For many young adults, college is a time of exploration and discovery—a chance to deepen interests and explore new passions, all while forging the foundations for future careers. Today’s students, however, are stepping into this phase of life with an acute awareness of the rapid changes reshaping the workplace: the rise of AI across nearly every industry, the emergence of remote and decentralized work, and the increasing interconnectedness of global industry. These shifts are causing young people to question the future of work and how it may impact choices they need to make in college.
Which fields are resilient in the face of change? Which job roles will be most sought after? How do you choose a major that balances personal interest with practical opportunity?
Am I more drawn to a traditional, liberal arts education – a classic college experience that will teach me to write, read, and engage critically across a wide set of areas? Or do changing times necessitate a more targeted and career-driven journey, one that will lead me directly into an exciting and growing industry? How do I combine my academic and personal passions with the desire for a stable career?
At Plan the Path, our students and their families often raise these relevant concerns, so we’ll be exploring them in a new blog series, “Finding Your Fit.” We’ll examine various fields of study —from software engineering to foreign languages and literature—and the ways that students can turn their authentic interests into rewarding career paths.
We’ll dive into new and growing majors that open doors to cutting-edge opportunities in the workplace and beyond, including:
- STEM majors – including Engineering and Computer Sciences, disciplines that open doors to careers in industries ranging from urban planning and telecommunications to pharmaceuticals
- Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, and Health Care, areas poised for significant growth as healthcare needs rise globally
- UX and Instructional Design, innovative and fast-growing fields focused on reimagining how we learn, both in classrooms and beyond
We’ll also explore classic Liberal Arts areas of study that teach students not only how to think and write, but also how to work collaboratively and make connections between ideas and disciplines:
- Arts & Humanities – including Foreign Languages, English Literature and History, which equip students with rigorous theoretical outlooks for understanding their world
- Communications and Marketing, which are shaping the future of business and branding in our increasingly international world
- Social Sciences, which can range from archaeology to social work, linguistics to political science, and often straddle both the data-driven and human-focused worlds
Our aim is to help you identify areas of study that challenge and excite you while also preparing you for the new realities of the modern workplace. For some, this might mean pursuing a double major—one rooted in practicality and the other driven by personal passion. For others, it’s about finding a field where both intersect naturally. “Finding Your Fit” is here to help you think through these decisions, explore your options, and find inspiration in fields that are shaping the future. Join us for a closer look at the possibilities ahead.