Employers consider communications one of the most important characteristics they look for in potential employees. Other important characteristics include analytical skills, ethics, leadership abilities, work experience, motivation/initiative, teamwork skills and technical skills.
Below is a condensed list of recommended tasks for selecting a college major. The tasks are listed in chronologic order.
1. Complete a self assessment of your interests.
What subjects or topics do you enjoy? Which high school classes are interesting to you? Does any subject come to mind for a possible college major?
2. Assess your skills and talents.
What are your best subjects in high school? What are your strengths and abilities? What skills do you have?
3. Assess what you value with work and in a work environment.
Do you place value on helping other people, helping society, working in a fast-paced or slow-and-steady environment, working alone or in groups, completing numerous short-term projects or fewer long-term projects, being innovative, being creative and thinking “outside the box”, or other factors.
4. Think about possible careers you would enjoy.
Do you think you would like:
– Working outdoors or building things.
– Researching scientific topics and solving complex concepts.
– Designing items to market for sale or generating innovative ideas.
– Counseling young people or participating activities which benefit society.
– Managing a group of people or motivating others to achieve goals.
– Working in a structured environment and completing work assignments.
5. Use online search engines to assist with selecting a college major.
Enter your information and preferences generated in tasks 1. through 4. above to see suggested college majors and related careers.
6. College Major Research
Research college majors and associated careers suggested by search engines to evaluate if any majors are of high enough interest for you to declare one on your college applications.
7. College Selection
Use your selected college major as a college selection factor to consider when searching and selecting colleges and universities to apply to.