Mythbusting: Parent Edition
Myth 1: Starting college without a major is a bad idea
Many students begin college without a major, and that can be a good thing. Starting at GVSU without a declared major allows the student time to take the appropriate steps to choose the best major for them the first time. The Career Center helps exploring students navigate the process of choosing a major and choosing a career.
Myth 2: A major leads directly to a career
This is usually not the case. Some majors do lend themselves to a limited number of career paths (think: accounting to accountant, or engineering to engineer), but there are far more majors that open up lots of options. Therefore, if a student has a major decided upon, they still should be encouraged to explore how they want to use their major.
Myth 3: The Career Center is for juniors and seniors
Yes, the Career Center serves juniors and seniors, but also freshman, sophomores, graduate students, and alumni. We love to see students early on in their time at GVSU – our mantra is “connect early, connect often”!
Myth 4: Career fairs are only for business majors
Career fairs are for all students. We have employers representing a huge array of fields, industries, and opportunities.
Myth 5: Students should have a minor or a second major
Some students will choose a minor or second major, and that is perfectly acceptable. However, it is not required. Our employer partners tell us they are seeking skills over majors. Therefore, it can often make more sense for the student to choose coursework that will help them gain a specific set of skills. Or they could gain relevant skills through experience as well.