Help offered for major decisions

     Many college students know all too well the feeling of despair that comes when they have a major they love but are unsure of what to actually do with it.
     To help students zoom in on job possibilities, the Career Center kicked off its “What to do with this Major” series with a focus on opportunities for English majors.
     Jennifer Cash, assistant director of the university career center, facilitated the workshop.
     “It was created to inform and enlighten students on the various careers they can enter with a particular major,” Cash said.  “Also, the series will highlight the skills that are gained from a major, as well as, discussing the strategies and tips to take while in college to help them transition into their chosen career.”
      This workshop was the first of many upcoming talks, which will showcase majors such as community health, history, and psychology.
     Cash states the English workshop was very successful as fifteen students were in attendance.
     “I believe one of the reasons why it was successful is because of the collaborative effort between the Career Center, the Counseling Center, and the Center for Student Success,” Cash said.  “Along with discussing the career component, we added the interest, values and abilities assessment form from the Counseling Center and the academic component form from the Center for Student Success.”
     Cash believes all of those contributions should allow students to get the full effect of a good job search.
     “Those elements really helped the participants see the total picture when it comes to career planning,” Cash affirms.
Participants received many informational handouts detailing direct, less direct and indirect career options including a brief description of each. Surprisingly, graphic design, technical, administrative and even research jobs all benefit from an English background and hire English majors.
     Another handout broke down the field into specific areas in which students may prefer or be more skilled at, and then suggested possible employers and strategies on getting one’s foot in the door. These helped students see that English is not just reading or writing; it’s very beneficial even in fields such as advertising, public relations, law and business.
     Sophomore English major Elyssa Sanner attended the workshop and says she found it very informative.
     “It provided lots of options and lots of resources so that someone could research a career on their own,” Sanner said.  “While it didn’t clear everything up for me, it did give me ideas about where to look for internships and jobs.”
     At GCSU, a bachelor of arts in English is accompanied with either a creative writing concentration or English/literature concentration. Both concentrations perfect specific skills and more information can be found on the university’s Web site or by contacting Dr. Elaine Whitaker, department chair for English, speech and journalism.
     In addition, there are many other workshops and events in the near future. Students should keep an eye out for a nonprofit symposium, nursing expo, education expo, a campus career fair and a handful of corporations coming in search of future employees.
     While the “What to do with the Major” series workshop gave strategic tips on landing that dream job, Cash also emphasizes that students shouldn’t choose a major they don’t like.
     “Do what you love,” Cash said.   “If you have a passion for what you do, you will find that your work will be very enjoyable and satisfying.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 2 2007. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry