MAJOR advice
The best sources of information on colleges, careers
For high schoolers looking for advice about what to study in college, the most common place to start may be with friends or family or their school counselor. New research finds there are better, more reliable sources for kids to turn to.
The surprising implication of a new study from Gallup and the Strada Education Network is that the most commonly cited channels of advice in choosing a major are not necessarily rated the most helpful. Put simply, the most valued sources of advice are the least used. More than half (55 percent) of people who attended college surveyed relied on advice from their social network of friends and family. Forty-four percent turned to formal sources including college and high school counselors, while 32 percent sought help from informal educational sources such as a non-advisor or faculty member. The smallest number, 20 percent, asked for guidance from employers or people with work experience in the field.
The most helpful advice (83 percent found it helpful) came from employers or people with work experience — the least common source. Informal school-based advice was found helpful by 78 percent of people; family and friends were helpful 72 percent of the time. Formal school counselors were helpful least often, only 64 percent of the time. “The irony is that tra- ditional, formal sources of advice may not always be the best,” said Bran- don Busteed, executive director of education and workforce development at Gallup.
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For students, finding and talking with someone who is employed in a chosen field can reap huge benefits. “Ask them about what they do, how did they get where they are now, what path did they take,” Busteed said.
Parents can help by encouraging kids to take time to speak with people in their desired career paths. Educators can turn the idea into a teaching assignment, asking students to interview someone who is employed in the field, Busteed said. People who sought advice from professionals in their desired field of work were less likely to have second thoughts about their college major, the study found. This was especially true for students in STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and math.
“The good news is that highly rated advice doesn’t have to come from a professional advisor,” Busteed said. “All of us can step up and play a role. Employers, you have an important role to play, too.”