Avoid "Dead End" College Majors

Lists of hot careers are often a favorite of college students as they make decisions about choosing a college major. Since some dead end college majors can lead to dead end careers, it's a good idea to use these lists to explore potential careers.  No one wants to end up in a dead end career.

However, a word of caution about using these lists.

As college students peruse these hot career lists with dying or growing occupations, they should know that there are many careers and occupations, NOT on these list which could still lead to a dead end career ... for them.

College students should know that they can end up in a dead end career, not only because they picked dead end college majors, but because they chose a college major and career that was not a good fit for them.

Just as every career is not for everyone, even if the career is the hot career list, not all college majors are for everyone. Too many college students who turn to these lists for career planning advice, regrettably end up trapped in the wrong majors for them.

Without intervention and changing majors, these students can end up trapped in the wrong careers.

For these college students, a bad choice of college major can lead to a profession where job satisfaction is almost impossible.

3 clues to knowing when you are in a dead end college major?

You have no passion for the subjects in your core classes

If you are a psychology major and not enjoying or doing well in Psych 101, or the basic Psychology course on your campus, this major may not be for you. If you find that you are not reading assigned texts or participating in class discussions, this college major may not be for you.

You have zero curiosity about what's happening in the occupation

If you have no interest or curiosity about the careers that emanate from your college major or if you have no interest outside the classroom about the major, then you may be in the wrong place. If you are not interested in talking to people in your major, learning more about the major outside of class and finding out about successful career paths for students in your major; you may be in the wrong place also.

You were pressured to choose your college major to fulfill someone else's dream?

This actually happens a lot more than you think.  Many times college students end up in majors that will dead end for them, because parents, teachers or friends told them it would be a good choice. There is no way to avoid doing your own research to find your own passion.

Choosing a college major is a serious decision and students owe it to themselves to make a thoughtful choice.  If you think you are in the wrong major, please visit your campus career center. (Check out career resources on our site to find a link to the Career Center on your HBCU campus).