As a society we place enormous pressure on high school seniors to have it all figured out: the "right" school, the "right" major, the "right" career. All that forced “rightness” takes the fun (and ironically, much of the learning) out of the whole enterprise.
When I arrived at Orientation, I wanted to be a Psychology major. Therapists need Psych degrees, and I wanted to be a Teen Therapist, so the plan was set… until I landed on the waitlist for Intro to Psychology and spent my first semester fulfilling general requirements instead.
Was this a waste of my time? Not in the least!
I learned to write at the college level. I stumbled into a class I probably shouldn't have been allowed to take as a freshman and learned about office hours, academic resources, and Middle Eastern politics. In the following semesters, I took classes in Theater (shoutout to Technical Theater for teaching me to tie proper knots and use power tools), a lot of Sociology, and a rogue Geology class that turned out to be surprisingly useful when eventually buying a house.
I figured out quickly I didn't actually want to be a therapist, and was told by advisors to trust that the answer would "present itself." I became a research assistant, worked in the Theater (still some of my favorite memories), and spent three years as an RA. It wasn't until my Junior year that a supervisor suggested higher education as a career. No one from Higher Education goes to K-12 Career Day so this was a new-to-me field, but as I started exploring, I realized the answer had, indeed, “presented itself” all along.
I know Gen Z is tired of hearing "trust the process" and "careers aren't linear." So I'll just say this:
I know it's hard, and I know you'll figure it out.
In this moment of optimization and efficiency, carve out a little time for reflection:
What skills (interpersonal and technical) have you built over four years?
What's a project you're genuinely proud of?
What unexpected connections do you see across your classes, jobs, and extracurriculars?
This reflection will give you a richer story to tell about where you've been and where you want to go.
And if the answer doesn't “match” your major? That's actually a pretty fun thing to talk about in an interview. 🙂
If you are a recent grad who would like help telling your career story with confidence, feel free to check out my Coaching Site. I’d love to connect!
