multimedia arts or business: which major is better? -- Virtually Advising Q+A

The Q: I dont know which one to choose: a major in multimedia arts or just business. Which one is in high demand out there and which one would you guys recommend?

The A: Unless you're graduating within the next, say, two weeks or so, I wouldn't recommend choosing a major based on how high the demand currently is for a job in that field. The job market can turn on a dime -- heck, look at what happened to so many of those compsci majors who graduated in the late 90s with visions of Mercedes in their heads. It'd be pretty depressing to choose a major just because you think it's more likely to land you a good job when you graduate and then find, once you do graduate, that the market for that job has turned sour. Then you'd be both unemployed -and- filled with regrets. Bleh.

Better, I think, to major in the subject you're genuinely more interested in. If you love multimedia and business equally? Major in both. (If you're not sure yet which you like more, scour your school's course guide to see which major offers classes that intrigue you more -- and, if you're not required to pick your major yet, take advantage of the time you're given to experiment with courses in both majors and see how much you enjoy them.) While you're still in college, also make sure to seek out internships and other experiences that can help you develop your skills and focus your passions for both fields. Doing so will also help you narrow your interests, and will make you a much more marketable job applicant once you've earned your diploma -- regardless of how good or bad the job market is for that field.

Keep in mind, too, that business is an extremely broad major. It'll teach you things that will come in handy pretty much no matter what kind of job you land after you graduate. Business, after all, is what keeps our country's economic wheels grinding, and the better you understand its workings, the more able you'll be to operate (and succeed) within it. I'm not suggesting that business is a better choice as a major -- just because it might seem on the surface to be the more practical choice doesn't make it the right fit for you. I just feel it's important to note that the two majors you noted are pretty different in terms of their scope and the types of knowledge/skills they help you develop.

Good luck with your decision!

—Myles Helfand, General Advisor