Picking a career may be hard, but listening to an "expert" could help

 

SOURCE: www.math.uchicago.edu

She has experience. I interviewed my mom because she has not only worked in banking but in higher education at the University of Southern California and the University of Chicago.

Position currently: Senior Director Principal and Major Gifts at the University of Chicago

Positions in the past: VP and Regional Manager at ABN AMRO, Executive Director Corporate Relations at USC

Q: Was there a person that influenced the major and career path you took?

A:  Yes, my economics teacher in high school and my dad since he had always worked in banking.

Q: Why’d you pick economics as your major?

A: I actually went in as Russian major. Back in the day, that was what was needed due to the Cold War on the rise. There was a liberal arts meeting at University of Illinois, where I attended for undergraduate school, and they said if you wanted to get a job after college, you’d have to get a “saleable” major. And that’s why I added economics.

Q: After college, why banking?

A: I absolutely loved international relations so international banking would’ve been perfect for me. Let alone the fact that I was great at speaking Russian. I thought about a ton of careers including business, banking, and computer science.

Q: What are some of the more popular majors at the University of Chicago?

A: For juniors and seniors, you select a “track.” These prepare you to work in a specific field. We also have a computation institute to instruct students due to the demand for technology. I would say anything with technology in the career would be the most popular.

Q: Is it common for schools to not have an undergraduate business degree?

A: Actually, yes. There’s the notion that it’s important to educate people across the general liberal arts education to expose them to arts and force them to become thinkers. It also comes with maturity where when you’re older, you normally have a sense of the path you want to take.

Q: Have any of your colleagues had multiple careers or changed careers?

A: There are a number of people I’ve known that start off in business and then change to higher education for some reason.

Q: What do you think goes into picking a career?

A: As a student, I would want my parents to sort of push me in the right direction. But I say interviewing adults that have been in a career for a while could help. Asking them how they started off and what they do for a living could help influence some decisions and maybe help insight you on what you may or may not like.

Q: Lastly, is there any advice you’d like to give a high school senior that hasn’t picked a major/career path?
A: Determine between a hobby and a career. Both are attainable but you have to remember that this day and age, money is what is going to help you live your life. Following your dreams are always a given, but if you’re great at business but also great at sports, maybe going with business is the right path because society keeps telling us that business is booming.

I really enjoyed talking to my mom about her past and how she picked a career because it definitely settles minds that my peers have time to pick their futures. It doesn't have to come before high school is over because most schools let you switch around. I hope that this helps those who read it because my mom may not be an expert but she definitely has a past with careers and picking one that had the most potential.

RESEARCH PLAN: I hope to find information on what influences student's decisions on schools and majors, whether it's personal or peer pressure.