GRAHAM GARNER FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR SPRING 2008, SECTION 8 Academic Planning: Setting Your Career Course Adapted from “Thriving in College & Beyond,” by Joseph B. Cuseo, Viki Sox Fecas, and Aaron Thompson

Types of Courses Liberal arts or general education requirements College major requirements Free electives

Liberal arts or general education requirements

College major requirements

Free electives

Myths Myth 1: When you choose your major, you’re choosing your career Myth 2: If you want to continue your education after college, you must continue in the same field as your college major Myth 3: To work in a business or corporation, you need to major in business or a technical field Myth 4: If you major in a liberal arts field, the only career available to you is teaching Myth 5: Having specialized skills is more important for career success than having general skills

Myth 1: When you choose your major, you’re choosing your career

Myth 2: If you want to continue your education after college, you must continue in the same field as your college major

Myth 3: To work in a business or corporation, you need to major in business or a technical field

Myth 4: If you major in a liberal arts field, the only career available to you is teaching

Myth 5: Having specialized skills is more important for career success than having general skills

Myths Myth 1: When you choose your major, you’re choosing your career Compare to climbing a tree Trunk = foundation of liberal arts or general education Limbs = choices for college majors Branches = different career paths or options

Myth 1: When you choose your major, you’re choosing your career

Compare to climbing a tree

Trunk = foundation of liberal arts or general education

Limbs = choices for college majors

Branches = different career paths or options

Myths Myth 2: If you want to continue your education after college, you must continue in the same field as your college major Enter a career immediately Continue your education in graduate school or professional school

Myth 2: If you want to continue your education after college, you must continue in the same field as your college major

Enter a career immediately

Continue your education in graduate school or professional school

Myths Myth 3: To work in a business or corporation, you need to major in business or a technical field “ Employers are for more interest in the prospect’s ability to think and to think clearly, to write and speak well, and how he works with others than in his major or the name of the school he went to.”

Myth 3: To work in a business or corporation, you need to major in business or a technical field

“ Employers are for more interest in the prospect’s ability to think and to think clearly, to write and speak well, and how he works with others than in his major or the name of the school he went to.”

Myths Myth 4: If you major in a liberal arts field, the only career available to you is teaching Studies show liberal arts majors are just as likely to advance to the highest levels of corporate leadership as majors in pre-professional fields.

Myth 4: If you major in a liberal arts field, the only career available to you is teaching

Studies show liberal arts majors are just as likely to advance to the highest levels of corporate leadership as majors in pre-professional fields.

Myths Myth 5: Having specialized skills is more important for career success than having general skills While specific, technical skills may be important for getting into a career, the general professional skills are more important for moving up the career ladder.

Myth 5: Having specialized skills is more important for career success than having general skills

While specific, technical skills may be important for getting into a career, the general professional skills are more important for moving up the career ladder.

Reflections Look over your courses. Are you still interested in your major? Are you surprised about what courses are a part of the major, or are they what you expected? Are there questions you have about the major that have not been answered yet?

Look over your courses. Are you still interested in your major?

Are you surprised about what courses are a part of the major, or are they what you expected?

Are there questions you have about the major that have not been answered yet?