Can a Minor Help Your Major in College?
Some colleges and universities offer and promote a secondary area of study to college students. This second area of study or concentration is referred to as a college minor. That is really just an abbreviated form of saying a "minor area of study." This is in contrast to a college major, which is the area of primary focus for the college student. Many people believe that undertaking a college minor, or two for that matter, is a good way for a college student to round out their college education and gain more marketable job skills.
Since not all colleges and universities offer options for choosing a minor, some students seeking to boost job skills take on the rather daunting task of doing double or even triple majors.
On the surface, there are some clear career planning advantages for college students who choose a college minor. Some of the more obvious examples of how a college minor could give a new graduate a leg up in a job search include:
Getting extra preparation and formalized certification in a complementary area without adding the extra time required to finish a double major. Usually, a college student can complete all the requirements to fulfill a college minor by selecting their elective courses wisely and strategically. For example, if you’re a Journalism major, you probably need to take a lot of English classes. Why not get an official minor in English by just taking a few extra specialized classes in English?
A college minor can also add practical skills to a general degree. For example, consider a Liberal Arts major with a minor in Marketing. In this case, the college minor can be a way to get your foot in the door of a specific occupation or industry.
A college minor can allow college students to gain basic knowledge of an emerging industry or an industry with projected high job growth. Think about a Computer Science major who chooses to minor in Social Media Marketing.
Whatever the reason for selecting a college minor, college students must consider the risks associated with delving into other areas of study. College students must weigh the pros and cons of whether or not a minor can help their major. Some of the obvious risks include taking longer than planned to finish college and getting more career ambiguity than clarity by selecting a minor for the wrong reason.
After working in four different colleges helping graduates and employers discover each other, so to speak, I am convinced that the job skills employers want from today's college graduate can be developed without adding minors or double majors. In fact, those of us who have worked through this process with students often notice that the drive to add majors and minors seems strongest just before graduation, when the anxiety about life beyond college really peaks.
So before a college student makes the commitment to a adding a minor area of study, they should think seriously about whether the minor will support their major and enhance their job skills. They should ask themselves: Will this minor really help me build the job skills and competencies employers want? What else can I do on campus that will give me a similar career advantage at graduation?
For example, if you’re an English major that that wants to work toward becoming a Social Media Marketer - you may be able to get more powerful experience by finding a local small business to lend your budding social media skills to than taking on a minor.
If students decide against a minor or if the college does not offer the option for minors, the following four strategies will help students develop in-demand job skills employers want:
Participate in campus leadership roles in clubs and organizations
Join as a student-member of a national professional associations
Do volunteer work or community service
Participate in at least one college internship program before graduation