Before you make a major life decision like choosing a major, it's important to be self-aware of certain personality traits. Each field has a different set of traits that make a person the ideal worker in it. Before you spend= four years of your life and possibly more time in that career, make sure you have the right personality traits for whatever major you want!
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1. Leadership
Leadership comes in many different shapes and sizes, just like us! Because of its variability, it is one of the most important traits you can look out for before selecting a major. Do you have a tendency to take charge and not take no for an answer? Are you more of a silent leader, or even a follower? Maybe something in between? Each of these personality traits has a place in a different field, but you should be aware of where you fall on the leadership spectrum before deciding on a major. If you want to be a politician, but like hanging on the sidelines, you may want to consider changing your major to something other than political science.
2. Curiosity
Everyone is curious to some degree, but some people are obsessed with learning new things and don't care what the cost is. If that sounds like you, maybe you're destined for a research field. You can research virtually anything, but maybe you're not meant to be on the front lines of mathematics, science, literature, etc. maybe you're meant to stay in the lab, put your nose in a book, or experiment with new techniques to fuel your curiosity and delve into the history of your field.
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3. Creativity
Every field can benefit from more creative minds, but some crave them! If you have a strong creative side, you should take that into consideration when deciding on a major. Determine in which major you will be most useful and where you'll have the most freedom to flex your creative muscle!
4. Endurance
As you know, some careers take longer to get started. Careers in law, politics, and medicine generally take longer to finish schooling and pick up steam. If you're someone with the endurance to wait for your dreams to come true, then those may be good fields for your to study. However, if you are known for getting tired of waiting around and not always following through, you should begin considering alternatives.
5. Attention to Detail
If you're a meticulous person known for being a "perfectionist" you're better suited for certain majors. However, if that is one of your weaknesses, you should avoid fields, for example, a theater director. As a director, you have to be aware of everything going on on stage at once! This can be easy and fun for detail-oriented people, but not so much for others. If you are passionate about theater, or any other number of fields, you can still be involved in it, just in a different role.
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6. Patience
Some fields require much more patience than others, during college and in the workplace. For example, if you're majoring in Special Education, you'll need to be someone who is patient and understanding toward others. In another way, if you want to become a doctor, you'll have to be patient as you work through medical school and complete your residency before pursuing exactly what you want to do.
7. Team Work
Colleges and employers really value good team players! If you've always loved group projects and work well with others, or if you're the exact opposite, you should take notice. Some jobs require you to be more buddy-buddy with your co-workers, whereas in other fields you can do your own thing. Figure out which method you prefer before selecting a major.
Hopefully looking into these personality traits will help you reach a decision about your college major! What do you plan on majoring in? What about your personality makes that the perfect fit?
