2021 Career Services Guide

Connecting Majors To Careers
While choosing a major is one of the most important academic decisions you’ll make in college, it
isn’t likely to be the most important career decision you’ll make. Your academic life is just one part of
yourself—your values, activities, interests and skills. These, combined with your liberal arts degree, will
prepare you broadly for positions you don’t even know you want yet.
A Major Does Not Dictate a Career
While some jobs or internships seem to require
students to have a specific major, one recent
study indicated that only 27% of graduates
had a job that was closely related to their
college major. So what do employers look for
instead? According to a survey by the National
Association of Colleges and Employers,
employers look for problem-solving skills, the
ability to work in a team, communication skills,
leadership and a strong work ethic; skills that
Scripps students learn in every major.
What’s arguably most important about
choosing a major is choosing a subject you
enjoy studying, with faculty you enjoy learning
alongside, and something you’ll look forward to
researching in-depth for your senior thesis.
Research Majors Before You Declare
• Review the description and required
coursework for majors in the Scripps College
Catalog (there are over 60!).
• Speak with your academic advisor and other
faculty members about their departments.
• Sample courses in areas of interest.
• Look through a few books listed in course
syllabi; does the content help you grow in
ways that you want to grow?
• Talk to other students about the major they
have selected.
• Review books in the Linking Majors to
Careers section of CP&R’s library.
• Use your Scripps network (p. 9) to see the
career paths of alumnae with your major.
• Conduct informational interviews with
professionals who have pursued careers that
appeal to you.
• To get help putting all of your ideas together
schedule an appointment with a career
counselor at CP&R.
Valérie C. Whitacre ’08
Philosophical Studies in
Art History
Self-designed Major
Business Development Manager,
Hamiltons Gallery
One of the best pieces of advice my father passed
along was to pick my major by the quality of the
professor. I found that my Scripps professors
appreciated working with me on the juxtaposition
of subjects as I created my self-designed major in
philosophical studies in art history.
After graduation I was beyond grateful for the
opportunity to receive the Gabrielle Jungels-
Winkler’s ’72 scholarship to attend The Courtauld
Institute of Art for graduate school; it changed
the course of my life. The MA program allowed
me to refine my understanding of photography
and the contemporary art market. My Scripps
courses and experiences pushed me to think
more strategically about the future of my field.
Industries evolve, often requiring new skillsets
and the merger of interdisciplinary ideas. It is
important to be able to adapt, even if one’s
passion is based on the more eternal aspects of
the creative sphere.
4 / CAREER EXPLORATION