Students blog

Whether you're about to start college, currently navigating your college years, or taking a gap year, you might be wondering about your future. Choosing a major and career path can feel overwhelming, almost like a life-or-death decision. I want to share my experience with a career path that some might consider "boring" or "difficult" and how sticking with it has shaped my journey. Many people switch majors or struggle to find their direction, so I’ll walk you through my decision-making process and offer insights into finding your own path. 

My journey began with a process of elimination. I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor or a lawyer, so I initially thought business might be a good fit, especially since both of my parents were in business careers. I was good at math, enjoyed working with numbers, and liked the idea of having objective answers. That’s why my dad suggested accounting. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to take an accounting class in high school, which set me on this path. 

At the time, I didn’t fully understand what accounting entailed. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college, during my first internship, that I truly grasped the field. What attracted me was the stability of the job, the good salary, the necessity of interacting with people, and the teamwork involved. Despite its reputation, accounting doesn’t involve that much complex math— mostly addition and subtraction. What I loved was the system and structure that accounting 
provides, and the fact that the more you practice, the better you become. 

Initially, I wasn’t skilled at accounting, and I used to believe you needed to be naturally good at something before pursuing it. But college is a time to explore interests and align them with your goals. If you find that you’re not enjoying your chosen path, consider shadowing or interning to gain real-world insights, as classroom experiences often differ from actual work. Many accountants didn’t love their accounting classes but find satisfaction in their careers. If you decide you want to switch fields, it’s best to do so sooner rather than later, ensuring it aligns with your values and long-term goals. 

Remember, discovering your path is a process, and it’s okay to evolve along the way. The key is to stay open to learning and adapt as you go. 

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Making the decision to go to college can be a challenging one for many individuals. People pursue higher education for various reasons, often revolving around job opportunities and career support that can shape their future. It's crucial to keep your goals in mind throughout your college journey and understand why you're there. For me, the primary objective was to ensure job security and I knew getting a good internship experience would be important. Here are four tips that helped me discover internship opportunities.

Engage in the Process

The initial step in landing an internship is to proactively put yourself out there, starting as early as possible. Even if it's just for practice, engaging in this process prepares you for the real deal. Attending career fairs at your school, especially those tailored to your major, is a fantastic idea, as it demonstrates your proactive approach and a clear understanding of your priorities, even as a freshman. Drawing from my own experience as an accounting major, attending career fairs as a freshman allowed me to engage with prominent accounting firms.

Be Professional

During career fairs, presenting yourself professionally is crucial. Dress appropriately, bring resumes to distribute to those you engage with, and inquire about opportunities suitable for your age and experience level. Don't forget to smile, share a laugh, find common ground, and collect business cards. Once it is over, follow up with a polite email to leave a lasting impression for future encounters. Building connections at these events, even if the timing isn't perfect for internships, establishes a foundation for future opportunities and networking in the professional world.

Build a Network

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t find many internship opportunities during your freshman year. Joining an accounting and finance professional fraternity on campus exposed me to more networking opportunities, leading to numerous offers from top firms during my sophomore year. Joining other campus organizations outside your academic interest is another effective way to expand your network.

Utilize LinkedIn

Build your LinkedIn profile as soon as you start college and then use it to connect with everyone you meet at career fairs, professional organization events, etc. These connections may lead to job recommendations and offer insights into securing internships and jobs. I highly recommend connecting with as many people as possible on such platforms, expanding your network beyond the confines of your campus. This played a crucial role for me in securing a prestigious internship with the world's largest Big 4 accounting firm for the summer after my sophomore year. That was followed by a return offer, which set the stage for a seamless transition to a full-time job upon graduation!

Securing that initial opportunity is undeniably challenging, but once you do, you're on the path to a potentially stable career. Even if you discover during an internship that it's not your ideal fit, the experience on your resume will undoubtedly set you apart in future job searches.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

On October 18th my whole life changed – aside from turning 20 years old the day before. I already had a lot going on in my collegiate life. I was in the Honors College, a candidate for Beta Alpha Psi, applying for internships, and working as Pearson Campus Ambassador. I was also vice president of the club tennis team and an intramural basketball champion. With all that, I also carved out time to hang out with friends.

Then I spontaneously decided to try out for my school’s Women’s D1 Basketball team, and I made the team! Little did I know what kind of challenge that was going to be, not only competing at this high level after taking a year off of basketball, but also how to balance this new endeavor with everything else going on in my life.

First thoughts were all excitement about making the team, until I became super overwhelmed. Basketball alone was stressful enough with trying to play catch-up while everyone else had already been practicing together for months. It took me a while to even think about how it was affecting the rest of my life, especially my classes. It is way too easy to forget about everything besides the D1 sport you play.

With this new addition to my life, sacrifices had to be made. No more intramurals, no more club tennis, less time with friends, and a change on schedule for internships. But, looking from a larger perspective, I’ve still made many memories and friends that I can keep forever who are very supportive. I’ve had to substitute virtual learning for a few in-person classes that conflicted with practices, but thankfully with technology I can watch lectures online for the most part. Classes have definitely been the hardest part to keep up with but, I was able to make friends in classes and the Honors College who help keep me accountable during this very busy time. The most important thing is to create and maintain a consistent schedule and to truly focus on the “student” part of the athlete, too.

It is easy to get carried away with trying to do more than you can handle. My parents always warned me about doing too much because it can take a toll physically and mentally. You always have to be aware of what you are feeling and realize that you can’t please everyone in everything. Sometimes you just have to take a step back and do something to relax and give yourself a break. Odds are you are way ahead of the game already and can definitely afford a few hours to yourself or with your friends.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!