• Society

Think of Career Before Choosing Major: Education Expert

• By Song Sotheavy
• December 8, 2022 9:51 AM

PHNOM PENH – Choosing a major in college is an important step for students and should be decided based on their capability, preference, career market and plans to reach their goals. Thus, being aware of demands in a career may help them pick the right major.

Pech Bolen, chief executive officer of Westline Education Group, suggested that students think about their goal major during high school and seek future directions for college to avoid wasting time on the wrong one.

Bolen believes that improving basic skills, secondary skills, foreign languages, technology, general knowledge on Cambodia and ASEAN states, and gaining study major-related experience are important to achieve the career they want.

Their capability to use a foreign language (or more) and technology also help by requiring them to be flexible.

They should have knowledge and a basic skill and know about the field in which they want to work. Leadership, management and teamwork skills are also the foundation of  better performance. 

However, career demands change according to circumstance. Bolen advised students to be aware of how things will change in the future while deciding on the major with a backup plan.

“They should consider a second option, as things don’t always go accordingly to plans. If there is no goal career they have wanted, then what is the second goal career they can achieve?” Bolen said, adding that parents may help with decision-making as schools help with guiding students to understand the future career market.

When the career is different from the major

Bolen encouraged students or people whose career is different from their major to strive for further knowledge related to the job, whether through training, higher education or teamwork.

It can help ensure their performance with the supporting subjects of their major in college. Institutions ought to guide their employees in this sense.

Nevertheless, there is a concern when too many students choose the wrong major because of lacking directions, or work in the wrong field with no commitment to the job. It can be a productivity loss for the economy and the country.

“Studying the right major for them can boost their career development faster because they have already shaped themselves while working. But this is only a positive outcome. Sometimes the job opportunities are not for those who study that major,” Bolen said.

Bolen said a bachelor or master degree does not offer a clear profession for students. It is a basic skill that they can use for work, particularly related to general knowledge and in-depth analysis.

People with good leadership and communication skills can also lead other people regardless of their profession and major, as management skill is not enough for running an institution. The managers should be open-minded for their team’s working efforts.

“Therefore, a profession can be a success for only some of us, but interpersonal, teamwork, critical thinking, creativity and other skills complete the effectiveness of their work,” he said.

All ministries and private sectors are the stakeholders in determining the demands in career these days. Therefore, they all need to jointly develop human resources, and that is youth.

 

Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Meng Seavmey for Cambodianess.