So you’ve scheduled an appointment to meet with an advisor at the Loeb Center…congratulations you’ve done the most important part! Now you may be wondering how best to prepare for this meeting. Here are some common myths that you should disregard when thinking about your career goals.
Myth: Your major decides your career
Reality: One of the best parts of a liberal arts, open curriculum model is that you can study what you love and still work within any industry. That’s because you’ll inherently be developing critical transferable skills inside and outside of the classroom during your time at Amherst.
Still don’t believe me? Check out our Alumni Directory and see the various career paths and industries that our alumni are working in. You can utilize the advanced search with additional filters, like company name or location, to narrow results even further.
Myth: You need to know exactly what you want to do
Reality: Absolutely not! College is a time to explore, try new things, and reflect upon these experiences. Join a club that seems fun and exciting. Volunteer and give back to the Amherst community. Learn a new language and study abroad. Your interests, values, and strengths are likely to develop and change during your four years, so don’t feel like you need to have all the answers right now.
In addition, you can meet with our Career Community advisors (Arts & Communication, Business & Finance, Education Professions, Health Professions, Science & Technology, and Social Impact) or sign up for their newsletters at any time to further explore your career goals and interests.
Myth: You should only have a resume when you have “real” experiences worthy of showcasing
Reality: Your resume is an opportunity to highlight your different experiences and skills to employers and recruiters. They want you to detail how your high school job, extracurricular clubs, or volunteer experiences have helped prepare you for their role. They are not expecting first or second year students to have completed prestigious internships.
Being accepted into Amherst is an amazing achievement that you earned! Be confident in highlighting all of your great accomplishments and schedule an appointment with myself or our PCAs if you feel like you need a little extra support.
