Community College To Ivy League Starts With Career Goals

Many students enter community college with no clear idea of what they want to major in or what university they should transfer to.

This is not terribly surprising.

With no real knowledge of the working world to help you determine the direction that is right for you, how can you possibly decide what you want to do with the rest of your life?

And how would you be motivated to transfer from community college to Ivy League?

(You could always read the benefits of transferring from community college to Ivy League on my salespage for the ultimate community college transfer guide).

Of course there are always students who seem to enjoy some kind of freakish predestination.

You know, the ones who knew they wanted to be doctors, lawyers, or teachers before they even started walking and talking.

But the majority of students really don't know what they want to do in their professional lives, much less what type of occupation or college degree will provide the challenges and rewards that make for a fulfilling career.

That doesn't mean you can't use your stint at community college to begin establishing career goals, though.

Establishing Career Goals in Community College

As you fulfill your general education requirements you'll no doubt see patterns emerge concerning not only your strengths and weaknesses, but also the subjects that interest you.

And this can be an indicator of the direction you will go.

If, for example, you have a penchant for writing and communication and you love watching and participating in team sports, you might be inclined to think about a career path that includes both, such as a sports writer, commentator, or on-air personality, a coach, or even a physical therapist, if you also like helping others.

Perhaps you could become a grant-writer for non-profit organizations that bring sports programs to underprivileged youth.

As you can see, there are many options, even for these limited criteria.

Before You Start Planning - 3 Key Considerations

If you want to start planning a path that will lead to a fulfilling career there are several things you need to consider.

First, you should take into account where your academic strengths lie.

• Do you excel in language and arts?
• Are you more comfortable with math and science?
• Are you more creative or technically minded?

While you can certainly attempt to develop the skills that you are lacking during your 2 year community college education, you may also want to focus on making your current skillset the best it can be in order to obtain a competitive edge when it comes to your schooling and your eventual career trajectory.

You'll also want to take your personal interests into account. Maybe you are concerned about the environment. Paired with a proclivity for scientific pursuits, you could have an exciting career in green technology ahead of you.

Both your academic strengths and personal interests are important when selecting a potential career path.

Of course, you can't forget about finances.

Having a career that is personally rewarding is one thing, but you also need to pay the bills (including your student loans).

So while you might find botany appealing both intellectually and emotionally (if you love working with plants), you should take a moment to consider that most botanists are stuck traveling for short-term contract jobs that include such joyful work as cataloging seeds. Yeah.

And that's the botanists that can actually find work.

While websites like how2become can definitely help you to advance your career after school, they won't be able to do much for students that choose a major that leads to few job opportunities and limited pay.

So be realistic about your financial expectations in addition to your academic strengths and personal interests when selecting a field of study.

This will help you to establish career goals that will fulfill all of your professional needs.

Once You've Found Career Options, You'll Be More Likely To Transfer To Ivy League

Like I said before, transferring from community college to Ivy League requires motivation.

Nobody just transfers from a community college to Cornell University without having motivation.

And finding out what you really want to do, or at least having an idea of a larger goal to work towards will help keep you motivated to work hard and become a top student at community college.

In the end, you'll be happier that you had career goals that were something to work towards rather than doing nothing because you can't make up your mind.

If you don't agree or completely agree, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

I would love to hear your opinion or career aspirations 🙂

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