You Are Not Your Major

Our lovely editor in chief recently shared a list of article ideas with our chapter of The Odyssey, and one stuck out in particular: “I’m a Communications major and no, I did not choose it because it was ‘easy’”. This really baffled me and struck a deep chord. Sure some of the basics, like learning how to give different speeches and how to give an engaging speech, are somewhat common knowledge and very easy to learn. But there are also, believe it or not, theories for communicating.

There are different theories for how small groups function within a professional setting. Theories for communicating across different identities and cultures. And, maybe most obviously, there are theories for different types of communication within an organization and theories for communication between genders and sexes. So, along with all the fun speech writing and delivering, there is also the same memorizing of facts, theories, people, years, etc. as there is in science and social studies majors. So what your homework was sometimes "easier" compared to other majors. They're just jealous.

There are also very few jobs out there that do not require you to communicate in some way, shape, or form. Being a Communications major, as well as an English major, has made me one of the most effective people to communicate-- and communicate well at that-- within any organization. Believe it or not, there are cultures that communicate in passive ways, just as there are cultures that communicate in the most blunt and direct ways possible. And in the business world, sometimes those cultures collide. Someone who has studied communication will know this, and probably will know to err on the side of caution and extreme politeness when interacting in order to maintain a good relationship. Any area of work needs this knowledge in order to continue to function well. Otherwise, relationships can be severed and workflow can come to a halt because of miscommunications.

If you're a Communications major and you've received the proverbial "what kind of job can you do with that?" or "is there any money in that?", don't let that deter you. Your knowledge and skills will be invaluable to any company you work at. But also, life is so much more than your work. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely people who derive their happiness from their work, and that is awesome. I think it would be wonderful to have a job that makes you smile every morning when you wake up. But we all know that isn't the reality.

Your happiness and sense of purpose don't necessarily have to be derived from your communications job, but you chose the major for a reason. And I'm assuming that reason and this major make you happy, otherwise, why would you continue with it? You have friends and family to do activities and go on adventures with, and hobbies to entertain you in your quiet hours. There is a whole world out there beyond a job or a major title. Don't let the haters bring you down. Transform their negativity into positive energy put towards finding an amazing job, or investing in yourself in some other way. You are more than just your major/job, but be proud of what you chose to do. Because you're the one who chose it and did all the work to get you there.