Picking the Right Major

By Beverly Asante

Adam Kotsko once said, “We ask 18 year olds to make huge decisions about their career and financial future, when a month ago they had to ask to go to the bathroom.” How many of you can relate? As college students we are pressured to pick a major, plan our lives, and figure out the career path destined for us, all while simultaneously trying to transition from childhood to adulthood. Indeed, being 18 in the Western world is a big deal and picking the right major is an even bigger one. Scary right? It doesn’t have to be. Here are some things to consider when deciding the right major.

You are not alone

It is statistically proven that many college students change their major at least three times. Although that may not necessarily be the case for you, it is a bit comforting knowing that you’re not the only one confused. In fact, there are many people going through the same thing you are. There are even more people who have gone through it and survived. Not knowing your major at the moment may be extremely stressful. It may even feel like the end of the world, but it isn’t. It’s a start of an adventure, a new experience in which you get to get the know and understand the most awesome person in the world. You! So take a deep breath, and relax. Each and every single day that passes gives you another opportunity to grow and become one step closer to figuring out your unique pathway to success.

Talk to your advisor

Your advisor is your best friend. Get to know him or her. They are willing to help. Express to them what truly makes you happy. Ask them questions. Explain to them any concerns you may have. By listening to what you have to say, they can recommend the best classes for you. It is the best feeling to know that there is someone who is in your corner and willing to guide you every step of the way. Don’t be alarmed if you feel like your schedule is all over the place. It’s okay if you are taking classes that represent a little bit of everything. In fact, it’s a good thing, that way you can test the waters and see what your likes and dislikes are. How else would you be able to come up with a final paper, if you don’t have a first draft? 

Trust yourself

You have the key to success. No matter how much your mom wants you to be Pre-med, or an engineer, the decision is ultimately up to you. You cannot live your life in the eyes of others. It will come a time where you will realize that although your parents love you, they cannot live through you. You are given one life and you need to live the best life for yourself. Follow your dreams, whether it is becoming a chef or an actress. Never forget to trust yourself and know that even if you fail, you failed because you tried and not because you were too scared to try.

Living Your Passion Even When You’re Not Sure What It Is

By Brian Reece, Associate Director, Assessment & Communication

When I was younger, I remember being told all sorts of things about what I should be (and who I should be, for that matter) when I “grow up.” Now that I’m all grown up, I still don’t really have a concrete answer to this question. It gives me anxiety from time to time—maybe I’m just in denial--but I’m slowly coming to the realization that I don’t have to be just one thing. It’s okay not to know what I want to be when I grow up. As I move ever closer toward my 30s, I can see how all of this education, regardless of the name of the field of study, the major, or the framework, influences me in countless ways.

I wound up in a job doing assessment and communication for a career center. To many of my colleagues, this is an odd sort of mix. But then again, I’m an odd sort of mix. I have degrees, minors, and certificates in English, Spanish, Music, Higher Education, Nonprofit Management, Prevention Science, and Counseling. In other words, I’m a writer, a translator, a musician, an educator, an organizational manager, a data analyst, and a helper by training, and this is exactly what I now do as my full-time job. Interesting how it works out.

I ended up where I am today not because I chose a straight and narrow path toward a specific career, but instead because I explored a variety of options, developed expertise in multiple areas, and was open to the possibilities, including those that didn’t yet exist or that I didn’t yet understand. Whether you’re an incoming student, a senior getting ready to graduate, or an alum with years of experience, here are some tips for living your passion even if you don’t know what it is yet:

Explore anything and everything. If it excites you, learn about it, practice it, and get good at it. If it scares you, dive right on in anyway. If you think you’ll hate it, find out if you’re right! Your experiences define who you are and your attitude about engaging in new opportunities defines who you’ll become.

Don’t make a decision (yet). It’s okay to be unsure! You may be unsure because you don’t have enough information—so do whatever you can do learn and gain experience. You may be unsure because you have too much information—so take time to reflect and digest it all. You may also be unsure because all the options sound great—so think creatively about ways you can have both/all instead of just one or the other.

Prepare for change. Things don’t always go as we planned. In fact, they rarely go exactly as we planned. Preparing for uncertainty means having contingency plans, but it doesn’t mean you can’t commit wholeheartedly to Plan A. It just means that you’re ready to go with Plan B or C or D if the original plan falls through. Or if you’re really creative and you like Plan B enough, you might find ways to merge the two. Now that’s innovation!

Be open to living your passion outside of work. Each of us lives and operates differently. Some of us want our work to be a calling. Others of us want our work to support our calling. No matter how you live your passion and no matter what your passion is, remember that your work is or will be a huge part of it in one way or another. And be open to having many passions—enjoy life to its fullest!

You’re not alone. At the Toppel Career Center, we offer many different ways to explore your interests, values, skills, abilities—to learn what your passion is. We also have highly trained and motivated staff who can help you as you do. Take advantage of your network: friends, colleagues, mentors, professors, supervisors. And if you want help doing so, Toppel can help with that too!

“What am I going to do with my life?”

By Anna Kenney, Assistant Director of  Internships and Assessment

This is a question you may have already asked yourself, or will likely ask yourself before your time is up here at the University of Miami. And let’s be honest, you may ask yourself several times prior to and after graduation. It’s a completely normal thing, and anyone that tells you otherwise, isn’t being the most helpful. The time you spend at a university whether as an undergraduate or graduate student is meant to be one of exploration! (Is anyone else now picturing Russell from the movie “Up”?)

It can be hard to make decisions sometimes, let alone making life decisions on your own. The wonderful thing is….you don’t have to! There are TONS of resources on campus to help you in your journey, and the Toppel Career Center is one of them, ready and willing to help prepare you for a lifetime of career success.

 

We have highly skilled advisors that are available to answer questions you may have related to what you can do with your major, what kind of opportunities exist (internship and full-time), how to prepare your resume and get ready to interview, just to name a few!

We also offer numerous free electronic/online resources that you can utilize on your own or with your career advisor. Did you catch the free part? That’s every student’s dream, right?

Here is a quick snap shot of some you may want to check out:

Career Links will take you through our website and provide you with a list of websites related to your school/college or a particular area of interest. This is a great way to learn more about potential opportunities in your chosen field of study.

 

Candid Career provides thousands of informational video interviews with real professionals. This can be useful whether you are just beginning to explore potential career options or preparing for interviews. They also provide videos that highlight numerous topics such as “Networking 101”, “How to ace a phone interview” and “Dressing for Success”.

HireACane is available to each degree-seeking student, both undergraduate and graduate (except for MBA, Law, Medical – they have separate services through their programs). With HireACane, you can upload documents (including resumes, cover letters, unofficial transcripts) that can be used to apply for positions (internships and full-time) that are in the system. To log-in, you simply need to utilize your CaneID and password. 

There are a few additional resources we wanted to highlight that are only accessible by logging into your HireACane account.

The Mock Interview module located within the HireACane system is a great way to practice your interview techniques. The benefit of utilizing this tool (versus coming into Toppel for a mock interview) is that you can do it on your own time. All you need is a camera and a microphone. During the mock interview, you would be asked questions related to the selected topic and be able to record your responses. Once submitted, the interview would be viewed by a Career Advisor, who would be able to provide feedback to not only each response, but to the overall interview.

Vault.com provides in-depth information on what it is really like to work in an industry or profession. Within the system, you can search current job openings, research companies/schools/industries, and find career advice. You can also view rankings, ratings and reviews on companies.

Internships.com is an additional resource to search for internship opportunities. They also provide a variety of interactive tools and services to enable students to better understand and optimize internship opportunities.

 

If you can believe it, these are just SOME of the resources available to you through the Toppel Career Center and website!

Make sure you come by ToppelFest on Friday, August 22^nd to learn more about the programs and events we have coming up, meet our staff and pick up some awesome giveaways!