Does your college major really matter?

How important is your college major these days? I believe that the decision matters but is not as crucial of a choice of how it may have been in the past for college students. According to Forbes, 62% of college graduates are employed for having a four-year degree, but only 27% of graduates work in a field that is relevant to their major. Why is that?
There has been a shift in the method of which students are employed when they step outside of their pricy educational institutions. Nowadays, a history major can still earn the same business job as a business major and they will both profit equal salaries. This also goes for not having to major in political science in order to go into the government someday. The characterisics that stand out to employers are the work ethic and attitude of the applier. This is shown through volunteer work, internship or job opportunities, and involvement at one’s school within their college career. It can be argued that to receive an outstanding internship or job is impossible without a certain major, but this not true for everyone. Any work experience can be turned into a valuable opportunity. For instance, baristas at Starbucks have great customer service and marketing skills, functioning as the direct contact to the company’s customers on a daily basis. Depending on what industry a student chooses to go into after graduation, it is universally true that employers are looking for critical thinkers, innovators, and creators.For example, Silicon Valley is starting to favor employees who studied liberal arts instead of employees who went through a more traditional process of earning an engineering degree.
While this can seem like anyone can choose any major and still earn themselves a specific job at the end of the day, that is not always true. Many students choose a major out of passion and interest in the topic, and although they may unexpectedly apply for roles outside of the traditional ones matched to the major, they still were able to get to that point due to their effort and enthusiasm put into their field of study. Networking is also a great way to make connections within college and have people to refer to when applying for jobs. Knowing someone does not mean you are promised a job, but it can be the difference between stepping into the door for an interview or not.
Towards the end of my Sophomore year of college, I did an experiment of which I applied to almost 60 jobs, landed 9 interviews, and received one offer at the end of it. Interestingly enough, the CEO of the company I received the offer from went to my University and he was only interested in the projects I had done for another business in the past. As he glimpsed my resume, he did not ask about my major but rather what really interested me and why I would be a good fit for the Operations position. I believe that persistence and self motivation can go a long way in the job application process instead of the stamp of your college major.
