2 answers
Alana
Student
Canyon, Texas
1
Question
Updated
275 views
What steps should I take to obtain a job in my chosen career field?
I am a college junior and have started feeling the stress and worries of life after college. I am nervous that my time for this degree will be meaningless if I cannot get a job in this field.
#Spring26
2 answers
Chrè M. Davis, MSEd
College Administrator
6
Answers
United States
Updated
Chrè M.’s Answer
Hello, Alana!
This is actually a pretty common feeling in your junior year. The “real world” is approaching, and you naturally jump to worst-case scenarios like “what if this was all for nothing?” Don't treat your entire future as one high-stakes outcome (“I must get a job in this field immediately or it’s all wasted”). First jobs are meant to stepping stones, and we do not always know what is ahead. Most of us end up pivoting multiple times, and you should always be willing to learn and stay open to the possibility.
A degree is rarely “meaningless,” even if you don’t land a job directly in that exact field. Most careers aren’t straight lines anymore. People pivot, combine skills, or end up in roles that didn’t even exist when they started college. What you’re really building isn’t just subject knowledge, it’s problem-solving ability, communication, discipline, and a signal to employers that you can learn and follow through.
If you want a clearer path forward, instead of sitting in that anxiety, start testing reality a bit:
* Have you looked at actual job postings in your field to see what they ask for?
* Do you have any internships, projects, or experiences that connect your degree to real-world work?
* Are there professors, alumni, or career advisors you could talk to about how people from your program typically land jobs?
* What are the future projections for the industry you are looking into?
If the gap between where you are and where jobs expect you to be feels big, that’s not a failure... it just points to what to work on next. We keep learning and growing even after graduation. Would you want it any other way? Don't settle, keep reinventing and being curious!
Tell us what your major is, and what kind of job you’re hoping it can lead to, and that may help others map out realistic next steps to answer your question!
This is actually a pretty common feeling in your junior year. The “real world” is approaching, and you naturally jump to worst-case scenarios like “what if this was all for nothing?” Don't treat your entire future as one high-stakes outcome (“I must get a job in this field immediately or it’s all wasted”). First jobs are meant to stepping stones, and we do not always know what is ahead. Most of us end up pivoting multiple times, and you should always be willing to learn and stay open to the possibility.
A degree is rarely “meaningless,” even if you don’t land a job directly in that exact field. Most careers aren’t straight lines anymore. People pivot, combine skills, or end up in roles that didn’t even exist when they started college. What you’re really building isn’t just subject knowledge, it’s problem-solving ability, communication, discipline, and a signal to employers that you can learn and follow through.
If you want a clearer path forward, instead of sitting in that anxiety, start testing reality a bit:
* Have you looked at actual job postings in your field to see what they ask for?
* Do you have any internships, projects, or experiences that connect your degree to real-world work?
* Are there professors, alumni, or career advisors you could talk to about how people from your program typically land jobs?
* What are the future projections for the industry you are looking into?
If the gap between where you are and where jobs expect you to be feels big, that’s not a failure... it just points to what to work on next. We keep learning and growing even after graduation. Would you want it any other way? Don't settle, keep reinventing and being curious!
Tell us what your major is, and what kind of job you’re hoping it can lead to, and that may help others map out realistic next steps to answer your question!
Cliff Schreier
69
Answers
Rochester, Minnesota
Updated
Cliff’s Answer
Alana,
I can understand how you feel about this. It's a very stressful time and I'll probably add a little more by stating my belief: The decisions/actions that you make (or that happen to you) in the next 5 years will be very important to the direction/trajectory of the rest of your life. I graduated from college, got a job offer, moved to that city, and that is where I settled down, found my wife, got married, had children, and have spent most of my life. I do know people who have bucked that pattern, but I know a lot of people who have followed that.
Let's talk about what you can do to make sure you get a job in your field. So, you are a junior - these are the steps I would take:
1. Attend career fairs! Talk to companies who come there who might have jobs for your major.
2. Talk to guidance counselors at your schools in the placement office. They can help with opportunities.
3. Search out companies online (especially those attending your career fair) and see what jobs you might be able to get with them.
4. If your school doesn't have many companies at your career fair that might be of interest, consider driving to bigger/other schools who might help.
5. Get an internship! Hopefully, you can get one from your career fairs, but you should work to find a way to make it happen.
6. Talk to family, friends, or people who have careers close to what you're looking for. Find out what you can about jobs you're interested in.
7. See if you can get a shadowing opportunity at a job of interest.
8. Expand your view of jobs within or adjacent to your major - many times people get roles 'close to what they majored in, but not exactly'. Think about all areas you are willing to get a job in. You can then repeat the previous steps with this in mind.
Be persistent. It will pay off in the end.
Good luck!
I can understand how you feel about this. It's a very stressful time and I'll probably add a little more by stating my belief: The decisions/actions that you make (or that happen to you) in the next 5 years will be very important to the direction/trajectory of the rest of your life. I graduated from college, got a job offer, moved to that city, and that is where I settled down, found my wife, got married, had children, and have spent most of my life. I do know people who have bucked that pattern, but I know a lot of people who have followed that.
Let's talk about what you can do to make sure you get a job in your field. So, you are a junior - these are the steps I would take:
1. Attend career fairs! Talk to companies who come there who might have jobs for your major.
2. Talk to guidance counselors at your schools in the placement office. They can help with opportunities.
3. Search out companies online (especially those attending your career fair) and see what jobs you might be able to get with them.
4. If your school doesn't have many companies at your career fair that might be of interest, consider driving to bigger/other schools who might help.
5. Get an internship! Hopefully, you can get one from your career fairs, but you should work to find a way to make it happen.
6. Talk to family, friends, or people who have careers close to what you're looking for. Find out what you can about jobs you're interested in.
7. See if you can get a shadowing opportunity at a job of interest.
8. Expand your view of jobs within or adjacent to your major - many times people get roles 'close to what they majored in, but not exactly'. Think about all areas you are willing to get a job in. You can then repeat the previous steps with this in mind.
Be persistent. It will pay off in the end.
Good luck!
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