Lack of Career Counseling

A college degree will get you a job Fact: Generations of students have been told that if they get a college degree, they’ll easily find a job afterward. Unfortunately, it’s no longer so clear-cut. Degrees no longer open doors the way they used to, and too many new graduates are remaining unemployed or under-employed for months or even years, as employers opt for more experienced candidates. This is frustrating and confusing for graduates, who often feel that they did everything they were supposed to and they’re not getting the pay-off they were promised would come.

There is one perfect job for me.
Fact:Anyone can find a variety of fulfilling careers. After an individual has become interested in a particular career field, numerous different paths can be pursued. If someone is interested in working in education, they then can narrow their focus to a particular specialty, such as school administrator, teacher, etc., and weigh the pro and cons of each job.
Over time people’s interests change. It’s not uncommon for someone who graduated from college with a degree in economics later in life to find they’ve developed an interested in horticulture. The perfect job today may not be the perfect job tomorrow.

If you can’t find a job, just start your own business. Starting your own business is hard, and it’s not for everyone. It’s not as easy as just having a skill and selling it. You have to have something that people want to buy from you more than they want to buy it from your competitors. You also have to be able to market yourself, deal with financial uncertainty, have some savings as a launch pad, and overcome plenty of other challenges. It’s not a cure-all for anyone who can’t find a job or is unhappy in their career.

Most students know their major and career goals when they enter college.
Fact: This may be true for some, but most college students change their majors and career focuses many times during college. Most college students switch majors 3 to 5 times during college.

I should choose an occupation based on my strongest skills.
Fact: Your personal job skills should not be the only factor you consider while making career decisions. Other important factors that should be considered include interests, work environment, and earning potential. Choosing a career based solely on individual talents will not necessarily equate to career satisfaction.

Grad school will always make you more marketable. Grad school generally will not make you more marketable unless you’re going into a field that specifically requires a graduate degree. In fact, it can make you less competitive, by keeping you from getting work experience for that much longer and requiring you to find a higher-paying job than you might otherwise need because you need to pay back school loans—and even worse, if you apply for jobs that have nothing to do with your graduate degree, many employers will think you don’t really want the job you’re applying for, since it’s not in “your field.”

The best place for me to start looking for an occupation is where employers are doing lots of hiring right now.
Fact:The economy and job market are always changing. New technology, retiring workers, and overseas job outsourcing are just a few of the factors driving this change. Increased or decreased demand for certain products and services can also lead to changes in the job market. This should serve as a caution for college students basing their choice in majors solely on job growth or decline since there could be many or few jobs available in certain industries after graduating. Job growth or decline should be one of many factors to evaluate when making a career decisions.

Once you’re settled in a career path, you’re stuck.
Reality: “You’re never stuck,” Walden says. “You need to look at what you’re willing to do to get unstuck.” While there can be financial constraints that may keep you from switching careers quickly, Walden says taking classes or being willing to make less money for some time to get on the career path you want shouldn’t hold you back. Many people go to college, major in a line of study, work for a few years in that area and then find it doesn’t suit them at all. Walden says it’s worth the time to make the change. “If you’re a good candidate, smart, and presentable, you need to take those steps now to get yourself on the path you want.”

William Shakespeare “Choose the work you love, you will never have to work a single day in your life.”