What can I do with my major?

For students who've chosen an undergrad major, but need more help:

Where can my major take me?

Your major is important, but you as a person are much more than just your major. Once you start the job search, employers will be looking at your extracurricular activities, your experience related to your career goals (whether paid or not), and much more.

Major alone won't get you hired. The sum-total of your experience, in and out of the classroom, will help determine your opportunities.

Below:  Virginia Tech resources | other resources | people who can advise & inform

Virginia Tech resources:

• Undergraduate Majors A-Z
  (Admissions)
  An overview of each major offered at Virginia Tech and entry-level career options associated with each.
• Post-Graduation Report: Employers, job titles and locations of new VT grads
  (Career Services)
  Undergraduates' (bachelor's and associate's degrees) first jobs post-graduation; lists, by major, employer, job title, and location for employed new grads (and much more). This doesn't mean these are the only opportunities open to you. It does show you factual information, and that new grads do a wide variety of things — showing you that individuals are way more than just a major.
• Books in our Career Resource Center
  (Career Services)
  Many books deal with career choices for particular majors.

• What do I major in if I want to be a teacher?
  (School of Education at Virginia Tech)
  School of Education at Virginia Tech used to provide a chart called:
  "What do I major in if I want to be a teacher?," showing teaching subjects with corresponding undergraduate majors and graduate program you should pursue.
  Most teaching licensure does require graduate work.
  This chart is a little tricky to find online (location changes frequently); go to School of Education > Office of Academic Programs: on that page select "appropriate undergradute majors." Their link opens an xls file.
  Also see Licensure Programs for teaching, School of Education, Virginia Tech. If you wish to teach, you should prepare for possible admission to a graduate teaching program; start early in your undergraduate years to prepare.

Other good resources, external to Virginia Tech:

Resources from other universities are similar to our Undergraduate Majors A-Z at Virginia Tech. Be aware that resources from other universities (and elsewhere) include majors not necessarily offered at Virginia Tech. These are still valuable resources for students exploring possibilities.

• Match majors to Occupations
  (Florida State University)
  Pick a major and see sample occupations and additional sources of info.
  
• Major Resource Kits
  (University of Delaware)
  Career options associated with majors.
• What can I do with a major in...
  (University of North Carolina at Wilmington)
  Job titles, skills and job and internship sources.
• What can I do with this major?
  (University of Tennesse, Knoxville)
  Tool to learn about career options related to college majors.
  Please note that this resource is purchased from the University of Tennessee and may not fit VT majors exactly.
• What can I do with my liberal arts degree? (pdf)
  Publication of U.S. government, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment.

After your research, talk to people:

No one else can make decisions for you, but they can offer you valuable advice and perspective so that your decisions are based on more complete information. You'll formulate the best questions, and people will be better able and willing to assist you, if you do your research first.

• Departmental Career Advisors for majors
  (Virginia Tech)
  Faculty and/or staff in each major academic department whom you can consult about career options associated with their majors.
• Career Services advising
  (Career Services)
  We can help you sort out the decisions you need to make, and help you find and use resources that will help you.
  We cannot advise you on course requirements for majors and minors; you must consult the department offering the major or minor.
• Hokie Nation Network
  (Virginia Tech Alumni Association)
  Professional and social networking for the Virginia Tech community.
• Job fairs and career fairs
  (Each VT-affiliated event is sponsored by a VT college, department, student organization, or alumni chapter. Other events may be focused on an urban area or a career field and sponsored by others. )
  Note purpose and sponsor of each event. Some focus on certain career fields.
  Note that the employment world is not organized by major!
  Do your homework before going: read each event web site to see who's attending and the types of jobs they offer; employers are impressed by students who show up prepared. The go to learn more first-hand from employers about internships and entry-level career options.