3 criteria more important than scores when choosing a major

Sharing with VietNamNet , Ms. Pham Thuy Chi (career guidance expert) said that "scores can open the door to university", but do not guarantee that candidates will go far with that field/profession in the future.

Some criteria are more important than grades when choosing a major such as: Personal interests, career suitability and career values.

When choosing a major, candidates need to pay attention to many other criteria besides academic performance. Illustration: *Thanh Tung*

First, the chosen major needs to be suitable to the candidate's personal characteristics.

Loving a career is not enough, you also have to see if you have the ability to do that job or not. For example, many people like to be a TV MC but do not have good communication skills... If you want to know if you are suitable, have the ability to do a certain group of jobs or not, during the stage of searching for information to choose, you must definitely find opportunities to try, meet people in the profession to consult, and experience the working environment.

“There are cases where, if you consider the standard scores, you can definitely get into a major related to radio and television, but if the candidate is not an extroverted, sociable and dynamic person, it will be difficult to pursue and succeed. Many students set their admission wishes from top to bottom based on their scores, not their ability to study that major. But in the end, the majors they are admitted to are not necessarily the majors they want to study, and they may even give up easily,” Ms. Chi said. In addition, the job opportunities of that profession in the future also need to be considered.

The training model and quality of the institution with the major that the candidate loves are also important factors. “Many candidates think that if they get into a school with a good 'label', any major is good. That is a misconception. There are groups of schools that are research-based and liberal; but there are schools that focus on practicality in work. Therefore, candidates need to find out if the school model is practice, research or liberal... Along with that, they need to find out about the practice and internship opportunities when studying at that school for the major they want to pursue,” Ms. Chi analyzed.

Ultimately, choosing a career or profession should be related to the professional values you want to pursue. “This depends on your perspective, life ideals and desire to contribute to society,” Ms. Chi said.

Expert Pham Thuy Chi.jpg — Ms. Pham Thuy Chi, educational psychology and career guidance expert.

Thus, according to Ms. Chi, the process of choosing a major to register for includes three steps: first, clearly understand what career or group of jobs you like; next, choose a major that matches that interest; finally, search for universities that offer training in the chosen major.

The expert also noted that candidates need to pay attention to the social context. “Like the context of Vietnam, currently priority is given to industries and jobs related to science and technology, STEM...”, she said.

However, the expert also acknowledged the reality: for students who have just finished high school, defining their interests and passion for a specific career is not easy. “Not many students who have just finished grade 12 can clearly understand what they like and which career is suitable for them. They study a lot but have few opportunities to experience reality, work and correct mistakes. Therefore, the thinking of society in general, as well as that of parents and teachers in particular, needs to change. Only when they experience and interact, will they realize what job is suitable for them,” Ms. Chi emphasized.

Highlighting core competencies

Associate Professor Dr. Pham Manh Ha (psychology and career guidance expert - Hanoi University of Science and Technology) commented that the young generation is facing a labor market where some jobs may disappear after just a few years, but people and core competencies still exist.

“Therefore, effective career guidance must start with deep self-discovery: What is your true strength, what field brings joy and long-term meaning. Passion is not a luxury but the only fuel that helps maintain lifelong learning motivation in the context of rapidly changing technology,” said Mr. Ha.

According to Mr. Ha, along with understanding yourself and your profession in a real way, you must overcome the “flashy shell” of the industry name. “You need to visualize how daily work will take place, what the ratio of creativity and repetitive work is, and most importantly, the position of that industry in the AI era. Fields that are susceptible to automation will gradually narrow their opportunities, while industries in the group that require creativity, empathy, leadership and the ability to make strategic decisions will increasingly expand and pay higher salaries,” Mr. Ha analyzed.

According to Mr. Ha, the third factor that is often overlooked when choosing a major is the training environment. He emphasized that a study program with a suitable philosophy, a quality teaching staff and a culture that encourages practice will determine the person that students will become after four years of university. It is not the degree from a top university, but whether the learning environment helps to maximize potential and build a sustainable network of relationships that is worth considering.

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