If one’s first career choice is not available, a fallback career can be defined as a second option. In today’s job market, where many jobs are being sent overseas, many college students are opting for a fallback option to increase their diversity as future employees.
In some fields, having a backup plan is absolutely necessary. Careers in the performing or visual arts, or in writing, for example, can be difficult to maintain and may not initially provide enough money to live on. Students who can work part-time while writing the great American novel or pursuing a career as a famous actor or artist will find it much easier to repay their student loans and meet their financial obligations once school is finished.
A college student might pursue a double major to establish a fallback career, so that skills in a second field can compensate for competition in a first field. Alternatively, they may consider other careers in the field in which they are interested. For instance, a budding novelist could major in journalism and work as an editor, or learn to write ad copy, which is a lucrative field. Other less competitive fields in the performing arts, such as managing theaters or working in sound or lighting, are available to the actor or actress.
Students in the sciences may be interested in pursuing multiple fields of study in order to increase their marketability to employers. For example, they might aspire to be zoologists, a highly competitive field. A degree in biology or chemistry, on the other hand, could provide them with backup options.
Others learn a trade as a backup plan rather than pursuing a double major in college. Learning to be a construction worker, a plumber, an electrician, or an HVAC technician can all provide additional career options while waiting for one’s first career choice to take off. Certain jobs can’t be outsourced outside of the United States, so they might be good fallback options. Hair stylists, computer technicians, human resource specialists, therapists, emergency medical technicians, and a variety of other jobs will continue to be needed in the United States.
Taking a few extra classes during or after school can sometimes be enough to provide fallback career options. An English major with computer programming or computer programs like Word, Excel, and Access, for example, can usually fit into an office job without difficulty. Many schools also offer certificate programs, which are short-term programs that can be completed before or after college.
Many people consider teaching as a fallback option. While teaching is a rewarding profession, it is best pursued by those who have a genuine desire to work with children, teenagers, or young adults. This fallback career may not be the best choice if teaching is not legitimately interesting to the person considering it.
While it would be ideal if everyone who wanted a job in a particular field was able to find one, this is not the case in many competitive fields. People who are graduating from college may find it advantageous to pursue additional education or training that will make them more marketable employees. Furthermore, more education or training may be beneficial in one’s first-choice career as well as any subsequent careers.