You’ve completed the rigorous academic work and earned an undergraduate or graduate degree from a respected and accredited college or university.  Now you’re striving to land a job.  If you look for a job that not only pays you enough to enjoy the lifestyle you want but that also complements your major, you’ll choose work that you love.

To get a head start on your job search, consider contacting the career services office at the accredited college or university you attend and applying for a work/study or on-campus job.  Make sure the job is in your major so you can measure how much you enjoy the work.  If you do this early in your academic career, you’ll have plenty of time to switch majors if you discover that you want to change careers.

Start Working in Your Major during College or University

Another step you can take to find a job that complements your major is to work a summer internship before you graduate from college or university.  Ask your parents and older siblings if the companies they work at have internships.  Apply for a job in a department that aligns with the type of work you’ll actually be doing in your major after you graduate from an accredited postsecondary school.  For example, if you’re majoring in marketing, apply for an internship at a public or privately owned company in their marketing or public relations department. 

During your internship, take on as much work as you comfortably can, making sure that the work you perform varies.  For example, as a marketing major you could write press releases, brochures, Website copy and direct mail letters for companies you intern for.  Not only does this allow you to find out how much you enjoy working in your major, it also gives you working experience that you can list on your resume.

College and University Students Network To Get Jobs that Complement Their Major

When it comes to landing work, whether you have graduated with your degree yet or not, the steps that you’ll take are similar.  In this age of social media and advancing technology, to increase your chances of landing quality employment that complements your major, consider posting a current resume on three or more major job boards (e.g. Career Builder, Monster, Indeed).  Recruiters actually conduct keyword searches to pull up resumes related to job openings they are sourcing for.  Therefore, it’s a good idea to include a few keywords on your resume that relate to your major.  In other words, if you’re an accounting major, consider including words like accounting, budgets and finance on your resume.  Doing so might help recruiters locate your resume easier.

If you join professional organizations in your major (e.g. Society for Human Resources Management, American Anthropological Association, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) and attend networking events like conferences and seminars, you can learn about trends in the industry you want to work in.  You can also learn about research work opportunities and fellowships you could apply for and receive so you can earn advanced degrees free of charge.  Social network sites like Linkedin are also good places to visit so you can start developing relationships with business leaders who work at companies that hire recent college and university graduates who have advanced academic training in subjects you’re majoring in.