Are You Working In Your Field Of Study, Chances Are Youre Not
A new study from CareerBuilder suggests your college major may not necessarily define your career path. Nearly half (47%) of college-educated workers said their first job after college was not related to their college major.
Thirty-two percent of college-educated workers reported that they never found a job related to their college major. Among more seasoned workers — those ages 35 and older — that number is 31%.
“A college education will give you a significant advantage in the job market. In a tough economic climate, college graduates must be flexible and open to taking positions outside their area of study.
Taking the knowledge gained in college and branching out with it in unexpected directions is common after graduating,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “In most cases, workers who went into a new field ended up liking the new industry. Odds are you won’t get that dream job right out of school, but it’s important to remember that there are many different paths.”
While finding employment unrelated to a college degree might seem like a let-down, 64% of employees say they’re happy with the degree they chose to achieve, and 61% of respondents believe they can still have their dream job.
While thirteen percent of college graduates said the demand for their degree increased between the time they entered college and the time they graduated, 28% said the market for their degree got worse and 59% said the market for their degree was unchanged.