The Three Job Paths

 

Please remember that college is not a job prep curriculum.

 

Completion of your degree shows mastery of a specific body of knowledge. It does NOT demonstrate mastery of key skills employers are interested in, and it does not mean the end of learning in your life.

Job opportunities evolve at a rapid pace. Many of the jobs that are in existence today weren't heard of ten years ago.

 

For example: The Internet is barely over 10 years old. GPS systems are even younger. When many of your professors were in school, techniques for extracting DNA had not yet been developed.

 

If you rely only on the knowledge you gained in school, and don't seek out new experiences and learning, you will NOT be competitive in the job market.


Typically, students head off in three directions after graduation from college:

  1. Jobs directly related to a major. For example, a microbiologist might enter as a medical microbiologist at a health department. A geologist might work for the USGS.
  2. Jobs that are not directly related to a major, but value the scientific learning gained. Pharmaceutical sales, lab management training programs, or environmental education positions are good examples-the knowledge of science is valuable, but in the actual position, the practice of science is not a major component of the job.
  3. Something completely different. Completion of a bachelor's degree is still relatively rare in the USA. Many companies are looking for evidence that a prospective employee can learn, and that they can work well with others. The actual major content doesn't matter. If you look at many of job postings or talk to employers on campus, you will realize ANY major may be accepted into a variety of management training programs, or into other business positions.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking your major is your destiny.

 

Examples of alternate careers for scientists: