You Majored in What?: Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career,   ISBN:9780670020829

Customer Rating: 

This book teaches us to listen to our heart more and discover who we really are rather than depending on some linear and "outside" definition of what we need to do and be. Its helpful for anyone, not just college students. In today's world where young adults are feeling the pressure of knowing they will be graduating from college deep in debt-- this book helps the student stay confident, follow their intuition, relax, and trust the process. You Majored in What? encourages its reader to use college as a time of exploration and uncovering interests, to enjoy and observe the lessons learned along the journey, rather than being only focused on the destination, while at the same time giving step by step instructions on what to do each step of the way.

Customer Rating: 

Have you ever glanced through a book in an attempt to glean the few nuggets it contains? Not this one. "You Majored in What?" breaks the 80-20 rule as it's JAM-PACKED with insight, knowledge, and self-guided exercises that will give you real clarity about your direction in life.

If you're a student, the parent of a student, a returning student, or just wondering what to do now in your life - GET THIS BOOK.

Dr. Brooks is one of the most gifted and intelligent people that reads everything, knows more than most people, and has genuine soul and heart - and it comes through in this book. She is not stingy and freely gives away her knowledge in a language that's easy to understand. You're going to love it.

I wish I had a book like this to read this years ago! In fact, I'm going to spend the weekend curled up on my sofa with my favorite music playing in the background and try out her "mental wanderings" exercise. (Oh, and who knew about not using a highlighter when studying?? Read the book to understand why. :))

Customer Rating: 

Having just been fired from my new job, I was despondently wandering around the public library looking at books in the career and job-hunting section. I picked up a few, but, as is always the case, they were dry & uninspired, didn't apply to me or my situation as much as I'd hoped, and, frankly, made me feel even more despondent. Then I came across "You Majored in WHAT?" in the new books section. I resonated with the question as I'm a double-major in English and Philosophy with a minor in Anthropology ... living in an area where having a college degree has gotten me kicked out of more interviews than I can count (you don't need a degree to use a cash register or fry a burger). I thought it might be a book that was sympathetic to my situation (over-educated in an undereducated town) and would, at least, entertain me for an hour. I was wrong! It was so refreshing, positive, interesting, and inspiring that I actually got tears in my eyes. It gave me hope that somehow, somewhere, someday I'll be working in a job - a career - that makes use of my mind, my education, my talents and my interests. It's okay that, since my graduation, I've been wandering, trying to figure out where I belong and what I should/could be doing. It told me that my way of thinking has NOT been wrong these past few years - I'm allowed to try different things, I'm allowed to be confused, I'm allowed to still be figuring out what I want. Best of all, it showed me that there are others out there like me, those who are wondering what to do with their chosen majors, if it was all worth it, if everything will work out in the long run. This book is long, long overdue and so needed. A breath of fresh air in the all-too-stale world of work. This is a book that I will purchase and refer to again and again when the chips are down, and will recommend to many.

Customer Rating: 

I had the privilege of assisting Dr. Brooks with her Majors in the Workplace course over two semesters at The University of Texas at Austin and saw, first-hand, the amazing results she was able to provoke by exposing the principles in this book to college juniors and seniors. Not only did these students complete the course with greater self-confidence, but they hugely broadened what they believed was possible for them to achieve in the world of work, and had honed and refined the practical skills of resume and cover-letter writing that supported those aspirations.

At a time when career centers typically remain 5-10 years behind the curve in terms of adequately preparing college graduates for the 21st century marketplace outside of the narrow confines of academia, Dr. Brooks offers refreshingly innovative yet hugely practical insights into making the most of any liberal arts major in any kind of job.

Buy this book; apply its principles; then discover how you too can be attractive to today's employers by creating your most compelling self.

Customer Rating: 

"you majored in what?" provides a fresh, detailed approach to career research. about 22 years ago, i needed a career change. i attended counseling classes, and also went through the then-current volume of bolles' ubiquitous "what color is your parachute;" although i was successful in my effort, i wish this book and approach had been available then (yes, even though this book is aimed at graduating college students, i think career-changers could benefit equally from its content). the WCIYP approach is terrific as far as it goes, but it is not as straightforward and freeing-from-stereotypes as would have been helpful to me. "you majored in what?" is an open-ended brainstorming of a sort, with a framework laid out to really allow me to link experience,strengths and interests. the author uses the term "wandering map" to describe the basic tool upon which the "search" is built. "wandering" sounds a little too unfocused to me; i think it really works more like a "brainstorming map." other reviews here provide terrific detail on the content, so i'll stop here.

the book is easy to read and follow, and yet is a complete, detailed description of a confidence-building career search process.