Why you should take that job that DOESN'T relate to your major

So, you can’t find a job that relates to your college major. Well, you’re not alone. In fact, thousands of college grads end up accepting jobs that have nothing to do with their field of study. The good news is, that’s okay! It can actually be a great career move. Here’s why....

You'll gain valuable transferable skills.

You might assume that, if you take a job that doesn’t relate to your college major, you’re not going to gain any real skill sets you can use in that field down the line. However, no matter what job you have, you have the opportunity to gain valuable skills that can transfer to other roles later on.

Skills like public speaking, customer service, project management, and so on are all skills you can use throughout your career. Plus, having these types of skill sets on your resume can help you market yourself to employers if you decide to find a new job after you’ve gotten some experience.

You'll start building a professional network.

During college, the majority of your network consisted of your friends and family. You probably didn’t have too many “professional” connections at that point. Building up your professional network will help you immensely if you need references or just leads on other opportunities that would be a good fit for you. You don’t necessarily need to be working in your field of study to build an effective network.

You'll have the opportunity to change jobs later.

It can be scary committing to a job that isn’t 100% what you wanted right out of school. Thankfully, you don’t have to stay at that job forever. In fact, a recent study revealed that, on average, young professionals change jobs at least four times before they’re 32. These days, you don’t have to commit to one job for your entire career. There’s flexibility, so don’t worry about getting stuck in a job forever.

If you have to take a job right out of school that doesn’t directly relate to your major, think of it as a stepping stone. Use it as an opportunity to explore. Be strategic and figure out how you can get the most out of the opportunity so you can get where you want to go.

If you need more help when it comes to finding a job after college, book an appointment with Longwood University Career Services and work with a career coach on your job search strategy.