Caps flying through the air. Hugs being exchanged. A sea of purple robes seen through tear-blurred eyes. The sweltering heat of the late afternoon mixes with the sound of camera shutters and the air is filled with an oxymoronic mix of intense anticipation and the need to stop time and hold on to these four years for just a moment. I don’t know the feeling quite yet, but I can feel it approaching, drawing closer by the day, with only about three months until graduation. In the meantime, some of us are thinking about graduate school or job applications; what a better time than now to remind ourselves of some of the less conventional career paths available to graduates of different majors.

Psychology Psychology is one of the more versatile fields. Graduates with a psychology degree often enter academia as professors or researchers or pursue graduate studies in hopes of becoming counselors or clinical psychologists. These are both necessary and interesting fields to pursue, especially for people with an inherent interest in mental health. However, some of the less conventional choices for psychology graduates include careers in [marketing or consulting] (https://careercenter.georgetown.edu/major-career-guides/what-can-i-do-with-my-major/georgetown-college/psychology/#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20pursuing%20jobs,advertising%2C%20business%2C%20and%20marketing.). For example, a background in psychology, especially social psychology, can equip you with the "people skills" needed for HR consulting and the knowledge about behavioral patterns required to be a market research analyst.

Philosophy Sadly, "What will you do with that degree?" is a question that philosophy majors often encounter. Therefore, it may surprise some people that philosophy students have quite a wide range of options post-graduation. Apart from careers in academia and education, philosophy graduates also often make good candidates for a career in law. Due to the study of logic, as well as extensive practice in analytical writing, philosophy majors have proven to be good candidates for [law school admissions] (https://nationaljurist.com/prelaw/classics-philosophy-majors-do-best-when-it-comes-getting-law-school/#:~:text=Philosophy%20majors%20scored%20sixth%20best,of%20data%20provided%20by%20Muller.&text=%E2%80%9CMore%20rigorous%20majors%20like%20economics,do%20better%2C%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.), often scoring high on the [Law School Admission Test (LSAT)] (https://philosophy.ucdavis.edu/about/quick-facts/lsat-advantage#:~:text=Data%20from%20the%20Law%20School,average%20LSAT%20score%20of%20159.). Finally, business-savvy philosophy students also have a chance of being admitted to MBA programs, due to the transferable skills that a philosophy education provides.

Natural Sciences Depending on one’s specialization, different career opportunities, from academia, through industry research, to medicine are available to graduates in the natural sciences. Additionally, graduates might consider a career in science journalism. Communication between the scientific community and the general public is [extremely important] (https://www.scienceliteracyproject.org/about/why-science-journalism-important) and information can be made more accessible if that communication isn’t limited to journal articles and other academic publications. While these publications are paramount in advancing discovery and research, science journalism helps keep those who don’t read Nature or Cell on a regular basis informed about important discoveries. A background in science and a knack for writing can enable a career in science journalism.

Of course, these are only some of the options available to graduates of different majors. In many jobs, the focus is less strict on the kind of degree one holds but rather on what skills one has acquired along the way. Exceptions exist (such as medical professions or engineering), but employers in many fields hire candidates from broader and more diverse educational backgrounds than one might have expected. It can be daunting to think that maybe, due to one’s choice of major(s), certain professional opportunities are no longer available. Hopefully, this article, while only scratching the surface, can begin to showcase the breadth of possibilities for recent graduates to pursue. May is still a while away, but it’s never too early to reassure yourself that you’ll be just fine.

Morgane S. Motlik is Senior Columns Editor. Email her at feedback@thegazelle.org.