Student grants for college can lead to different careers than expected

Prospective students seeking grants for education don't have to worry if they decide to switch career paths during college - academic changes are normal, and career services are there to help.

Finding yourself is a main priority
Patricia Hunt, the president of HR consulting firm First Beacon Group, said a student who changes his or her mind during school is not setting up for failure, but rather, in many cases, success. Hunt responded to a question a parent had submitted to The Boston Globe regarding his or her son's expectations for college. Because the boy, a teenager in his last few years of high school, was indecisive about the career path he hoped to take, the parent did not know how to move forward as investing in college would be a costly venture . Hunt shared the advice of Kathleen Hebden, her peer and a college counselor, who believes higher education is much more about self-discovery than about training oneself for a rigidly defined job.

"Although attending college is about securing a job after graduation, it's also an opportunity to self-reflect and get to know yourself ... your personal strengths and weaknesses, the type of work environment that suits you, etcetera," Hebden told the source.

Hebden went on to suggest that acquiring an internship is one of her top tips for college, as taking on extracurricular work can help students know exactly how they feel about industries they are exploring.

Career services can map out plan
Students who find themselves desiring other careers than the ones they prioritized at the beginning of college may do well to reach out to their schools' career development centers, according to U.S. News & World Report. These centers are vital for students seeking full-time employment after graduation as well as those with years to go who want internships on their resumes. They can also help students focus their interests to narrow down a list of potential careers that would be most rewarding and pertain to their individual strengths.

College experts Lindsey and Julie Mayfield said getting connected with career development departments in college is not difficult, and it often relies on as little as making it to a meeting or dropping into the office for a chat with a career counselor during regular business hours. Lindsey Mayfield claimed that the earlier a student begins to visit their career counselors the better - there is always something to work on between resume building, networking and personal growth.

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