edtechdev/chatbotfiles · Datasets at Hugging Face

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You can also take the anonymous What Students Say surveys (https://openstax.org/l/collegesurvey6-12) to
add your voice to this textbook. Your responses will be included in updates.
Students offered their views on these questions, and the results are displayed in the graphs below.
What is your most significant concern about starting your career after college?

Figure 12.3

With what do you feel you need the most help in preparing for your career?

Figure 12.4

Access for free at openstax.org

12.1 • Why Worry about a Career While I'm in College?

Career Myths and Realities
Because you are a student, many people will want to give you advice as you make your way through college.
Older family members like to talk about how things were when they were in and graduated from college. Your
parents might have very definite ideas about what you should major in and the best way to get a job (or
perhaps they don’t know at all, and you wish they did). Your friends, particularly those already in college, might
tell you what their experience is, but maybe yours will be very different. Then there are all kinds of things you
hear about in the news as to whether there are jobs out there. The economy can be very confusing at times.
The stock market is up, then down. Government statistics tell us that the unemployment rate is lower than
ever before, but many people say it is still very difficult to get a job. Students have seen their parents or
grandparents get laid off, then hear that there is a new company in town that will hire thousands of people.
Any and all of these things can be true, and all at the same time. So what does that mean for college students
looking to begin their careers?
MYTH #1: “Because I am getting a college degree, I will have no problem getting hired and making a lot of
money.”

REALITY: As you learned in chapters 1 and 10, your chances of making more money over the course of your
lifetime are greater when you have a college degree. However, employers expect more than just a diploma.
They also expect that you did well in your studies and engaged in activities and experiences that demonstrate
you can put learning into context in a work setting. Internships, practicums, service learning, communitybased research, part-time or summer jobs, and more prove to employers that you are capable and eager to
begin your career.
MYTH #2: “There is one perfect job for me” or “I will be happy if I find the right career.”

REALITY: Finding the right career is not like waving a magic wand or a ticket to living your best Instagram life
all of the time. There are jobs and careers for which you might be well-suited based on a combination of
features and attributes. The better you know yourself, the better you can make a good match. Additionally,
those features and attributes change over time, and by learning good career planning skills, you can adapt
easily.
MYTH #3: “I can’t get a good job with (fill in the name of a major).”

REALITY: There are some majors that traditionally result in jobs that earn more than others do. These are
usually because the education for these occupations is often rigorous, and both training for and working in
the occupation require a high level of skill and knowledge, even over time (engineering, computer science,
accounting). However, anybody can get a “good” job with their major. The key is to understand what
knowledge, skills, and abilities are required for the jobs you would like and to take action to make sure you
have them. People who have a problem getting employment in their field after college may not have fully
understood the requirements for being hired, they may have been unable to make the sacrifices necessary for
that to happen, or they may have had unrealistic expectations.
MYTH #4: “I should base my major on ‘hot’ careers that will pay well.”

REALITY: Just because a major or career field is “hot” doesn’t mean that you will enjoy it or even be any good at
it. Better to choose a career based on your interests, abilities, values, and personality. Additionally, which
careers and fields are popular and well-paying can change quickly based on supply of candidates and
economic situations. Thus, those who choose a hot field must be eager to learn new skills to keep up with the
evolution of such a career.
MYTH #5: “It is too late to change my career.”

REALITY: It is almost never “too late” to make a career change. There are millions of people who have made
career changes, some by going to college in their 30s, 40s, 50s, or even older. In many cases, the best time to
make a change is when you are older, because you have more to offer employers, have gained different

373

374

12 • Planning for Your Future

experiences, and have become more settled in your personal life. Many college students find they are wellpositioned to make the most of their college studies when they are more mature.
MYTH #6: “No one will hire me because I am ‘just a student’; I won’t be able to compete with people with more
experience.”

REALITY: Employers often like to hire recent graduates or people who are early in their careers because their
learning is fresh, and they know how to learn new material and adapt quickly. Additionally, many employers
believe that hiring new graduates allows them to train people the way that they would like. New graduates of
all ages show persistence and flexibility by having earned a college degree and shown willingness to start
something new.
MYTH #7: “I should be passionate about my work. If not, I am doing something wrong. “

REALITY: “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” and “Do what you love and the money will
follow” are terrible advice. No one loves their work every minute of every day, and passion is a very high
standard to meet. There are many things about which we might be passionate that would make for jobs that
are completely unsuitable for us. What most people who are happy with their work have in common are that
they can do it well; it has some impact on people, organizations, information, or things; and they find
satisfaction in it. It is often through discovering this that passion for one’s work follows.
MYTH #8: “My career path should follow a neat, straight line.”

REALITY: For almost everyone, a career path is more like a winding road than a straight highway. Recall the
story of Shira building a career off of her summer job, and know that Shira’s experience is one path of many.
Not everyone has a clear idea of how to find a job that fulfills an interest and then how to move from that job
to a career. It is not always so straightforward. For example, there is great value in choosing a major in the
natural sciences, social sciences, arts, or humanities, but sometimes these fields do not obviously transfer to a
career. Yet with the right guidance, practice, and commitment, these majors provide many routes to a fulfilling
career and life. Based on information, experiences, and skills you gather along the way, you will find that you
need and want to adapt and adjust. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to get into a career.
MYTH #9: “There are not many jobs out there with good pay and benefits, so why bother looking?”

You can also take the anonymous What Students Say surveys (https://openstax.org/l/collegesurvey6-12) to

add your voice to this textbook. Your responses will be included in updates.

Students offered their views on these questions, and the results are displayed in the graphs below.

What is your most significant concern about starting your career after college?

Figure 12.3

With what do you feel you need the most help in preparing for your career?

Figure 12.4

Access for free at openstax.org

12.1 • Why Worry about a Career While I'm in College?

Career Myths and Realities

Because you are a student, many people will want to give you advice as you make your way through college.

Older family members like to talk about how things were when they were in and graduated from college. Your

parents might have very definite ideas about what you should major in and the best way to get a job (or

perhaps they don’t know at all, and you wish they did). Your friends, particularly those already in college, might

tell you what their experience is, but maybe yours will be very different. Then there are all kinds of things you

hear about in the news as to whether there are jobs out there. The economy can be very confusing at times.

The stock market is up, then down. Government statistics tell us that the unemployment rate is lower than

ever before, but many people say it is still very difficult to get a job. Students have seen their parents or

grandparents get laid off, then hear that there is a new company in town that will hire thousands of people.

Any and all of these things can be true, and all at the same time. So what does that mean for college students

looking to begin their careers?

MYTH #1: “Because I am getting a college degree, I will have no problem getting hired and making a lot of

money.”

REALITY: As you learned in chapters 1 and 10, your chances of making more money over the course of your

lifetime are greater when you have a college degree. However, employers expect more than just a diploma.

They also expect that you did well in your studies and engaged in activities and experiences that demonstrate

you can put learning into context in a work setting. Internships, practicums, service learning, communitybased research, part-time or summer jobs, and more prove to employers that you are capable and eager to

begin your career.

MYTH #2: “There is one perfect job for me” or “I will be happy if I find the right career.”

REALITY: Finding the right career is not like waving a magic wand or a ticket to living your best Instagram life

all of the time. There are jobs and careers for which you might be well-suited based on a combination of

features and attributes. The better you know yourself, the better you can make a good match. Additionally,

those features and attributes change over time, and by learning good career planning skills, you can adapt

easily.

MYTH #3: “I can’t get a good job with (fill in the name of a major).”

REALITY: There are some majors that traditionally result in jobs that earn more than others do. These are

usually because the education for these occupations is often rigorous, and both training for and working in

the occupation require a high level of skill and knowledge, even over time (engineering, computer science,

accounting). However, anybody can get a “good” job with their major. The key is to understand what

knowledge, skills, and abilities are required for the jobs you would like and to take action to make sure you

have them. People who have a problem getting employment in their field after college may not have fully

understood the requirements for being hired, they may have been unable to make the sacrifices necessary for

that to happen, or they may have had unrealistic expectations.

MYTH #4: “I should base my major on ‘hot’ careers that will pay well.”

REALITY: Just because a major or career field is “hot” doesn’t mean that you will enjoy it or even be any good at

it. Better to choose a career based on your interests, abilities, values, and personality. Additionally, which

careers and fields are popular and well-paying can change quickly based on supply of candidates and

economic situations. Thus, those who choose a hot field must be eager to learn new skills to keep up with the

evolution of such a career.

MYTH #5: “It is too late to change my career.”

REALITY: It is almost never “too late” to make a career change. There are millions of people who have made

career changes, some by going to college in their 30s, 40s, 50s, or even older. In many cases, the best time to

make a change is when you are older, because you have more to offer employers, have gained different

373

374

12 • Planning for Your Future

experiences, and have become more settled in your personal life. Many college students find they are wellpositioned to make the most of their college studies when they are more mature.

MYTH #6: “No one will hire me because I am ‘just a student’; I won’t be able to compete with people with more

experience.”

REALITY: Employers often like to hire recent graduates or people who are early in their careers because their

learning is fresh, and they know how to learn new material and adapt quickly. Additionally, many employers

believe that hiring new graduates allows them to train people the way that they would like. New graduates of

all ages show persistence and flexibility by having earned a college degree and shown willingness to start

something new.

MYTH #7: “I should be passionate about my work. If not, I am doing something wrong. “

REALITY: “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” and “Do what you love and the money will

follow” are terrible advice. No one loves their work every minute of every day, and passion is a very high

standard to meet. There are many things about which we might be passionate that would make for jobs that

are completely unsuitable for us. What most people who are happy with their work have in common are that

they can do it well; it has some impact on people, organizations, information, or things; and they find

satisfaction in it. It is often through discovering this that passion for one’s work follows.

MYTH #8: “My career path should follow a neat, straight line.”

REALITY: For almost everyone, a career path is more like a winding road than a straight highway. Recall the

story of Shira building a career off of her summer job, and know that Shira’s experience is one path of many.

Not everyone has a clear idea of how to find a job that fulfills an interest and then how to move from that job

to a career. It is not always so straightforward. For example, there is great value in choosing a major in the

natural sciences, social sciences, arts, or humanities, but sometimes these fields do not obviously transfer to a

career. Yet with the right guidance, practice, and commitment, these majors provide many routes to a fulfilling

career and life. Based on information, experiences, and skills you gather along the way, you will find that you

need and want to adapt and adjust. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to get into a career.

MYTH #9: “There are not many jobs out there with good pay and benefits, so why bother looking?”