What to Do When Your Major and Your Career Choice Don’t Match

You’ve emailed everyone from your boss two summers ago to your stepfather’s sister’s cousin. You’ve searched through what feels like hundreds of job search sites and barely any of the jobs you’ve stumbled across have caught your eye, and then, you come across a job you absolutely love…that has nothing to do with your major, so what do you do?

Do it. Seriously, click apply on that job. Too many students get locked into the idea that their major is something that they have to stick to for the rest of their lives. That, or, they become concerned that they’ll never get the job because they don’t have the necessary qualifications. By preventing yourself from applying to jobs that lie just outside your field of study, you’re missing out on an incredible opportunity to dive into new and exciting interests. (What else is college for??)

Here are a few ways you should approach applying to a job outside of your major.

Remember that your major does not define your career.

Family, friends and complete strangers will have expectations of your career path from the moment you choose your major your first few years in college: “Oh, so you must want to be a [insert completely limited role].” However, you’ll find that many of the people you talk to – from recent grads to older alums – veered away from the career path previously set forth by their major.

Liane Hajduch, Head of University Partnerships at WayUp and a former campus recruiter for Venmo, says that the college candidates who didn’t have majors required for the position were the ones she found to be most successful: “They had a genuine passion and were willing to go the extra mile to prove themselves.”

Candidates who aren’t “trained” in an industry are able to approach it more creatively and find non-traditional and incredible ways of getting results, so if you’re passionate about trying something new, go for it. Your major will not determine your success: You will.

Have a great answer for why you want the position.

As a candidate whose resume and cover letter may not show any obvious relation to the position, you’ll need to have a genuine, convincing answer when your interviewer asks, “Why should we hire you?”

Chances are this position caught your eye because there’s something about it that appeals to your interests. Think about your past experience whether in your classes or in your student groups and try to identify the transferable skills you have that you can market for the position. If the position is asking for someone who is able to handle multiple high-priority tasks at once, talk about how you managed all the demands of your classes and extracurriculars. If the position is asking for someone with leadership skills, talk about that time you lead your team to score the winning game. The more you relate yourself to the position, the more your interviewer will be able to envision you in the role.

Be prepared to start at the bottom.

We’ve talked before about how you shouldn’t let your lack of experience keep you from going for the job you want. At the same time, though, you should also be humble: You will have a lot to learn in a completely new position because you haven’t had the required background for the position. Be prepared to start at the bottom and work your way up.

Taking the chance to veer outside of your field of study will be very rewarding long-term: It will teach you what you’d like to pursue or at the very least, expose you to a new set of professional skills, so go ahead: Step out of your comfort zone.