99 Motivators - Top Takeaways for Success in Picking a Major or Career Path

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  SUCCESS IN PICKING A MAJOR OR CAREER PATH

-  The media shapes our impressions of what different careers are like.  Research the benefits and challenges of your major and career path by interviewing people who work in that industry, and by securing an internship in that field.

-  Keep an open mind when choosing a major or career path.  Base these decisions on your likes, dislikes, personality, and work style, rather than on the expectations placed on you by family and peers.

-  Don’t let anyone crush your dreams.  However, the riskier your dream, the better your backup plan must be.

PERSONAL MOTIVATOR GOALS

Based on College Success Motivators 1-33, list three specific goals you will work on this year.

1.

2.

3.

College Success Motivator #10 - Do what you love but don’t let your career choices jeopardize...

COLLEGE SUCCESS MOTIVATOR

#10

Do what you love but don’t let your career choices jeopardize anyone you love.  Including yourself.  Translation: Take care of others but don’t forget to take care of yourself, sometimes before others.  Listen to our airline flight attendants: “Put your own oxygen mask on first before assisting others with their masks.”

College Success Motivator #9 - Sometimes, doing the things your family or friends expect you to...

COLLEGE SUCCESS MOTIVATOR

#9

Sometimes, doing the things your family or friends expect you to achieve in your career might be the wrong path for you.

College Success Motivator #8 - The most important thing for deciding on a major or career path is to...

COLLEGE SUCCESS MOTIVATOR

#8

The most important thing for deciding on a major or career path is to get out of the classroom and into an internship which exposes you to the day-to-day ups and downs of that profession.  Learning by doing will give you a better appreciation of the job than learning through textbooks.

College Success Motivator #7 - Make sure your dream job is not an avocation...

COLLEGE SUCCESS MOTIVATOR

#7

Make sure your dream job is not an avocation. (a hobby)  An avocation is a vacation from a vocation, because the pay ranges from little to nothing.

College Success Motivator #6 - There is a huge difference between a childhood dream and a dream job...

COLLEGE SUCCESS MOTIVATOR

#6

There is a huge difference between a childhood dream and a dream job.  If you dreamed of being a lawyer since the age of twelve, you better make sure you know exactly what attorneys do on a given twelve hour work day.

Did You Know… In a 2007 survey of 800 attorneys, only 55 percent reported being satisfied with their career.

College Success Motivator #5 - If you have no backup plan in a career...

COLLEGE SUCCESS MOTIVATOR

#5

If you have no backup plan in a career like acting, you not only need a fervent belief in your talent – you better have the talent to stay on a tight rope with no safety net beneath you.  For more traditional fields, you will likely have an easier time transitioning into your dream job. (For example, Chemistry majors who didn’t get accepted into a medical school can hopefully work for a year in that field and reapply to medical schools the following year.)

College Success Motivator #4 - Don’t let anyone crush your dreams. However...

COLLEGE SUCCESS MOTIVATOR

#4

Don’t let anyone crush your dreams.  However, the riskier your dream, the better your backup plan must be.

College Success Motivator #3 - Every Career has an Arc

COLLEGE SUCCESS MOTIVATOR

#3

Every career has an arc, and you are at the beginning of the curve.  Don’t be surprised if your career direction changes significantly a few times before and after you reach the peak.

Did You Know… The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has not attempted to estimate the number of times people change careers in the course of their working lives.  However, in September 2010, the Bureau found that from age 18 to age 44, individuals held an average of 11 jobs. 

College Success Motivator #2 - Picking a career path

COLLEGE SUCCESS MOTIVATOR

#2

Picking a career path boils down to a cost benefit analysis and a gut check.  It is a game of reality versus passion, and hopefully you can start blazing a meaningful path in college.  Check your gut instinct first and then assess your career options.