Ever since I discovered beauty and fashion in high school, I knew I loved it. I never thought I would be able to turn my passion for fashion into a substantial career. I knew in high school that I was going to attend college like my older brother, and get a degree that would hopefully help me get a job, but what I didn’t know is that while in college I would get a job and end up wanting to work there after I graduate.
When I started college I had a rough time applying to a major, not getting into the program and then applying again only to not get in again, forcing me to change my major once and for all. With all this, I spaced out my classes taking under 15 credits for one semester. After dropping out of a really hard biology course, I only had one class on Tuesday and Thursday’s in the morning and had nothing else to do all day. That entire semester I was bored out of my mind. After that semester I knew I needed to get a part-time job so that I could not only keep myself busy but also make some extra change on the side for food, some new clothes and gas for my car.
I applied to a few different jobs that I thought would be a good fit for me and one of those places was a hair salon that said they needed help on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, the two days I had open. I emailed the local salon and ended up hearing back from them quite quickly. Since then, I have now been working at that salon for a little over half a year. To say I love my job is an understatement.
Working at the family-owned salon has been a dream job. I love the work I do and I love the people I work with. I never really considered being a hair stylist as a career path since I was getting a college degree but since working at my job, I have realized I don’t have to use my degree after I graduate and that’s okay. Going to college, expanding my learning and getting a degree has been a great step for me in my life, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to attend college and obtain a degree, but I have had to realize that it’s okay that I may not use my degree right when I graduate, or possibly ever. I love the job I have now, and if I could work full-time at the salon I work at I would, but I know that obtaining my degree since I am in college comes first.
If you are thinking about going outside the realm of your degree or have a job in college that doesn’t require a degree, know that it’s okay to not use your degree. Choosing a major at the age of 18 or 19 can be hard and not everyone knows what they want their career to be at that age. When I chose my major I pictured myself graduating and pursuing that degree, but as time progressed I found a job that I like so much that doesn’t even require a degree. Like Elle Woods said in Legally Blonde, “You must always have faith in yourself.” and that includes having faith in yourself that you will choose what is best for your career path.
Choosing a career path can be challenging, but always remember you don’t need to limit yourself to your degree and that there are plenty of jobs that may be a great fit for you that you just don’t know about.
Photo credits: Cover photo, 1, 2, 3