Double majors buck not being a one-trick pony

One-trick pony personifies being limited to a single talent, capability or quality according to Dictionary.com. With back-to-school upon us, it can be easy to gravitate toward academic topics that come easy to us and avoid challenging subjects. This is the opposite strategy to pursue when planning for future job stability and earnings.

This May’s Wall Street Journal article, “Why It Pays to Be a Double Major in College” reports that having a more diverse set of skills can help make a student more prepared in landing that first job and in building their professional career.

Many colleges encourage students to consider adding a minor to their major or having a double major. Broadening their education exposes students to new ways of thinking and different team processes.

Currently, Northwestern University reports that 60 percent of students double-major across different curricula. For example, having a double major across the McCormick School of Engineering and the Medill School of Journalism can help the student become a more effective communicator about technology. This increases their skills for future jobs.

An Ohio State University 2024 research study tracked 1.4 million college-educated workers in the U.S. from 2009 to 2019. The analysis reports: “Graduates with double majors seem to experience much more protection from market shocks. They have a wider funnel, a broader set of opportunities to select from, and this seemed to affect their earnings years later.”

The study reveals that students who double major in complementary academic majors, such as history and psychology that are both in the social sciences, had one-third less earning fluctuations than those with a single major in that field.

Students who majored in two unconnected majors, such as chemistry in the natural sciences and political science in the social sciences, had their earnings fluctuate nearly two-thirds less than workers in their same field with just one major.

These correlations between earning potential and varied academic studies are like having a “diversified financial portfolio that can help investors withstand shocks in the financial market and seem to be the case with human capital as well,” according to the 2024 research.

In considering double majors, students can meet with academic advisers and career counseling to discuss options that match their intellectual interests and can build useful skills. Since majors in different academic departments have unique course requirements, it is helpful to identify if there are any overlapping classes that can satisfy each major.

For example, a student pursuing international business and studying Spanish for fluency in the liberal arts could potentially share the foreign language requirements across both majors. The February 2023 U.S. News article, “Double Majors in College: What to Know,” explains that combining the technical training of engineering or business with liberal arts improves critical thinking and communication skills.

This May, Fortune.com reports that BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm, was recruiting beyond the usual STEM major. “Looking at different ways to solve a problem really fuels innovation,” said Robert Goldstein, chief operating officer.

The Fortune article also interviewed George Lee, the co-head of Goldman Sachs Global Institute, who said, “Some of the skills that are really salient to cooperate with this new intelligence in the world are critical thinking, understanding logic and rhetoric, the ability to be creative.”

Lee said artificial intelligence will replace some jobs and create new ones.

Identifying a mentor can guide students into considering double majors that fit with their academic strengths. They can provide insight into how classes and leadership roles can bridge into real-world job opportunities. Mentors can discuss different career paths and identify internships.

Gallup reports that long-term success after graduation includes “experiential and deep learning.” This includes internships that apply classroom learning, extracurricular involvement and classroom projects that take a semester or longer to complete.

Mentors can arrange informational interviews for the student to meet with professionals and alumni. Participating in networking opportunities can influence job pathways. Students should update their resumes and LinkedIn profiles to highlight qualifications as conversational talking points.

College is a journey with lots of twists and turns along the way. With increasing college costs, it is important to be qualified for the evolving job market. Students should plan ahead to identify an academic major as a core focus, while expanding their overall educational coursework.

Pursuing a double major can make a student much more interesting than a one-trick pony.

(Margo Bartsch founded College Essay Coach, a full-service college admission business, and has been an adjunct professor in business at Champlain College and at Middlebury College.)