For students who've chosen an undergrad major, but need more help:

Your major is important, but you as a person are much more than just your major. Once you start the job search, employers will be looking at your extracurricular activities, your experience related to your career goals (whether paid or not), and much more.

Major alone won't get you hired. The sum-total of your experience, in and out of the classroom, will help determine your opportunities.

 

Below:  Virginia Tech resources | other resources | people who can advise & inform

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Virginia Tech resources:

• Guide to Undergraduate Majors at Virginia Tech
  (Career Services)
  An overview of each major offered at Virginia Tech and entry-level career options associated with each.
• Post-Graduation Report: Employers, job titles and locations of new VT grads
  (Career Services)
  New B.A. and B.S. graduates' first jobs post-graduation; lists, by major, employer, job title, and location for employed new grads (and much more). This doesn't mean these are the only opportunities open to you. It does show you factual information, and that new grads do a wide variety of things — showing you that individuals are way more than just a major.
• Books in our Career Resource Center
  (Career Services)
  Many books deal with career choices for particular majors.

• What do I major in if I want to be a teacher?
  (On web site of School of Education at Virginia Tech)
  Chart showing teaching subjects with corresponding undergraduate majors and graduate program you should pursue.

Other good resources, external to Virginia Tech:

Resources from other universities are similar to our Guide to Undergraduate Majors at Virginia Tech. Be aware that resources from other universities (and elsewhere) include majors not necessarily offered at Virginia Tech. These are still valuable resources for students exploring possibilities.

• Major Match Sheets
  (Florida State University)
  Pick a major and see sample occupations and additional source of info.
  Similar to our Guide to Undergraduate Majors at Virginia Tech.
• Major Resource Kits
  (University of Delaware)
  Similar to our Guide to Undergraduate Majors at Virginia Tech; tells career options associated with majors.
• What can I do with a major in...
  (University of North Carolina at Wilmington)
  Similar to our Guide to Undergrad Majors at Virginia Tech.
• What can I do with this major?
  (University of Tennesse, Knoxville)
  Tool to learn about career options related to college majors.
  Please note that this resource is purchased from the University of Tennessee and may not fit VT majors exactly.
• What can I do with my liberal arts degree? (pdf)
  Publication of U.S. government, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment.
• I'm graduating with the wrong degree!
  (Monster.com)
  Even if you think this, you're really not. Advice if you think you're in this situation

After your research, talk to people:

No one else can make decisions for you, but they can offer you valuable advice and perspective so that your decisions are based on more complete information. You'll formulate the best questions, and people will be better able and willing to assist you, if you do your research first.

• Departmental Career Advisors for majors
  (Virginia Tech)
  Faculty and/or staff in each major academic department whom you can consult about career options associated with their majors.
• Career Services advising
  (Career Services)
  We can help you sort out the decisions you need to make, and help you find and use resources that will help you. (We cannot advise you on course requirements for majors and minors; you must consult the department offering the major or minor.)
• VT CareerLink for Alumni Networking
  (Career Services)
  Virginia Tech alumni have volunteered to provide career advice; search for alumni with your major or the work setting or occupation of interest to you; see their occupations — what they did with their majors! — and contact them by phone or e-mail.
• Job fairs and career fairs
  (Sponsored by VT colleges, departments & student organizations)
  Annual events. Each event is sponsored by a college or department or student organization and focuses on certain career fields. Do your homework before going: read each event web site to see who's attending and the types of jobs they offer; go to learn more first-hand from employers about internships and entry-level career options.