As a student or recent grad, you may be asking yourself, “what can I do with my major?”, when thinking about your future plans. While there are certain majors that have a direct career path, there are others that could lead you down many different routes. Each area of studies will help you with a particular skill set that you can use in specific internship and work settings. Here is a breakdown of career paths you can take based on your major:
Communications
A Communications degree provides you with essential skills, all of which are valued by many employers. Your experience in dealing with different people and explaining processes, plans and concepts are useful skills to have in a Human Resources, Hospitality, Events and Tourism internships. HR is a varied field and would allow you to apply your skills. It would let you evaluate a workforce, recruit new talent and manage legal issues.
When asking “what can I do with my major in Communications?” another obvious career path is in PR & Marketing. You would be able to deliver effective written and oral communication to consumers, colleagues or clients. Your tasks may include creating press releases, advertising scripts, company presentations and print campaigns. Your strong written and oral skills can equally be useful in a Journalism career. You could be required to work in different mediums such as written press, or various forms of media including mass media, digital media and social media. The main advantage of communications majors is that they are often able to learn and pick up new skills quickly and easily.
Skills: Communications, attention to detail, teamwork, speak with confidence, explain processes, plans, concepts, understand and apply theory
Possible Career Fields: HR, Hospitality, Events and Tourism, Consulting, Journalism, Marketing
Math
There is a large demand for Math majors across many career fields. A Finance internship would enable you to explore different areas of this field and work. Internship opportunity may include interning at investment banks, commercial banks, hedge funds, asset managers, financial technology companies, private equity funds, and venture capital firms. An internship in Finance would allow you to employ your skills in problem solving, logical thinking and time management.
You could also decide to look into Information Technology as there are many roles specializing in app and website development, software engineering, and database design and management where a Math major would be very useful. If you are interested in analysis and interpretation of data, you might like to consider an internship in Business or Consulting. Your experience in dealing with abstract concepts, conducting and designing experimental studies will be put to great use in either of these fields.
Skills: Problem solving, time management, analyzing and interpreting data, dealing with abstract concepts, logical thinking, conducting and designing, experimental studies
Possible Career Fields: Finance, Business, Consulting, IT, Engineering
Politics
When asking “what can I do with my major?” certainly the first port of call for politics majors would be to do an internship in Government and Politics. You are trained with the right analytical and research skills and you have a good knowledge of current affairs and government proceedings. If you are interested in pursuing politics as a career, look no further! However, there are other options available if you would prefer a career or internship in a different field. Your ability to construct coherent arguments, research and examine information thoroughly are valued assets in Business as well as Journalism.
There are many interesting comment pieces to be written on politics and current affairs. This requires an in-depth knowledge of government and its proceedings. Additionally, an internship in an NGO or non-profit organization remains very broad and allows you to explore different areas. Some examples include Community Development, Healthcare and Sustainability as well as Environmental issues and Economic Development. These careers all require a flexible and open-minded individual, of which politics majors can certainly boast.
Skills: Ability to research and examine information thoroughly, analyse evidence, construct coherent arguments, intellectual independence, flexible and open-minded
Possible Career Fields: Government, NGO’s and non-profits, Business, Journalism
Sociology and Social Studies
A Sociology degree combines both intellectual and practical aspects. Sociologists try to understand both broad and narrow social phenomena, issues and problems, and in doing so, they integrate the findings of other social science disciplines. Sociology integrates the findings of economics, political science, psychology and history. With this wide range of skills Sociologists can go into many different fields. Your ability to learn how businesses work and to research, judge and evaluate complex information would be suited to a career in Entrepreneurship or Business. This career field, as well as an internship in Fashion would enable you to channel your creativity and innovation.
In addition, through your degree you are familiar with how societies create opportunities. You also can appreciate the complexity of social situations. This means you would be well suited to a career in HR and Talent Management. In this field you would work directly with people and exercise your skills in communications and social situations.
Skills: Learning how business works, learning how societies create opportunities, appreciating the complexity of social situations, researching, judging and evaluating complex info
Possible Career Fields: Fashion, HR, Entrepreneurship, Business
Languages
As a Languages student you have developed many useful skills which can be applied to various career fields. You have the ability to memorize large quantities of vocabulary as well as grammar rules, which you need to apply to new situations when speaking the language. In addition, a Languages degree develops a critical mind, especially when analyzing literature, historical sources and writing essays. These skills are invaluable in an international Business internship, allowing you to apply past knowledge to new cases and engage critically with the material presented to you.
A Languages student often has the opportunity to travel abroad, meet new people and learn about different cultures and lifestyles. It might be worth considering an internship in Media, Publishing & Journalism or Government and Politics. Working as a Foreign Affairs Correspondent or working for the Foreign Office in the government would offer opportunities to work abroad and continue speaking your languages. These two career fields also allow you to branch into different areas of Journalism and Politics. Your ability to immerse yourself in a new culture breeds a creative, tolerant and perceptive person. All of these assets are valued in the three career fields mentioned.
Skills: Memorization, listening, sociable, creative, tolerant, perceptive, critical engagement, open to travel
Possible Career Fields: Journalism, Publishing & Media, Government and Politics, Business
History
As a Historian you have acquired a broad range of historical knowledge and are able to express yourself and your opinions in a clear, concise manner. These skills are useful in Journalism since you are able to write in an objective but also persuasive way, using facts and research to support your argument. You might also want to consider an internship in Journalism, Publishing & Media, as the field values an eloquent and well-informed person.
Historians track historic trends, an important skill for those developing products to market or engaged in Marketing. This, as well as your ability to engage critically and question the material presented to you, will give you an edge when applying for an international Business or Marketing internship. These skills form an inquisitive and interested mind, which would also be well suited to Entrepreneurship. You are able to reach conclusions, take charge and execute your ideas in an effective way.
Skills: Critical engagement, inquisitive nature, historical knowledge, clear expression, ability to reach conclusions
Possible Career Fields: Journalism, Publishing & Media, Entrepreneurship, Business, Marketing
Liberal Arts
It can be difficult to narrow your career choices down when asking yourself “what can I do with my major?” in Liberal Arts. However, throughout your degree you have gained a range of useful skills which can launch you into many different areas. Your communications and analysis experience put you in a strong position to start a PR and Marketing career. This involves working on behalf of a corporation or public figure in coordination with reporters to increase visibility and performance of a communications strategy. You would also be promoting a client’s image by way of multi-scale marketing strategies and professional public relations campaigns.
Thus as a Liberal Arts major, you are a good candidate to apply for an internship in this field. If you are more interested in exercising your creative side, you may want to apply for a Fashion or Art & Design internship given your innovative nature and ability to think outside the box. This can encompass many different sections of the Fashion industry, such as Design, Merchandising, Buying, Fashion Week organizations, and Fashion PR. Lastly many liberal arts majors go into Real Estate. In this career, they can make use of their proficiency in managing qualitative information as well as planning and organization.
Skills: Communication, analysis, creativity, managing qualitative information, planning and organizing
Possible Career Fields: PR & Marketing, Fashion, Art & Design, Real Estate, Business
Psychology
As a Psychology student, you develop important critical thinking skills, abstract reasoning and research skills. These are very useful in a Marketing career, where you will be expected to determine market demand for a service or product. Going beyond that, these skills will help you be sales and revenue oriented. Moreover, your experience in communications and teamwork make you the ideal candidate for a Human Resources and Talent Management internship. Learning about the recruitment process of a company is stimulating and interesting, especially to someone who has developed strong communication and sociable skills.
Given your interpersonal awareness and ability to understand yourself and others, a career in Hospitality, Events and Tourism would be interesting. It would give you the opportunity to work with people and also to observe global trends. You could take on a role as an events consultant, events manager, or venue marketing coordinator. Unlike some other fields, when asking yourself “what can I do with my major?” you can respond with traveling the world and learning a new language!
Skills: Critical thinking, communication, leadership and teamwork, abstract reasoning, interpersonal awareness, research skills
Possible Career Fields: Hospitality, Events and Tourism, HR, Marketing
Geography
With experience in research and data collection, you may be asking “what can I do with my major?” to line up a successful future. Your strong IT and analysis skills sets you apart as a Geography major. In an Information Technology internship you would be able to put these skills to use and explore many areas of this field. If you are searching for something more directly linked to geography, working for the Government or within NGOs would be worth considering. You would be able to offer insightful advice on how to approach environmental problems, assessing the risks and planning which way would be best to solve them.
Your contribution in this field would be invaluable to local governments, the Civil Service, the Ministry of Defence, private companies, environmental consultancies and protection agencies. Equally though, if you prefer to focus on politics or other aspects of government, you could decide to launch yourself into a different branch of Government and NGOs. Since you have developed the right planning and analytical skills, you’d be the perfect candidate in this field.
Skills: Research and data collection, IT skills, planning, problem solving, analytical approach to people and their environment
Possible Career Fields: IT, Government, NGOs and non-profits
Geology
Geology is a degree for people with all kinds of interests, looking to get into lots of different careers. It’s a perfect degree for someone looking for an internship in making a difference in energy consumption and finding alternatives for oil and petroleum, or ensuring their continued safe use. Thus a career in Consulting or Government would enable you to give advice in your specialized field of study and make use of your problem-solving, analysis and interpretation skills. You could also lend your services to environmental firms, energy consulting agencies and engineering firms.
Indeed, professional Engineering Geologists are highly sought after. This career path would entail assessing the integrity of soil, rock, groundwater and other natural conditions prior to major construction projects. It also involves advising on procedures required for such developments. In addition, you’d have to assess the suitability of appropriate construction materials. A Geology degree encourages lateral thinking and builds report writing skills, both of which would be put to good use in a career in media. Raising awareness about problems around the world would be well suited to a geology student. You could also try Journalism given your strong written and oral communication skills. As with Geography, the fields mentioned above also allow you to explore other areas of Journalism, Government and Media.
Skills: Observation and data collection, analysis and interpretation, report writing skills, problem-solving, lateral thinking
Possible Career Fields: Consulting, Government, Journalism & Media, Engineering
Now that you know the answer to “what can I do with my major?” learn more about how you can boost your career with an internship abroad.
Photos:
1. Based on reading for bad weather, by Les Chatfield, CC-by-2.0
2. Based on student, by il-young-ko, CC-by-2.0
3. Based on KPE lab students testing 13, by University of Fraser Valley, CC-by-2.0
