:

• How many recruiters attended the campus at the previous recruitment drive that were looking specifically for students with the major you are interested in?
• How many graduates from last year’s cohort are now actually employed in an industry relevant to the major?
• Does the school tell you that your major will not be useful unless you also complete graduate school?
• Is it possible to change your major?
• Is there a minor available at the school that would increase your chances of finding employment?
• Could you complete a double major?

Considering the Music Major

If you – or your child – is considering going to music college, the following step plan may be useful to complete. If, at the end of that, they still want to go to music college, it is clear they have thought their decision through.

1. What jobs are available in the music business?
2. Which employers are interested in people with a music major?
3. Do you have any contacts in the music industry?
4. Do you have any personal experience that is relevant to the music business?
5. What can you do best in the world of music?
6. What skills, accomplishments and abilities do you have relating to music?
7. Could you become self-employed?

The music industry is a complex industry, but demand is always present. If, however, you or your child dreams of becoming the next David Bowie, music college is perhaps not for them. Luck is what they need instead.