Changing your major is okay

By: Kiara Hines, Career Development Graduate Apprentice

The year was 2015. I had just finished my sophomore year of undergrad at Western Carolina University, and I was in the midst of a mid-college crisis. At the time, I was a Forensic Science major with a concentration in Chemistry and had a clear set goal to either go to pharmacy school or get a Masters in Drugs and Toxicology. However, my excitement for the program quickly fizzled as the classes became more difficult. I started to wonder if I had made the right decision and spent my entire second year debating on whether or not I would continue in my major. I was afraid to jump into another program because I went into college with the mindset many students have: you must graduate with the major you go in with. Additionally, I had placed so much focus on Forensic Science in high school that I didn’t believe there was another program for me. I was quickly finding that I needed to go back to the drawing board because I did not feel fulfilled in any of my chemistry classes and was beginning to question my purpose in college.

I began researching programs that spoke to my interests, including Music, Communications and Psychology. However, none of them struck a chord with me and felt “right.” I expressed my concerns with a close friend who had also begun her undergraduate career as a Forensic Science major and recently changed to Social Work. She spoke highly of the program and believed that I would love it just as much as she did. The only knowledge I had of social work was from my cousin, who had worked at the Department of Social Services in my hometown for 14 years in the foster care division. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least explore the option, so I asked my friend if I could sit in on one of her classes. As cliché as this may sound, I knew I had found my place in social work and proceeded to make an appointment with an academic advisor to change my major.

The stigma revolving around changing majors is often what keeps students from pursuing alternative programs. Family and friends can play a major role in perpetuating this notion as well. Thankfully, I did not experience the added stress of having to live up to expectations that others created for me and was supported in my decision to choose a program that genuinely made me happy, even if it meant not graduating on time. I believed staying in undergrad a little longer in a program I enjoyed would be more beneficial than graduating early just for the sake of obtaining a degree, and it was.

It can be scary to feel as though you’re starting from scratch, but it is all worth it if it gets you where you want to be. As the saying goes, great things take time.

English Degree leads to Endless Career Possibilities

By: Taylor Brock, Career Advising Fellow

“What’s your major?”

“English.”

“So, you want to teach?”

“No.”

This is a typical conversation I had many times as an undergraduate studying English. What I learned from having these conversations is that many people do not understand that you can do so much more with a degree in English other than teach or write novels.

I am proof of that.

I went into college thinking I wanted to be a sixth grade English teacher and journalism advisor. Being a first generation college student I was not familiar with all the career possibilities you can go into having a degree in English. I picked up a concentration in professional writing on a whim and found a love for editing. Throughout college, I realized that I still wanted to work in education but I did not want to work in secondary education. I interned in the Dean of Students office my last semester which solidified that I wanted to go to graduate school to study Higher Education Administration. That brings us up to my current role at Elon where I serve as one of the Career Advising Fellows.

You would not think being a career advisor correlates with being an English major but it does on so many levels! I am constantly editing resumes and cover letters, networking and marketing myself in precisely worded emails and drawing connections to students’ experiences that they think don’t have anything to do with one another.

I am not the only person using their English degree in an unusual way right here at Elon.

Meet Amanda Kennison, Communications Coordinator for Admissions, and 2010 Elon grad who majored in English and concentrated in professional writing and literature. Since graduating she has worked as an editorial assistant, communications and social media coordinator, writer, and communications and operations assistant for companies in a variety of industries before joining the admissions staff at Elon. Throughout all the industries she has worked in, she said the skills she learned as an English major, such the ability to analyze and research, have helped her immensely. No matter where you work, the company or industry, she said learning to write well and communicate is essential and that is the basis of an English degree.

Meet Sarah Krech, Associate Director of National and International Fellowships, and 2013 Elon grad who majored in English and Spanish, concentrated in English literature. After graduating from Elon she took a gap year while keeping in touch with her research mentor. She took a gap year to apply to a variety of experiences because she said being an English major proved challenging to narrow down exactly what she wanted to do professionally. It was through her mentor that she learned about the opportunity in the fellowships office. Although her undergraduate experiences did not directly correlate to the job qualifications, she learned how to market herself as a viable candidate for the position. The skills she acquired as an English major such as understanding the rhetorical situation and knowing your audience enabled her to successfully secure her current position. She uses these skills in her current role helping students market themselves on fellowship applications. When asked about the skills she acquired as an English major, she said, “[the major] equips you with the foundation that you need to adapt to any [type of] work.” She went on to expand that thought by stating that “they have equipped me not only professionally but for life.”

If you are an English major I hope this post gives you hope that yes, you will find a job after you graduate. If you are reading this and unsure about majoring in English, I hope this post encourages you to explore the major a little more. Although Amanda’s story and Sarah’s story, and my story are just three examples of what you can do with a degree in English, the Student Professional Development Center offers in-depth resources to show you the possibilities are endless with a degree in English. Explore “What Can I Do With This Major?” for some ideas. If you are interested in learning more about the endless career possibilities an English major can offer be sure to also attend the English department’s “Engage your Passion, Power your Lives!” event on October 30^th in which you can interact with employers and alumni who are working in the field.

Alexandra Cantone, ’16 at the Department of State provides insights into personal attributes and skill sets that make government service a fit for future employees

By: Debby Wall, Director of Internships

One of my favorite TV shows is Madame Secretary. I like political dramas, but I especially like this one as the writers do a great job with the plots, the character development, and there are plenty of suspenseful moments to keep me on edge. The US State Dept. employs many people with varied attributes to brief the Secretary of State on current events, policy/law, cultural norms, etc., in order for her to effectively represent the U.S. across the globe. Of course, she would also be expected to brief the President of the United States. Without these expert employees, the Secretary could not make excellent proposals based on relevant research and thoughtful debate. What types of employees are a great fit for this service career? As I thought about this, I realized that Elon has a recent alumnae who works at the U. S. State Department and her name is Alexandra Cantone.

Alexandra Cantone graduated from Elon in 2016 and she has already obtained her master’s degree in European and Eurasian Studies from George Washington University, AND she already has an impressive work history with the U. S. Department of State. I used LinkedIn to find out what Alexandra has been doing since she graduated from Elon, and I contacted her for comments regarding her work at the State Department. Alexandra provided me with insights into personal attributes and skill sets that make government service a fit for future employees.

Alexandra says it best, “In my opinion, a position at the State Department is ideal for someone who is analytical, capable of absorbing and synthesizing large amounts of information and pays attention to detail.  Although most people think of political and international affairs positions when they think of the State Department, there are various other positions that do commendable work as well.  For example, the State Department also offers positions in American Citizen Services, public diplomacy, legal work, the tech field, and many more. As for me, my passion has always been international relations and bilateral negotiations, and it was this aspect of the State Department that drew my attention.  My first experience working for the Department was interning at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid during the summer of 2017.  It was this experience that solidified my aspirations to pursue a career in government and enabled me to gain first-hand experience in the work of a diplomat.”

Alexandra is a model example of how an internship in your field of interest can open a door to a satisfying public service career. LinkedIn is a very useful career tool and I suggest that you create your profile and begin researching internships/jobs, and alumni today. I am looking forward to seeing the new episodes of Madame Secretary, and you can bet I’ll be thinking of Alexandra and the many alumni who diligently work for us as public servants. I’ll leave you with a quote from Madame Secretary Elizabeth McCord, “I can’t take the easy way out. I don’t need to invoke anything but the truth.”

 

Peace and Conflict Studies minor puts classroom theory into practice

By: Debby Wall, Director of Internships

“War” by Anthony Easton is licensed under CC BY 2.0

During the 1960s and 70s, our nation was beset with protests and activism. Currently, we have more protests happening now than we did during the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam protests. My one and only participation as an activist was at my high school. I remember walking out of my high school classroom, following most of the other students in a school-wide walk out. Do I remember the reason for the protest? Not really; I just blindly followed the crowd of students out of the school, and we all waited until the school principal ordered us inside.

In contrast, I have found that young people today are considerably more self-aware than I was during my high school years. Students quickly get involved with social causes and organizations that advocate for vulnerable populations, as those are important issues to them and their values. For those of you Elon students who want to understand the basis of conflict, violence, advocacy and mediation, consider enrolling in Elon’s Peace and Conflict Studies minor. This 20 hours minor has a selection of courses that will equip you to be the advocate for those you want to serve, and it will help you become confident in all areas of your college career, graduate school identification, and beyond. In fact, an internship in peace and conflict studies is just one of the many PCS minor courses that you can select. This internship course is an experiential opportunity that puts classroom theory into practice.

Here’s how it works. You would accept an internship opportunity in sectors that fit with this minor such as nonprofit, education, governmental and nongovernmental, and private agencies. Locate a faculty mentor within the PCS minor who will approve your site, give you academic assignments that align with your learning goals, and submit a grade at the end of the term. This internship will give you experience in a professional setting, as you learn how advocacy works within their organization. This experience will also help you make contacts that could be very beneficial to your future.

Below are some resources that can help you think about careers within this minor or other majors. Remember to think beyond the minor as the courses you take for this minor are interwoven with multiple disciplines. Visit the Student Professional Development website and select Students >Resources>What Can I do with this Major?

A necessary skill for ALL MAJORS – MICROSOFT EXCEL

By: Cindy Sweeney, Associate Director of Career Services

“law of nature” by sophie is licensed under CC BY 2.0

So you majored in Philosophy even though your parents asked what you would do with that after college. Or maybe it was Art History, Psychology, English, History, Anthropology, Geography, the list goes on. There are so many pluses to your choice, not the least of which is that it interests you!

You may have heard it before, employers care less about your major and more about your skills. Now if you are a Computer Science major, you’ve got some hard skills you can tout on your resume that may be directly applied to your internship or job. But there are a host of soft skills that matter a whole lot to employers: creative thinking, problem-solving, resiliency and adaptability, endless curiosity to name a few.

All Arts & Sciences majors at Elon develop these skills through their discipline and Elon’s Core Curriculum, but there is one hard skill that I highly recommend for ALL majors…Microsoft Excel. As one of my MBA professors said “it is a powerful tool,” and it certainly is that.

Excel has been around since the late 80’s when it burst onto the software scene, massively better than the competition, and quickly became dominant. It hasn’t been knocked from its perch since then because no one has created something that offers enough new function to warrant ditching Excel and learning something new.

Excel is commonly used for financial related activities but is also very popular among professionals with a science background as it allows them to easily work with statistical formulas and graphing. The flexibility of Excel allows the user to define the structure of information they need to manage. Some organizations use this spreadsheet software to generate memos, track sales trends, mail merge, manage various forms of data not just numbers.

Ok, ok, so it’s great, how do I learn it? There are lots of ways to become proficient in Microsoft Excel. Elon offers an online course that includes Excel:

BUS 211 MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Microsoft Office Excel is a rich computer application with impressive analytical capability and more and more businesses, especially those dealing with statistical and financial information, are finding its powers critical to their future success. This course exposes students to some of the advanced capabilities of Excel, including statistical analysis, financial analysis and modeling, PivotTables, scenario tools, a variety of add-ins, the creation of macros, and advanced charts and graphs. After taking this course, students will have demonstrated knowledge of the more advanced features of Microsoft Excel.

This article outlines 11 places to learn Microsoft Excel for free: https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/11-places-to-learn-microsoft-excel-for-free-that-w.html

 Free is great but if face to face instruction works better for you, check your local Community College this summer. In a few short weeks, you can have a certification in Microsoft Excel and a valuable hard skill to tout on your resume.