Saturday, November 5, 2011
College students should base their choice of a field of study on the availability of jobs in that field.
College students should base their choice of a field of study on the availability of jobs in that field.Education is the stepping stone for success. In this day and age, the social and economic development of a nation can be ensured only if its citizens have a solid foundation in education. Given the significance of education and the role it plays in the future career options, the decision regarding a field of study in college can be a life changing event. It has been argued that college students should base their choice of a field of study on the availability of jobs in that field. Another school of thought would be to encourage students to take up their field of study based on their known interests, skills and talents. I would go more in favor of the latter choice.The availability of jobs changes from time to time depending on a variety of factors. The state of the national and global economy, the availability of qualified candidates, advances in science and technology, the changing sociocultural and political milieu, all influence the job market. It is difficult to foresee the career prospects after college at the time when one makes the decision. Job openings may get saturated by that time; jobs may become redundant due to changes in the industry; several unpredictable things can happen. For example, someone with no interest in computers and information technology decides to take up a course in computer science in college solely based on high number of jobs available in that field. He or she might find it very difficult to complete the course given the lack of interest in the subject. It is also very likely that employment opportunities dwindle by the time he completes four years of college due to graduates in the past three years and also from other countries filling up the jobs. Jobs may also be outsourced to countries with lower overhead expenses. Then the person is stuck with a costly college degree of which he has no use.Life can be tedious if one is stuck in a job in which one has no interest in. Humans pursue happiness and there is no question that job satisfaction has a significant role in determining some one’s state of mind. It is unlikely that an uninterested worker will be able to bring forth the same amount of productivity from his work when compared to someone who is passionate about their work.Great scientist, inventors and innovators are all people who had true passion in their field of work. It would be a great loss to mankind if these geniuses were forced to choose their line of work solely based on job availability rather than their inherent talents and interests. In summary, I believe that college students should make a thoughtful choice of their field of study based on their interests and talents, rather than the employment opportunities.