Students explore majors to boost job potential

MIDDLETOWN — Middlesex Community College hosted a festive career and resource fair for local college and high school students Oct. 11 to explore specialized job and program options. The seventh annual event, “What can I do with a major in ... ,” gave more than 250 attendees an opportunity to meet directly with program coordinators in at least 30 of the more than 60 associate degree and certificate programs offered at MxCC, according to a press release.

Recent statistics show that around one-third of college graduates do not work in jobs that need a college degree. Community college students often can declare a major when they enroll, but they may not be fully aware of the career choices in their chosen field, according to MxCC. Some students may be enrolled in the general studies program and are still searching for getting an edge over the competition.

The purpose of the event was to showcase academic programs to prospective and current students seeking to boost career options and seek majors with potential high earning and employment, such as chemical engineering. Several of MxCC’s programs offer career pathway credit courses in specific fields to help guide students to focus on future job options they may not even know exist, the release said.

Associate Professor Rebecca Rist-Brown, coordinator of the criminal justice program with a display at the event, explained students unsure of their career focus can enroll in the Careers in Criminal Justice course.

“In this course, students can explore the physical, intellectual and psychological demands associated with obtaining and maintaining a career in the field of criminal justice,” RistBrown said in a prepared statement. “They can learn about the various types of job opportunities available in the courts, corrections, law enforcement community and even more specialized areas such as information security,” she said.

Jacob Murphy, a firstyear student from Haddam and former home-schooled student originally from California, who is majoring in engineering science at Middlesex, is thinking of taking criminal justice courses to complement his tech degree.

“I came here to check out other engineering disciplines, such as chemical engineering, and also look into the criminal justice field to see how it can perhaps help me with a lucrative career in cybersecurity or forensics,” Murphy said in the release.

He plans to transfer to UConn or another college in Connecticut after graduating from MxCC.

For information, visit mxcc.edu.