So you want to be a rock & roll star, but your Mom said, “ Accounting, or I won ’ t pay ” or …

Taking the road to business (hint: it goes through LSA, too) You can have fun, do something you love, and still get a job

Common Misconceptions Concentration = Career First job = Career College is job training You can predict the future Life is linear

Concerns LS&A Students Have Unemployable Parents think you ’ re unemployable Friends think you ’ re unemployable (Fill in the blank major)? What can you do with that? What if I choose the wrong thing?

Strength of Liberal Arts Preparation Vitality Curiosity Flexibility

Strategies Choose a concentration Talk to concentration advisors Look at departmental leaflets/websites Be honest about what you love Design your own program Ask your parents ’ friends what they majored in

Strategies, continued Think about the liberal arts and skills Assess your skills (Career Center, chat with professors, talk to alums) Look for opportunities in classes to draw on your skills (projects, reports, independent studies) Volunteer Keep a portfolio of your activities, comments from employers, etc. Check out career and assessment websites

Strategies, continued Learn about the job market Investigate job fields Do informational interviews Shadow an alum Find out what ’ s valued by employers (talk to your parents and their friends) Find out if you need a graduate degree Be realistic in your expectations about entry-level jobs

Business “ Fields ” & LSA Accounting — no equivalent Finance — Econ, Stats, Math, CS, Soc (analytical skills) Marketing — develop skills M&O — Org Studies, Psych, Soc, Econ (social science); English, etc. (humanities); (people skills) OM — Org Studies, CS, Math, Stats, Soc, humanities, science (understanding networks and their organizing principles)

Thinking about goals Do not plan for the rest of your life Try to maximize your own happiness Be as realistic as possible about your expectations Realize that nothing is without risk Recognize that progress is not always measured by moving forward