Evaluate Majors at U.S. Colleges to Enhance Job Prospects
As summer eases into fall, many current international students will be commencing their period of study at college and prospective international students are researching and applying to U.S. colleges. The beginning of an academic year or the commencement of a degree is a new and exciting time, full of unfamiliar experiences and challenges.
For international students particularly, the experience of traveling, studying and working abroad will take them out of their comfort zone. While the first few weeks can be daunting, the opportunities studying abroad presents are ones many colleges in your home country won't offer.
As a result, the decisions about the programs offered at the colleges and universities you are considering, the classes you are choosing as a current student or the majors you will pursue during your time at college are worth taking time over -- and even starting to think about as a prospective student.
It may seem unnecessary to be planning your career path at the very beginning of the year, but it's important to think about how your major or the majors offered by the U.S. institutions you're considering could benefit you following your college experience, such as when you return to your home country, or begin looking for work.
Job prospects will vary depending on an international students' home country or where they hope to study next, but a carefully planned major can go a long way toward making a student a good candidate for work after graduation.
In previous articles I've mentioned the huge variety of courses the American academic system offers its students. The variety of available majors at many colleges is something that many higher education institutions around the world don't have.
[Get information about multiple majors at U.S. colleges.]
Tulane University, for example, has a few different major options related to international studies, and several related to music. This variety -- something very specific to the U.S. college experience -- presents students with a chance to develop their skills in a specific strand of a subject they feel passionate about.
As a new or prospective international student, regardless of whether you have already begun making choices about what you want to study, it's worth bearing in mind that, wherever you are from, there is always going to be a strong sense of competition among new graduates entering the workplace. As many young adults now make the choice to attend college or university, this competition is increasing.
[Check out what international students should know about majoring in entrepreneurship.]
By choosing a college major carefully, and thinking about a set of minors designed to complement it, international students can work toward developing a specific skill set within their subject of choice. This can go a long way toward providing a solid foundation for a career, as an unusual or individual major is a great way to make a C.V. stand out, and set you apart from competitors in your field.
When I was studying at UC--Berkeley, I chose to major in English, but also took a selection of classes to minor in politics and a postgraduate module in journalism. Having subsequently graduated, and during job hunts earlier this year, I noticed the minors I had studied at Berkeley gained the most interest from potential employers.
[Find out more about choosing and declaring a U.S. college major.]
I have since commenced a master's degree in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and the major and minors I chose as an international student were an invaluable part of this process.
However, thinking about the future aside, the most important decision international students can make is to study subjects they are passionate about. Whatever combination of major and minors new students choose for their time at college, they should make sure it is something they will enjoy and want to pursue.
Studying at an American college will offer international students the chance to develop a unique set of skills that will help them stand out as a strong candidates for employment when they return home.
So while enjoying the amazing experience of studying in a foreign country, students should always remember to challenge themselves, and make the most of every opportunity to help them realize their full potential.
Emily Burt, from the United Kingdom, studied at the University of California--Berkeley on an exchange program. She will graduate from the University of East Anglia in 2014 with a bachelor's in American literature and creative writing.
