You Majored in What?
Read You Majored in What? Online
Authors: Katharine Brooks
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 - A BUTTERFLY FLAPS ITS WINGS AND YOU FIND A JOB
CHAPTER 2 - CONNECTING THE DOTS
CHAPTER 4 - WANDERING BEYOND MAJORS AND MINORS
CHAPTER 5 - WHY SETTLE FOR ONE CAREER WHEN YOU CAN HAVE TEN?
CHAPTER 6 - EVEN WANDERERS MAKE PLANS
CHAPTER 7 - PAGING DR. FRANKENSTEIN
CHAPTER 8 - MY JOB AS A KRACKEL BAR
CHAPTER 9 - CHANNELING JANE AUSTEN
CHAPTER 10 - WANDERING INTO THE WORKPLACE
CHAPTER 11 - WANDERING AFTER GRADUATION
“The wisdom contained in this book could not have become available at a better time for the millions of Gen Y college students and recent graduates who are simultaneously struggling with crushing levels of student debt and the desire to find a career where they can do meaningful work that is of benefit to society.”
—Steven Rothberg, President and Founder,
CollegeRecruiter.com
“An amazing, refreshing new perspective on an ancient question that does not leave sage advice behind! This book takes tried-and-true concepts and adds meaning and organization. One can’t help but think, engage, and be encouraged by Kate’s valuable wisdom! Useful as a course text, a journal, a job search manual, or what it reads like—a personal career companion, mentor, or friend. Born of chaos theory, this book is ready to deliver into the hands of the yearning who are eager to absorb it.
“Loaded with images, constructive strategies, and meaningful advice,
You Majored in
What
?
is intellectual but practical, and readers will deepen their appreciation of their
majors
. With its many examples, exercises, reflections, and real-life stories, this book has something for every reader to grab hold of to achieve not only career success but also life and work success.”
—Denise Dwight Smith, Director, University
Career Center for Work, Service, and Internships,
University of North Carolina in Washington, NC
“Through the use of positive language, metaphors, and practical application,
You Majored in
What
?
is a wonderful guide and workbook not only for the undergraduate student but also for the career center practitioner! Whether a student, mentor, or coach, unquestionably you will be inspired and empowered by the possibilities that will result from the Wise Wandering and mapping activities.”
—Meg Flournoy, Associate Director, The Duke MBA Career Management Center
“
You Majored in
What
?
is filled with interactive exercises and is written in an engaging and practical way. This book will be a helpful resource for students as they consider their postcollege plans.”
—Deanne H. Maxwell, Assistant Director, Student and Career Development, Cornell University
“
You Majored in
What
?
will speak to the person in career transition or the college student simply overwhelmed by the options. The tone is light and the exercises are manageable, designed to release your hidden dreams and strengths. This is a fresh and much needed addition to the field of career development.”
—Beverly T. Lorig, Director, Career Services, Washington &Lee University
VIKING
Published by the Penguin Group
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First published in 2009 by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Copyright © Katharine Brooks, 2009 All rights reserved
The individual experiences recounted in this book are true. However, names and
descriptive details have been changed to protect the identities of the people involved.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA
Brooks, Katharine.
You majored in what? / Katharine Brooks.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
eISBN : 978-1-101050439
1. Job hunting—United States. 2. Employment interviewing—United States.
3. College graduates—Employment—United States. 4. College majors—United
States. I. Title.
HF5382.75.U6B755 2010
650.14—dc22 2008046687
While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
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To my parents and teachers,
on whose shoulders I stand:
infinite gratitude for shaping and guiding
my work and my life.
And
to singer, songwriter, and daydream believer
John Stewart (1939 -2008):
thanks for providing the soundtrack.
A BUTTERFLY FLAPS ITS WINGS AND YOU FIND A JOB
CHAOS AND YOUR CAREER PLANS
You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.
—FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE,
THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA
H
as it happened yet? Have you been asked
THE QUESTION
?
You know the one: it’s the question that cuts to the core of your existence, the question that haunts you pretty much from the time you decide to be a college student to months, even years, after you graduate. It starts so innocently. Someone asks you what your major is, so you tell them.
There’s a slight pause. Then comes
THE QUESTION
:
“WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT?”
OK, think fast.
“I’m going to law school,” you say, even though you aren’t really sure you want to, but it sure sounds good. Or “I’m thinking about med school,” even though you have no interest in science classes.
The questioner’s face relaxes; maybe he even smiles. He pats you on the shoulder. “Wow, that’s great!”
And that’s how the lie begins . . .
Do you feel sometimes there’s a cosmic joke at work? That you chose this really interesting major but now you’re wondering, was it worth it? Or perhaps you’re just starting college and
THE QUESTION
is already making you nervous.
THE PRESSURE OF THE LINEAR PATH
The problem behind
THE QUESTION
is that it assumes a linear path between your major and your career. And the lure of the linear path is powerful. It’s embedded in our thinking. From the time you played with fire trucks and people asked you if you wanted to be a firefighter, linear paths to careers have been assumed to be the natural state of things. So it seems only logical that you would pursue a major that would become your ultimate career. Business majors go into business. Engineering majors become engineers, philosophy majors become . . . ? Hmm . . .
Your parents would probably be thrilled if you had a glitch-free linear path from school to work all worked out. You know, “I’m studying accounting so I can be an accountant,” or “I’m going to be an English major so I can teach English.”
You
might be secretly relieved as well.
But that’s early twentieth-century thinking—1909 to be exact, when the trait-and-factor approach was designed to determine the best career choices for people. As America shifted from an agricultural to an industrial society, vocational researchers sought ways to determine the best fit between individuals and their jobs. Career tests were designed to match people’s interests and skills with potential vocations. Society placed additional restraints on employment, with women and minorities relegated to narrow fields. Most people pursued education to learn a specific trade, and a college education was reserved for the elite few who would likely go on to teaching, medicine, law, or the ministry.
In the twenty-first century, a college education is wide open to many more individuals regardless of gender, race, or career goal. Many students now choose a college education because of the interesting subjects they can study, not necessarily because of a specific career plan.
Whatever your reason for pursing your major, you, like many others, are probably struggling with
THE QUESTION
: What do I
do
with this degree? Where is
my
linear path?
To help you envision such a path, here’s a list of the actual careers of some recent graduates, drawn from alumni surveys from three institutions. Note the relatively direct relationship between their majors and their careers.
Can you see the linear relationship that exists between a major and a career? The symmetry between the job duties and the use of the graduates’ skills? The English major is using her writing skills. The psychology major is helping people. The economics major is working on Wall Street. It’s reassuring, isn’t it? Not only can you get a job, your job can be directly related to your major.
There’s only one problem with the list:
it’s all wrong.
These are the
actual
careers of graduates with those majors:
