14 answers
Julia
Student
Netherlands
1
Question
Asked
790 views
What are some ways to narrow down career options?
I'm trying to pick a career path for university but don't have a clear goal in mind. I enjoy/am good at math, science, English literature/writing, and humanities; I'm struggling to narrow down a career path and/or major for university.
14 answers
Rebecca Lee Doran
Talent Acquisition Partner
7
Answers
White Plains, New York
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Hey Julia!
If you’re unsure of what to begin your studies with, I personally would recommend starting out with Liberal Arts. As LA is intended to provide a general education of math, science, english, and humanities, you’d be able to spend maybe your first two years focusing on your core college requirements, and maybe by then you’ll have decided there’s a particular major you’re interested that you can switch into.
Best of luck!
If you’re unsure of what to begin your studies with, I personally would recommend starting out with Liberal Arts. As LA is intended to provide a general education of math, science, english, and humanities, you’d be able to spend maybe your first two years focusing on your core college requirements, and maybe by then you’ll have decided there’s a particular major you’re interested that you can switch into.
Best of luck!
Thank you!
Julia
Bailey BSN, RN
Registered Nurse
57
Answers
Updated
Bailey’s Answer
I wish someone would have taken the time to list out potential healthcare jobs, so I could do my own research. Once you know what you want to become, the next step is finding out the school requirements. I hope this is somewhat useful:
- registered nurse
-nurse practitioner
- physician assistant
- Radiology tech = X-ray tech, MRI tech, CT tech , cath lab tech
- nuclear medicine tech
- ultrasound tech
- echocardiogram tech
- physical therapist
- occupational therapist
- physician
- human resource in hospital
-medical biller /billing department
- pharmacist
-pharmacy tech
- bio-medical engineer (they are responsible for medical equipment and fix any issues)
- IT department for electronic medical record - CERNER/EPIC.
-lab= phlebotomist, microbiology, hematology, blood bank…
- management in any department
- dietician
- administrative /operator
- business administrator/ CEO
- registered nurse
-nurse practitioner
- physician assistant
- Radiology tech = X-ray tech, MRI tech, CT tech , cath lab tech
- nuclear medicine tech
- ultrasound tech
- echocardiogram tech
- physical therapist
- occupational therapist
- physician
- human resource in hospital
-medical biller /billing department
- pharmacist
-pharmacy tech
- bio-medical engineer (they are responsible for medical equipment and fix any issues)
- IT department for electronic medical record - CERNER/EPIC.
-lab= phlebotomist, microbiology, hematology, blood bank…
- management in any department
- dietician
- administrative /operator
- business administrator/ CEO
Thank you so much for the advice.
Julia
Anytime! Good luck with your research!
Bailey BSN, RN
Asia Morrow-ChaCha
Clinical Specialist at Medtronic
2
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
Asia’s Answer
Hello there!
As someone else had said, typically you have some time to take a few classes before you really have to finalize what you want to study in college. Because I wanted to go pre-med, I chose a broader degree (Biology) because I didn’t know what type of doctor I wanted to become. So maybe you can chose a broader degree and then narrow it down once you figure out what you are interested in. Do you have a favorite subject? Or something that really interests you? I would start there. As much as you are looking to build a career it’s better to find out what you would really “like” or “prefer” to do, rather than what’s considered good by society. If you find something you like to do, you’ll never work a day in your life, they say. Also, there are various programs at hospitals and businesses for volunteering or shadowing. If you have a career in mind I suggest you shadow someone to get a better idea of what you would be doing. Hope this helps!
As someone else had said, typically you have some time to take a few classes before you really have to finalize what you want to study in college. Because I wanted to go pre-med, I chose a broader degree (Biology) because I didn’t know what type of doctor I wanted to become. So maybe you can chose a broader degree and then narrow it down once you figure out what you are interested in. Do you have a favorite subject? Or something that really interests you? I would start there. As much as you are looking to build a career it’s better to find out what you would really “like” or “prefer” to do, rather than what’s considered good by society. If you find something you like to do, you’ll never work a day in your life, they say. Also, there are various programs at hospitals and businesses for volunteering or shadowing. If you have a career in mind I suggest you shadow someone to get a better idea of what you would be doing. Hope this helps!
Thank you!
Julia
Gloria Ortiz
Instructional Designer
838
Answers
Irving, Texas
Updated
Gloria’s Answer
Hi Julia,
In the US. we have a major program that is commonly called "Liberal Arts". The degree program is meant to provide a broad overview of a variety of fields. The exposure allows you to have a little bit more information about specific areas. This also works great for someone who wants to have a broad area of knowledge. There are jobs where a wide range of knowledge is valuable, since you can access various perspectives to make decisions or be creative. I think about marketing as one of those fields where this kind of degree would be helpful. Plus it would let you access all of your various areas of interest. A Liberal Arts degree is also a way that some people enter college and find a way to decide what they want to do. When you begin the program, you choose your path. And you may find that a general knowledge is not what you want. You may find a more specific area of interest and then change your degree.
Do you have something like that in the Netherlands? If not, the other thing that I would propose is to take a deeper look at where your natural skills, talents, and interests lie. Do you write stories or poems when you have nothing else to do? Do you love to learn about science just for fun? Do you spend time with friends trying to solve problems in the world? Looking at what you would do without being paid is a great way to consider what you may want to study in university. I tell people to go this route because when you love something, it can take you through the hard times. That love of something will help you do it when you are tired, frustrated, or have a lot of stuff going on in your life. I have to say that I am grateful that I write for a living. Writing is my solace. And so when work gets hard, I remember that writing is what I love to do. And so I work even when I don't want to.
I think that it is wonderful that you have a wide area of interests. I would say that you should not narrow your focus unless you have a compelling feel for a specific direction. We need more broad thinking individuals in the world.
Gloria
Read a definition of Liberal Arts: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/liberal-art-degrees
In the US. we have a major program that is commonly called "Liberal Arts". The degree program is meant to provide a broad overview of a variety of fields. The exposure allows you to have a little bit more information about specific areas. This also works great for someone who wants to have a broad area of knowledge. There are jobs where a wide range of knowledge is valuable, since you can access various perspectives to make decisions or be creative. I think about marketing as one of those fields where this kind of degree would be helpful. Plus it would let you access all of your various areas of interest. A Liberal Arts degree is also a way that some people enter college and find a way to decide what they want to do. When you begin the program, you choose your path. And you may find that a general knowledge is not what you want. You may find a more specific area of interest and then change your degree.
Do you have something like that in the Netherlands? If not, the other thing that I would propose is to take a deeper look at where your natural skills, talents, and interests lie. Do you write stories or poems when you have nothing else to do? Do you love to learn about science just for fun? Do you spend time with friends trying to solve problems in the world? Looking at what you would do without being paid is a great way to consider what you may want to study in university. I tell people to go this route because when you love something, it can take you through the hard times. That love of something will help you do it when you are tired, frustrated, or have a lot of stuff going on in your life. I have to say that I am grateful that I write for a living. Writing is my solace. And so when work gets hard, I remember that writing is what I love to do. And so I work even when I don't want to.
I think that it is wonderful that you have a wide area of interests. I would say that you should not narrow your focus unless you have a compelling feel for a specific direction. We need more broad thinking individuals in the world.
Gloria
Gloria recommends the following next steps:
Priya Mathew
Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, Art Student
172
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Priya’s Answer
Hi Julia,
I am not sure if my answer will be as helpful cross-culturally, but in the US you typically have about 1-2 years to pick your major since you are doing your basic classes in the first years of college. Do you know if you have ability to change majors once you pick? That can take some pressure off the current decision if you do. Some ways to narrow a career path are thinking of your strengths, what you are interested in and enjoy, and what you can afford to work toward. For me, I wanted to do art but my family was not okay with it and they were paying my college! So I fell in love with psychology next and, though they did not support it, I majored in it to learn more and later realized I felt it was reasonably within my abilities, my interests, their expectations and my means to do. Even as I finished college and am working in my career now, I got an opportunity to study art now :). That to say, even if there is something else you want to pursue, you may find other avenues to do so later too! Good luck on your search! Also asking a school counselor regarding websites, books or places you can explore careers can be great! You can never underestimate a good internet search into your options!
I am not sure if my answer will be as helpful cross-culturally, but in the US you typically have about 1-2 years to pick your major since you are doing your basic classes in the first years of college. Do you know if you have ability to change majors once you pick? That can take some pressure off the current decision if you do. Some ways to narrow a career path are thinking of your strengths, what you are interested in and enjoy, and what you can afford to work toward. For me, I wanted to do art but my family was not okay with it and they were paying my college! So I fell in love with psychology next and, though they did not support it, I majored in it to learn more and later realized I felt it was reasonably within my abilities, my interests, their expectations and my means to do. Even as I finished college and am working in my career now, I got an opportunity to study art now :). That to say, even if there is something else you want to pursue, you may find other avenues to do so later too! Good luck on your search! Also asking a school counselor regarding websites, books or places you can explore careers can be great! You can never underestimate a good internet search into your options!
Thank you so much!
Julia
Holly Youdan
Talent Acquisition Specialist
4
Answers
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Updated
Holly’s Answer
Hey Julia,
Some people in life are really lucky to know exactly what they want to do or be when they "grow up". I'm 35, and honestly I still wonder what I would like to be when I "grow up". I thought maybe I'd want to be a lawyer, but I wasn't certain and looking back now I never really understood all my options outside the conventional careers. I fell in to my career as a Technical Recruiter, I've been doing it now for 14 years, and during that time I have managed to curate projects that align with my passions whilst also hiring developers for scale-ups, its a good blend for me. It's definitely hard to know what you want to be when your view of the opportunities is narrow, then once you made your choice on what to study it might be 4 years before you graduate, and during that time you might shift your thoughts on your career and pivot to something else.
I wouldn't put so much pressure on yourself to know exactly what you want to do at uni, I liked to debate, I liked to write, I liked humanities and I liked modern history. I decided to study Political Science and International Relations, it incorporated a lot of the stuff I enjoyed, plus it would give me important skills: being analytical, framing a good debate, writing, communicating with my peers, that I would probably need in my career. I got a good degree in something I enjoyed, rather than drag myself through 4 years of Law School. I even started uni doing Modern History, turned out my idea of Modern History and the academic idea of Modern History are two different things, a whole term of studying the canal structure of Birmingham was just not my bag, so 2 terms in I switched to Political Science. The decision you make doesn't have to be it, you can change, you can flex.
Don't worry, you don't have to have all the career answers right now. I'd pick what you enjoy doing, so that you enjoy your university experience, and get a top level degree rather than pulling yourself through something you don't enjoy because you think you may need it for your career.
Wish you all the best.
Some people in life are really lucky to know exactly what they want to do or be when they "grow up". I'm 35, and honestly I still wonder what I would like to be when I "grow up". I thought maybe I'd want to be a lawyer, but I wasn't certain and looking back now I never really understood all my options outside the conventional careers. I fell in to my career as a Technical Recruiter, I've been doing it now for 14 years, and during that time I have managed to curate projects that align with my passions whilst also hiring developers for scale-ups, its a good blend for me. It's definitely hard to know what you want to be when your view of the opportunities is narrow, then once you made your choice on what to study it might be 4 years before you graduate, and during that time you might shift your thoughts on your career and pivot to something else.
I wouldn't put so much pressure on yourself to know exactly what you want to do at uni, I liked to debate, I liked to write, I liked humanities and I liked modern history. I decided to study Political Science and International Relations, it incorporated a lot of the stuff I enjoyed, plus it would give me important skills: being analytical, framing a good debate, writing, communicating with my peers, that I would probably need in my career. I got a good degree in something I enjoyed, rather than drag myself through 4 years of Law School. I even started uni doing Modern History, turned out my idea of Modern History and the academic idea of Modern History are two different things, a whole term of studying the canal structure of Birmingham was just not my bag, so 2 terms in I switched to Political Science. The decision you make doesn't have to be it, you can change, you can flex.
Don't worry, you don't have to have all the career answers right now. I'd pick what you enjoy doing, so that you enjoy your university experience, and get a top level degree rather than pulling yourself through something you don't enjoy because you think you may need it for your career.
Wish you all the best.
Ruth Huang
DEI Program Associate
3
Answers
Oregon, Oregon
Updated
Ruth’s Answer
Hi Julia,
Looks like you've already received plenty of advice here so I'll try to contribute something different from what's already been said. It can be overwhelming to choose a career path right now and--let's be real--some of the jobs that are in high demand right now might not be in-demand by the time you graduate from college and there might even be new careers in 4 years that don't exist right now! However, it's certainly important to think about what you'll enjoy learning/doing and reflect on your values and strengths. I'm personally a big fan of using self-assessment tools such as personality tests to increase my awareness about my own interests and values. There are many free assessments you can take to get ideas for the types of careers that might match your interests and values. I'll list a few below in the suggested next steps section. Good luck!
Work Values Matcher: https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/Assessments/work-values.aspx
Skills Matcher: https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Skills/skills-matcher-questions.aspx
O*NET Interest Profiler: https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip
Holland Code Career Test: https://www.truity.com/test/holland-code-career-test
Typefinder Personality Test (similar to Myers & Briggs): https://www.truity.com/test/type-finder-personality-test-new
Looks like you've already received plenty of advice here so I'll try to contribute something different from what's already been said. It can be overwhelming to choose a career path right now and--let's be real--some of the jobs that are in high demand right now might not be in-demand by the time you graduate from college and there might even be new careers in 4 years that don't exist right now! However, it's certainly important to think about what you'll enjoy learning/doing and reflect on your values and strengths. I'm personally a big fan of using self-assessment tools such as personality tests to increase my awareness about my own interests and values. There are many free assessments you can take to get ideas for the types of careers that might match your interests and values. I'll list a few below in the suggested next steps section. Good luck!
Ruth recommends the following next steps:
Laurie Roy
Director of Operations
7
Answers
Johnston, Rhode Island
Updated
Laurie’s Answer
Choosing a degree path is always a challenge, but the best thing to do is to evaluate what you are passionate about. You may be good at and like particular subjects, but do they excite you. The things that excite you are the things you should pursue. There are many online career surveys available to help you narrow down your interests as well. Also I would say the best thing to think about is going to college with a Liberal Arts degree, taking the first two years to try different classes and see what you are passionate about.
Reid Allen
Data Analyst
6
Answers
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Updated
Reid’s Answer
Looking back at when I was in university and what I thought I would be doing in my career, I was very narrow minded and there was a lot more learning about what options I had. As I worked through multiple roles at different companies, I learned a lot from other professionals. I had one on one discussions (sort of like an informational interview) with multiple senior leaders who I found were more than happy to share their experiences and career paths with me. My advice is to try and expose yourself to as many directions as possible by having discussions with others. You will find there is a lot out there that you don’t even know exists!
Atul Bhankharia
Sales
456
Answers
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Updated
Atul’s Answer
I spent my professional life (40 years) in the software industry. I enjoyed Math in the school and was passionate about analytics that required to solve a problem. Any time I was bored, I did Math problems.
Amongst everything you have listed - give a score to each subject on a scale of 10. Everything cannot be 10. Which ever is the highest - pursue the profession in that industry.
English - Journalist, Technical Writer
Math - Engineer (civil, chemical, electrical, computer, …)
Chemistry - Chemist, Pharmacist, …
…
My goal was to enjoy what I do and make a very comfortable living with high paying jobs. I accomplished both.
Do not let anyone decide for you - you know the answer to your own question using above method.
Amongst everything you have listed - give a score to each subject on a scale of 10. Everything cannot be 10. Which ever is the highest - pursue the profession in that industry.
English - Journalist, Technical Writer
Math - Engineer (civil, chemical, electrical, computer, …)
Chemistry - Chemist, Pharmacist, …
…
My goal was to enjoy what I do and make a very comfortable living with high paying jobs. I accomplished both.
Do not let anyone decide for you - you know the answer to your own question using above method.
Ashley East
Registered Nurse
6
Answers
Bowie, Maryland
Updated
Ashley’s Answer
I would do some soul searching and figure out what you are passionate about. What gets you excited? Is there anything you love to do now that you would do for free? There are also tools you could possibly use online to help you figure out possible career paths. You want to choose something that you enjoy and something that will pay your bills. I wouldn't just choose a career based on money because may not be happy years down the line.
Thanks for the tips!
Julia
Rebecca Tang
Banking
1508
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question. I am glad that you have already identified your interest. You can start to think about the careers related to you our interest.
For example, if you are interested in Maths, Science, etc., would like be develop in Engineering, Accounting, Finance, Maths / Science Teacher, Scientist, etc.
You can try to put down the careers related to these interest and explore more on these careers. You can find out more information online, speak to someone who works in these industries, seek advice from career counsellor in school, your mentor, your parents, etc.
You can then shortlist a few careers and find out the entry criteria of the relevant subjects in the college.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
For example, if you are interested in Maths, Science, etc., would like be develop in Engineering, Accounting, Finance, Maths / Science Teacher, Scientist, etc.
You can try to put down the careers related to these interest and explore more on these careers. You can find out more information online, speak to someone who works in these industries, seek advice from career counsellor in school, your mentor, your parents, etc.
You can then shortlist a few careers and find out the entry criteria of the relevant subjects in the college.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Thank you!!
Julia
Peter Lear
Product Manager
4
Answers
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Updated
Peter’s Answer
To help decide what works best for you try to imagine yourself doing any of your top subjects all day long. Which of the subjects most interests you? Which do you pick to do first when you have home work in several? This could help indicate which area is going to work best for you long term.
robin everett
engineer
8
Answers
Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom
Updated
robin’s Answer
You have a leaning towards the STEM subjects - pick a subject you enjoy and preferably have a passion for. Many people start with one career but change direction as they get older and choose a different path.
With qualifications and interests in STEM subjects and with a second language, you will have a good basis for many different paths.
With qualifications and interests in STEM subjects and with a second language, you will have a good basis for many different paths.
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