Does Your Educational Background Define Your Career?

At some point in your life you’ve probably asked: “So, what’s next?”. This question may appear nearing the end of your graduation or when you’re about to make a big career change. Another big follow-up question would be: “Does my degree align with the job that I want?” or “My long term goal is to become a Public Relations yet my degree is Economics. Does it matter?”. 

Maybe you’re one of many people who are questioning the value of your college degree. For whatever reason, you worry that you may have taken the wrong degree, and are now obsessing over how much it would affect your life moving forward.

Does your degree limit your choices of career? It depends on what kind of industry or specialisation you would like to pursue. If you took a degree that’s built to focus on a specific profession, like engineering, medical science, or technology - these majors equip you with technical skills and knowledge needed in order for you to work in a certain field. It may offer a more direct career path and narrow down your options post graduation.

However for others, your career options are wide open as long as you can absorb transferable skills and have willingness to learn. Your degree matters, but it will not define your long-term career goals. Some of transferable skills including creativity, problem solving, and communications are essential to any job that you would like to pursue later in life. Therefore, if you’re thinking about getting a job that may not align with your majors, you should consider honing relevant transferable skills. 

So what is more important: finding a job based on your degree or finding a career based on your interest?

Ultimately, the message of “follow your passion” that people often bring during graduation speeches or career motivational talk shows is being questioned when the requirements of your dream job - which you just discovered during your early career journey - don't align with your educational background.

But before you close the window of opportunities, you need to know it’s not the end of the story. It’s also worth noting that many successful people have achieved success through non-traditional paths. They build a strong work ethic and networking skills that can be just as valuable as academic credentials.

If you’re thinking of getting a job outside your major, the first step you need to take is to define what kind of transferable skills you need to succeed in the position of your dream role. Let’s say the case is you’re coming from Economics major and you'd like to pursue a Public Relations role. Then you need to find the silver lining between the two: perhaps applying for a job in a PR firm that expertise in handling clients from the finance industry. 

It’s easier said than done, but it’s definitely possible. Your ability to absorb new knowledge and skills is the key to succeed here. One of the most common ways to jump into completely different career paths is by taking intensive courses and building up a portfolio. You’re competing not only with those who have the same aspirations as you but also with those with aligned background and interests. 

In the previous section we talked about how a degree in engineering, medical science, or technology narrows down the career options to a certain field. Yet, entering a career in those fields is also possible for those with no science-related majors. The fact is the role of Product Manager today is not necessarily coming from Computer Science degree only, but they can also come from Economics, Business and even Law or Psychology. 

Generally speaking, not all professions are easy to enter if you have no relevant educational background. However, in today’s job market, your degree doesn’t really define your long-term career goals. Some companies have started to be flexible on their hiring processes and educational requirements. Some of them are even offering on-the-job training or Management Trainee programs to ensure their hire fits with the role they need.