02/05/2022
My Major is Not My Career is part of BEAMโs campaign to debunk the myth that your major in college dictates your professional career. Alumni speak about experiences that have taken them down unexpected paths and give advice to students who may be feeling daunted by the road ahead.
Marc Thompson โ97 (he/him) left his career in the high-tech financial services industry to pursue his passion for helping others find the path to their best life. He has helped scores of high school seniors identify their best fit colleges and develop their application essays for more than a decade. Drawing upon his previous experience counseling his staff as an engineering manager, Marc also completed his training to become a professional life coach.
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๏ธ His major then: Science, Technology, & Society
โฌ๏ธ His career now: Independent College Counselor
โStanford helped me learn how to network, ask for help, and advocate for myself in a number of ways. From the support of RAs and the Residential Education program, to the advising I received as a frosh and within my department to many late night conversations with dormmates in computer clusters, I was afforded ample opportunities to learn and grow from others around me. Yet, in any career, a college degree can only go so far to teach transferrable skills and 80% of what you end up doing is learned on the job.โ - Marc
