Students at Hollins University can select a major from thirty-five very attractive possibilities. Sometimes that decision is very easy, but for many students it is quite challenging and stressful.

FACT: Within 5 years after graduation, 50% of graduates are working in career fields unrelated to their major. During the 1997-98 college recruiting season, sociology majors were hired as stockbrokers, political science majors were hired as bank management trainees, and studio arts majors were hired as insurance auditors. One computer company in Northern Virginia announced that it could take any graduate with any academic major and train that person within 90 days to be a computer specialist.

FACT: A "liberal arts" education prepares students for success in any career field. Hollins graduates prove time and time again that this is indeed true. Liberal arts skills are transferable, functional abilities that are required in many different problem-solving and task-oriented situations. The following "liberal arts" skills emphasize the value of a liberal arts education in the world of work:

• Ability to think, speak, and write with clarity
• Ability to live humanely in a technological world
• Ability to deal with problems and decisions
• Ability to understand the history of human kind

When employers are asked what skills and competencies they value most in college and university applicants, the list always includes the following skills that are acquired through a liberal arts education:

• Excellent communication skills
• Keen intelligence
• Leadership and organizational abilities
• Ability to solve problems creatively
• Analytical competencies
• Quantitative and research proficiencies
• Logical decision-making abilities

Hollins alumna, , Jane Leslie Dees, publishes the annual Off to College magazine that offers some very practical advice for students who are trying to choose a major:

Rule #l for selecting a major:


Choose a major that matches who you are and what you want. Each person is born with a unique set of interests, skills, and aptitudes. This set of individual characteristics will be a better match for some academic disciplines than for others. Selecting a major on this basis is more likely to bring greater satisfaction both in career choices and style of life.

Do not select a major based on the following:


Prestige
Parental pressure
Financial promise
Latest job market forecasts
What major your friends are choosing

Decisions based on these factors alone are sure to bring frustration and disappointment, because they violate Rule #1 which emphasizes selecting a major based on personal desires, skills, and talents.

Important questions to consider when evaluating a specific major:

Is this a major field that I will enjoy for its own intrinsic value?
Is this a major field in which I expect to perform well?
Do I like and respect most of the faculty members in this department?
Am I keeping my options open to other departments? How are they related to this one?
Do I seek out other students or faculty in this department for informal discussions?
Am I willing to get an advanced degree if necessary to succeed in this field?

Network with members of faculty in departments that interest you. Professors have the important academic background that is essential to choosing a major. Many faculty members also have had employment experience and can help students explore options for practical applications of academic majors.

Use the Career Development Center to help you find out more about your interests and personality. The CDC offers three inventories that help students explore these factors in choosing a major: the Strong Interest Inventory (first and second year students), the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey (third and fourth year students), and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (for all students). Students can take these at their convenience; the results are reviewed in small group sessions with individual follow-up recommended.

Schedule a counseling session with the CDC director or associate director to "talk through" ideas, options, and concerns. While the ultimate decision belongs to each student, it is often helpful to talk with another person who can offer additional information or a different perspective.

Use the Career Assistance Network to talk with Hollins graduates in career fields that interest you. They can offer valuable information on their own experiences in selecting a major and using their liberal arts skills in the real world.

No one says that looking for a job is easy. The process may look simple on paper, but it requires consistent and persistent effort. The following steps offer a plan for moving forward in your job search.

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, reports "The best job offers are going to seniors who started their job searches years ago with internships or co-ops...Corning, for example, makes 80% of its offers to its former interns or those who have interned elsewhere." Take advantage of every opportunity for experiential learning, paid or unpaid work.

BE ORGANIZED.

A loose-leaf notebook is a good way to keep all your data together. Make detailed notes of every action you take in your job hunt. Make notes on firms and fields you have researched. Keep a list of contacts and telephone numbers. Clip newspaper and magazine articles about jobs that interest you. Carefully document your job search and keep your information in a single, central place.

KEEP YOUR JOB SEARCH ACTIVE.

Keep all lines "going at once" and do not put off one lead until you hear from another. Often landing the job is the result of being in the right place at the right time. Take the initiative--if someone says he or she will call you and doesn't, call him or her.

SET CAREER/JOB AND GEOGRAPHICAL GOALS.

Self-assessment and research will help you determine what you want to do and where you would like to do it, key ingredients in a satisfying life. If you are the type of person who must have options, it is certainly appropriate for you to develop two or three sets of goals. The key is to clarify your skills, values, and interests as they apply to career decisions.

DEVELOP THE TOOLS NECESSARY FOR AN EFFECTIVE JOB SEARCH.

Your job search may be one of the most important projects you ever undertake, so be prepared. Begin early to build an impressive credentials file, a powerful resume, and effective cover and follow-up/response letters. Learn to interview successfully and explore the ways you can control the overall interview process. Become familiar with what is expected during company visits.

DEVELOP A PERSONAL NETWORK.

Your friends, family, colleagues, faculty, and alumnae/I contacts are able to provide assistance in your job search. Seventy percent of the better jobs are obtained through networking, and women are beginning to see that the "good old girls" network really does work.

If you effectively use your personal research and networking skills as well as the Career Assistance Network (CAN), you can develop a list of potential employers for direct contact. There are several excellent resources in both the CDC Library and the Wyndham Robertson Library. Access to the Yellow Pages in all U.S. cities is available in Wyndham Robertsonburn on the Phone Disk/Business CD-Rom. Use the Internet to search for company web sites.

Many companies and agencies are required to advertise their job openings. While this means that you will be competing with everyone else who reads these listings, they must not be overlooked. Sources include want ads, industry journals, telephone job lines, government publications, employment agencies, and recruiting programs on campus. The World Wide Web offers thousands of "home pages" and listings that help you identify employers and job openings. Jobtrak (see page 8) posts 3,000 new jobs daily! Additional web sites are listed on page 18. Check with the CDC for the most current information on electronic resources. Federal government positions can be accessed at www.usajobs.opm.gov.

Getting a job is a numbers game. The more people who know you are looking, the greater the possibility of someone helping you in your search. The more interviews you have, the closer you come to a job offer. A job search is a personal marketing campaign with you as the product. Even if you don't like the idea of selling, you MUST sell yourself during the job search process.

Communicate by phone, E-mail or in person with employers until an interview is offered. There is a fine line between being effective in your follow up and being a pain in the neck; use your best judgment in deciding when and how often to make contacts. Also maintain follow up with all the people in your network. You never know when openings and opportunities will come your way, but people may not know you are still available unless you tell them.

Interviewing is a skill that can be improved through practice. Do not pass up an opportunity to formally use your communication skills to discuss the value you can bring to a work setting.

While it may be wonderful to get that first job offer, take time to evaluate your career and life goals as they relate to the following:

ACCEPT YOUR BEST OFFER - CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Acceptance of an employment offer is a serious commitment on both sides. Do not continue to interview, take company visits, or search for a better offer from another employer after accepting an offer. If you have accepted verbally, request the company to provide a letter of confirmation that restates the starting date, time, and salary.

Career development begins in earnest once you enter a chosen career field. Attitude and behavior on the job are important indicators of your future success. It is difficult to recover from a bad start, so plan to examine reference materials that tell you how to start out in the world of work.

The CDC offers a twenty page booklet entitled "Enjoying Career Start-Up" that covers the world of work, personal life after graduation, and first year finances.

The American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) publishes The Job Search Handbook for Educators yearly. Be sure to pick up a copy from the CDC or the Education Department.