The Path To Choosing a Major
Have you ever considered how an adolescent makes linear decisions about college choices, choosing a major, and eventually a career path? Many high school students begin college planning as early as freshmen or sophomore year. They start by creating a list of colleges they are interested in. These decisions may be based on a number of caveats. The college’s location, distance from home, size, the athletics or extracurriculars available, or majors offered. While these aren’t bad variables to consider, have you thought about how most adolescents select their choice of major? While applying to multiple colleges/universities, students select a choice of major from a drop-down box on the application.
Often, students have a very limited knowledge base or exposure to certain majors or career choices that a major is associated with. Some students take a linear path and settle on their choice of major and career path when they enter college. However, this seems to be the minority. According to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics, 1 in 3 students pursuing a bachelor’s degree change their major at least once during their undergraduate program. 1 in 10 students change their major more than one time.1
Today, more than ever, adolescents are experiencing extreme stress and unnecessary pressure to earn or maintain a high GPA and add extracurricular activities to their schedules to gain acceptance into their top-choice schools. Achieving a strong GPA and becoming a well-rounded student through sports and extracurricular activities is important! But I’m curious how much focus and attention is being placed on their future career path through exploration.
A Different Approach
What if there is a different approach to choosing a major and eventually choosing a career path? I propose including career planning in the college planning process. While your adolescent prepares for the SAT/ACT tests, visits college campuses, and researches different schools, consider adding activities for self-exploration.
Effective career planning starts with self-exploration. As a career exploration coach, I take a holistic approach to helping individuals plan for their careers. I believe that knowing your personal values, interests, personality, and skills, in addition to your natural abilities, will better equip you to research occupations and possible career paths that best suit you.
Highlands Ability Battery
The Highlands Ability Battery (HAB) is a great place for young adults to start identifying their natural abilities that are stabilized in individuals around the age of 14. Working with the HAB whole person model, we’ll explore 8 essential factors in the career development cycle.
In addition to providing you with a 30-plus-page customized report, you’ll receive one-on-one coaching with me to review your personalized results. Your Highlands Career Exploration Supplement report (HCES)2 is a powerful tool that will take your career search to the next level. Turn what you know about your abilities into action and take charge of your career.
How the Highlands Ability Battery Helps
- Know what you do best. The HAB will confirm your natural abilities and guide you to position yourself where you can use them.
- Find the right fit. Explore careers based on your combinations of abilities and personal style rather than just one ability at a time, which can give you a clearer picture of how you may be suited to different career paths.
- Assess realistic options. Let’s be real, you may be suited to some careers better than others. Follow the activities in your HAB report and links to the O*NET, the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network, to assess the amount of time and effort you may need to reach your goals.
- Work together with a Career Coach. As your coach, I’ll help you navigate your personalized reports, identify your personal values, and create your personal vision for success and career satisfaction.
With a rich background in Higher Education, ranging from admissions to academic advising to career services, I have worked with adolescents through each phase of their college experience. College students face substantial growth over the course of their college career through life experiences, new job opportunities, their coursework, and social/relational maturity.
I’d love to help your high school student start their career planning now! The Highlands Ability Battery Discovery Package includes a 15-minute pre-assessment call, multiple in-depth reports (30+ pages) detailing your personalized results, two 90-minute one-on-one coaching sessions to review your personalized results, career exploration activities, one 30-minute follow-up call, and access to valuable career resources. Connect with me for a free 30-minute consultation call.
Sources
1. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2012/14 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. Retrieved from: https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018434.pdf
2. Highlands Career Exploration Supplement Report. Retrieved from: https://highlandsco.com
Written by: Heidi Sawyer
heidi@restorationcoachingatl.com
Heidi enjoys working with clients to utilize assessment tools to increase self-awareness so they can make informed decisions about their goals or career paths. She loves working with young adults who are exploring their future career paths. She also works with women transitioning back into the career field after a season of focusing on their family. Heidi would love to help you outline your goals and remove the roadblocks that prevent you from moving towards the path that God has for you!