Going Off to College? Keep Your Options Open

It’s late August – which means this is the time of year where college students have already gone off to school or will soon depart their “summer homes” to begin their fall semester of classes. Many of these young adults have already declared a major or identified a path of study, while others are still searching to find their passion.

 

For all college students, here’s a little bit of advice: don’t ever close yourself off from other options.

 

Did you know that a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that only 27% of U.S. college graduates are currently employed in a job that was closely related to their college majors? That means almost three-quarters of Americans who graduated with a four-year degree are working outside of their chosen field of study.

 

The moral of the story? If you’re in college right now, there’s a very good chance that you’ll be making a living doing something that has little or nothing to do with the information you’re learning in the courses related to your major.

 

 

Young Working Adults Should Be Open To Change, Too

 

And here’s something else: if you’ve just entered the working world, don’t assume that the career path you are currently on will be the one that pays the bills several years down the road. According to the Department of Labor, people make between five and seven career changes on average during their lifetime!

 

Take Susannah Virginia Griffin, for instance. She was employed in the accounting department of an energy company at the end of the 20th century. And today, she is an accomplished artist who has her own art gallery in Houston.

 

 

So here’s the bottom line: change is constant, even in careers. That means you should always be open to new opportunities no matter where you are in your adult life. Who knows? The next career change may lead you to the most fulfilling work that you’ve ever done!