Career Aspirations: Are They Just Business or are Some Personal?

CAREER ASPIRATIONS Are They Just Business, or are Some Personal? When choosing a major and eventual career path, what factors drive us at what stages? Does the childlike wonder of a career as a star quarterback or fireman carry over into high school? Does that dream of being a veterinarian continue through to a college degree? Here, we take a look at what careers drive us at different stages and the results post-graduation. When I Grow Up.. When you're young, your imagination and curiosity are at their most vibrant. Careers in the real world are far away, and you have ample time to explore the many possibilities before you. According to Interim SPORTS 16% Research data, children PERFORMING ARTS 13% age 6 have their sights set on careers in: TEACHING 10% MEDICINE 8% VETERINARY MEDICINE 6% By 8 years old, sports hero dreams begin to PERFORMING ARTS 20% MEDICINE 10% take a back seat: BUSINESS 9% SPORTS TEACHING 6% By ages 12 to 13. business is the top career aspiration (at 60%) for early teens, as they move into more common career-choice aspirations. BUSINESS - 60% Most Popular Majors As college rolls around, picking the right major can be a challenge, but this is where many childhood dreams have the potential to turn into reality. According to the most recent National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the most popular majors by percentage of overall degrees are: 20% Business 10.5% Social 7.9% Health 6.1% 5.9% Management/ Marketing Sciences/ History Professions Education Psychology 5.6% Visual and 3.2% English/ 5.2% Biological/ Biomedical 5.4% 5.2% Performing Arts Engineering Communications Literature Sciences Challenges of Entering the Workforce The transition from graduation to landing your dream job can be a painstaking process. According to a recent survey from Adecco Staffing: of current graduates are working at jobs that don't require their college degrees. wished they started their job 43% 26% searches earlier. of current graduates admit they would have chosen differently to better prepare for the current job market, including: 71% wished they spent more time networking. 29% of current graduates turned to temporary jobs within 6 months of graduation. wished they applied for more jobs prior to graduation. 26% 19% Most Popular Careers Overall, the most common majors and careers share many of the same roots, mostly relative to areas of business, regardless of if the careers fall within the exact specifications of their degrees. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the top 10 most common careers in the United States are: 4,340,000 Retail Salesperson 3,314,010 Cashier 2,943,810 Food-Prep Worker 2,808,100 Office Clerk 2,633,980 Registered Nurse 2,332,020 Waiter 2,299,750 Customer Service 2,143,940 Laborer 2,097,380 Janitor/Cleaner 2,085,680 Secretary/Assistant No matter what degree you end up pursuing, make sure that you end up doing something you like. Planning ahead for the future by applying to as many jobs as possible and networking as much as you can are also wise steps for preparing for a successful future. SOURCES: Interim Research, ASPIRES Project, 2013 www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/education/research/aspires/ASPIRES-Summary-spring-2013.pdr NCES, Undergraduate Flelds of Study Report, 2010 nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/pdt/coe_rsu pdr Adecco, Adecco College Graduate Survey, 2011 www.adeccousa.com/articles/Adecco-College-Graduate- Survey.htmi ?id-1818uri-/pressroom/pressrel eases/pages/torms/allitems. aspxatempiateuri-/Aboutus/pressroom/Pages/Press-release.aspx Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment for Largest U.S. Occupations, 2013 money.cnn.com/2013/04/01/news/economy/jobs-wages/index.html RASMUSSEN COLLEGE This Infographic was created by Column Aive for Rasmussen College