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Featured Article
Creating a Plan B
November 16, 2001
Every year over 1500 freshman declare a science-related
major, many with the goal of being considered a serious "pre-med"
applicant, yet ultimately less than 200 Berkeley seniors wind up
applying to Medical School. What's a former "pre-med"
to do?
The figures tell us that change happens and new decisions replace old assumptions. But exactly how does changing your major affect your career decision-making? Or should a shift in your career goals trigger a change in your major? No matter what end of the spectrum you find yourself at, the Career Center has the resources to help you decide on a new major, a new career or something in between. Read on and let us facilitate the design of a new "what to do after graduation" timeline that will get you back on track. What Are Your Academic Interests and Where Can They Lead? Consider this scenario: After a stressful freshmen year as a proto-IB major you find yourself wanting to sign up for that upper division anthropology class; one that follows the very enjoyable intro course that gave you your only A. You find yourself getting all too excited about your cable provider’s announcement about the addition of the History Channel and National Geographic Channel to your already existing 153 channels. Could this be a sign that Anthropology and not IB is your academic passion? Would you be interested in learning what last year's graduating Anthro majors are doing - if only to reassure your parents during the upcoming holiday break? Simply click on "What Can I Do with a Major in.." and scroll down to Anthropology. They're doing quite well thank you. Those who are working earn an average of $36,039, while a number are enrolled in a wide range of graduate/professional programs (including Medical School!). Or maybe you could enjoy IB if it weren't for the stress of medical school competition. But what else can you do with a degree in biology? It turns out that twice as many IB grads enter the workforce than go straight on to grad/professional school -- they're doing everything from marketing to research to EMT. Learning More About What's Out There Maybe an extracurricular experience this semester has prompted an interest in a particular career. You might want to learn more about the field or industry you've started to explore. If that's the case check out the General Occupational section on our Career Exploration webpages, and discover what training, education and experience (for example) an Affirmative Action Coordinator or a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist need in order to get hired. The State of California's Labor Market Information site provides extensive information on these issues for hundreds of career fields as well as data on salaries, employment outlook and other useful statistics. Know What You Don't Want, But No Closer to Knowing What You Do? Online tools and assessments can be an effective and easy first step towards identifying career fields compatible with your goals, values, and interests. The Career Exploration's Self-Assessment section offers a range of different personality inventories, values, skills and career assessment online tools. These tools help you begin organizing and evaluating your skills and interests. Take your pick, print your results, and schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor. Our counseling staff can help sort through information and put together the pieces of the puzzle. They can answer any questions, and help you design the correct "next step" strategy for career development success. Counselors can also share many other resources and advice not available in any of our online or printed resources. Career Development Timeline Last but not least, take the time to print your personal copy of the Career Center's Four Year Planner. This guide highlights many of the resources best suited to guide your Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior and Senior career exploration/development concerns. Find yourself in the planner and decided if you are right where you need to be or if there is work to be done. Who knows, maybe you are ahead of the game and changing your mind about what to study was the best thing that happened to you while attending UC Berkeley. |
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