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Why It Pays To Be Open About Your Career Choice

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UFL chapter.

Your major doesn’t define your future.

There’s a world of possibilities when it comes to your career.

You could major in marine science and end up writing for the New York Times. Having one major does not mean that there’s only one career out there for you. There are so many more options out there.

As a journalism major, this is something I often struggle with. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that the only career path is being a reporter – that I have to go on to work at the New York Times to be considered successful. But there are so many other jobs I can be successful in with a degree in journalism.

I often ask people in the workforce what their major in college was. Most of the time it’s something completely unrelated. I find it so interesting to see where people started and how they end up where they are in their career. It’s quite fascinating to hear how someone went from writing about marine life to planning corporate fundraisers and events.

This all proves that we never really know what life has in store for us. As much as we like to think that we can plan our life, we can’t. Opportunities present themselves at the oddest times. Would you ever pass up an amazing opportunity just because it didn’t fit in your life plan? Of course not.

So, my advice is to pursue your passions. Don’t dwell on how you will ever land the top “career” for your major. Think about how you can create a job out of the things you’re passionate about.

Keep an open mind. There are jobs related to people’s passions, and it’s just a matter of having an open mind to the opportunities out there.

If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, then what’s the point of doing it? Once you recognize your passions, you can shape your career around them.

For example, let’s say you’re passionate, like me, about fashion. You don’t have to be a clothing designer or model to work in the fashion industry. They’re all the people who work for fashion brands doing a wide variety of things. Someone has to do the finances for Gucci.

Let’s say you love music and concerts. You don’t have to be in a band to work in the music industry. Think of the thousands of people it takes to put together festivals like Bonnaroo and Coachella.

Just remember that there are jobs everywhere and you are by no means locked into having a career in the major you picked.

Honestly, things will come together. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that counts.

Karina Elwood is a second-year journalism major at the University of Florida with a passion for storytelling and graphic design. She's a fan of big cities, good coffee, and funny comedians. Other hobbies include crafting, thrift shopping and listening to podcasts.
Darcy Schild is a University of Florida junior majoring in journalism. She's the Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus UFL and was previously a Her Campus national section editor. She spent Summer 2017 as an Editorial Intern at HC headquarters in Boston, where she oversaw the "How She Got There" section and wrote and edited feature articles and news blogs. She also helped create the weekly Her Campus Instagram Story series, Informed AF. Follow her on Twitter and on her blog, The Darcy Diaries.