Musicians, Heres How to Make a Living Doing What You Love

Musicians, Heres How to Make a Living Doing What You Love Sign up successful Practice, practice, practice. We know you probably hear this enough from your teachers, but your practice hours are crucial to your sound. It’s what attracts fans and keeps your calendar booked, so before you start your gigging endeavors, make sure you’ve mastered your performance. You need a solid web presence.  In order to line up your first few gigs, you have to put your talent in front of a lot of eyes and ears. One of the best (and cheapest) ways to do this is by promoting yourself online. There are many marketing tools available for musicians, but don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to utilize them all. Just focus on these few, and you will have a stronger impact. Find a website builder. You don’t have to be tech-savvy to have a great place to host your music. There are several website builders that make it easy to plug your media into a beautifully designed template. You’ll want to choose one that is mobile-friendly, can be easily customized, and offers stylistic flexibility. We recommend Bandzoogle because it’s built specifically for musicians to add downloadable music files, gig calendars, and band merch. Having a beautifully designed website is an excellent way to gain more fans. Use your social media. Your social platforms are a great way to engage your audience and attract new fans. You can notify followers of your upcoming shows, get feedback from past performances, and even find out what kind of music they’d like to hear in the future. And by activating the new Facebook call-to-action button, you can get booked directly from your page! To truly maximize your opportunities, consider going outside of your own social media feeds. When you connect with other local performers, venues, and community groups, you’re exposing your business to their followers as well. Liking other posts instead of just asking users to like yours creates a more direct relationship with those users. Get gigs by playing gigs. At the beginning of a gigging career, often times artists will put on free shows to get started. These performances are typically in smaller, more intimate venues such as coffee shops, libraries, or house parties. Although these are unpaid gigs, they can still offer other valuable benefits. Any gig opportunity helps boost your stage presence, earns you the spotlight, and gives you a chance to recruit more fans. Surround yourself with musicians. Not only do you get a chance to chat with people who have the same interests, but you can also learn a lot from these conversations. The music scene is constantly evolving, and your fellow musicians can keep you updated on the latest trends and tips that have helped them. This also gives you a great opportunity to create mutual referrals for future gigs. Connect with venue owners. Venue owners come in contact with a ton of musicians, so it’s important to make yourself stand out. Introduce yourself in person, and be sure to leave them a link to that great website you’ve created to promote your music. Because of their heavy workload, it’s a good idea to send them a follow-up email if you haven’t received a response after a few days. There are a lot of tips out there for musicians who are just starting their gigging careers, and it can feel daunting to consider all of them. Every musician is unique in their journey to success, so make the moves that feel right for you. By perfecting your talent, creating a strong web presence, and connecting with the right people, you can considerably boost your gigging opportunities. Readers, what other strategies do you use to find music gigs? Let us know in the comments! Post Author:  Tessie Barnett Tessie Barnett is the content writer for GigSalad, an online platform for artists to promote their talent, connect with event hosts and planners, and get booked for private and public gigs ranging from weddings and parties to corporate events and festivals. As the largest entertainment booking platform in the U.S. and Canada, GigSalad helps talented people do what they love. Photo by  Lauren Liggett Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

Thanksgiving Fun Facts for You to Know this Year

Thanksgiving Fun Facts for You to Know this Year Now that weve successfully navigated Halloween, its time once again to look forward to the gravy-filled joy that Thanksgiving is sure to bring. Prior to the winter holiday madness, Thanksgiving kicks off a season that, for many, represents food, fun, football, and family. But there is so much more to it than that. How much do you actually know about Thanksgiving? There was no turkey at the beginning Your Thanksgiving Day knowledge should begin with the birdhowever, the first Thanksgiving did not. Deer, birds, and seafood made an appearance, though none of them were stuffed inside of one another (Turducken, anyone?). The Presidents role? You might also want to know that it is the U.S. Presidents job to pardon a turkey on Thanksgiving Day, preventing it from being eaten. This tradition began in 1989 with President Bush (although some say it began in 1947 with President Truman). President Obama pardoned a turkey named Courage who then served as the Grand Marshal of the Disneyland Thanksgiving Day parade. Our potential national bird If you think the eagle is regal, maybe you would have also enjoyed the turkey, which some believe was Ben Franklins choice for the national bird. Though we eat approximately 46 million of them each Thanksgiving, it could have been an interesting choice. In a letter to his daughter, Franklin wrote that the eagle had bad moral character. The turkey, he said, was a much more respectable bird. The reason for the season If youre grateful for Thanksgiving, you can thank Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman responsible for writing Mary Had a Little Lamb. In 1863, she convinced President Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. All of this followed nearly 30 years of a letter writing campaign begging for holiday status. What day again? One day is nothing though the first Thanksgiving included so many people that it lasted for three days! Ever wonder about the date? President Roosevelt moved it up a week in 1939 in an effort to boost the shopping season during the Great Depression era. He couldnt quite get it to catch on and moved it back two years later. Ready, set, hut! If youre one of the many Americans watching football on Thanksgiving, you may have noticed that the home teams dont exactly change. The Detroit Lions have hosted a game each year since 1920, and the Dallas Cowboys have hosted since 1966 though the league added a third hosting team in 2006. Where else has turkey been eaten? You can consider yourself in good company if youre enjoying turkey this Thanksgiving season astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin ate it during their time in space, which is pretty good for a bird that cant even fly. The origin of the name Thanksgiving Day probably shouldnt come as a surprise to the turkey, who is referred to, at only 12 weeks-old, as a fryer-roaster. The name, turkey, actually came from Europeans who enjoyed the guinea fowls imported to the continent by Turkish merchants. Hence, they ended up calling them turkeys. [RELATED: 5 Ways to Stay Motivated Over the Holidays] So, no matter where youre celebrating this year, take a moment to reflect on the ever-so-interesting history of American Thanksgiving, a holiday filled with delicious food, family, and football. Take time to enjoy yourself and give thanks but give yourself a break as well. This school year is only getting started! Happy Thanksgiving! Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

How to Choose the Right Tutoring Services for Your Kid

How to Choose the Right Tutoring Services for Your Kid Every child is a blossom which should not be nipped in the bud without care for proper education. Kids may face doldrums, if they are allowed to bear a negative attitude towards school work. Parenting includes the major issue of searching for a good tutoring service. In case of the child wanting in learning capacities. How to make the right choice and provide the best for the kid is a burning question indeed. What is the problem with your kid? The foremost important issue is the diagnosis of the problem areas of your kid. Is the child crippled with learning disabilities? Or, does it face problems in understanding specific subjects or areas of the subjects? Does the child lack in organizational skills or study skills? Is there anything in the school background disliked by the child? These are certain questions to be probed into and wherever you find yes for the questions. You can understand that you seek the tutoring services accordingly. It is also good to consult the concerned school teacher in your decision making agenda. Top 10 ideas to explore career options for high school kids while homeschooling Specifications about the tutoring services If the child suffers from some attention problem or visual defects. In which case it is good to approach a center. This provides one- on- one tutoring. It can strengthen the confidence of the kid. If it is a mild set back in a subject, just clarifications and guidance. Peer tutoring with the evidential apprehended learning of the same topic will do. If the problem is a bit more serious, where the child really struggles and needs some essential push back, professional learning centers with their expert schedules, skills and teaching experts are recommendable to pull up your kid to safer zones of learning. Normally, online tutoring helps your child get the expected strength to meet the expectations of schooling with its optimized tech support. What should you look for tutoring services? The primary thing to do is to look into the heart of the kid and know the kids choice in deciding the tutor. If the child is much particular with the privacy, you may go in for a private tutor. Still, a location that renders the atmosphere of learning without any hitch is a good option, providing ample motivation for your kid. Aside all these, a tutor online is a definite choice for the flexibility he contains in timing and the potentials he proves with his visual and audio aids. Anyhow, it is good to know whether the learning center has unbeaten records of expert tutor panels with experience and great communication skills to explore the heart and the mind of the kid and come out with better results. The center instructions to the tutors in terms of educational values and sets of skills with training strategies are mandatory, as they stand as the true credentials for the success of the tutoring centers. Communication with the parents in the form of regular feedback and response calls for the concerns of the parents are a must in tutoring services and online tutors prove their best in this regard with their immediate responses. Tutoring services online are highly successful for they cater to the dictates of the parents and kids effectively and online math tutoring is exceptionally beneficial in this category. Tutor Pace provides solutions for kids learning problems with its online tutoring services. The online tutors of Tutor Pace are well versed in solving the problems faced by kids. Visit our website and learn more about us and our expert service in math online tutoring.

GCSE English Courses For Adults

GCSE English Courses For Adults Studying English GCSE as a Mature Student ChaptersWhat Type Of GCSE Courses Are Available To Adults?How Expensive Is It To Re-sit A GCSE Exam?How Do I Study Towards My GCSE When Not Attending School?How Will A GCSE Benefit Me Later In Life?When you think of a GCSE student, you automatically think back to your teenage self. However, it is possible, and quite common, for adults to enrol on GCSE courses too for a number of reasons.A ‘mature’ GCSE student may be an eighteen or nineteen-year-old looking to enter the workplace for the first time but finding it hard to meet the requirements of the posts of their choice due to poor grades, or an older professional who needs a new set of skills or qualifications to move into a particular area of specification for work (i.e. an individual who might have taken a GCSE in Graphic Design but now feels that a Textiles GCSE would benefit them as they try to enter a fashion-related design career).As many of you will already know, GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education . The qualification, which may be known to you as O Levels, is a compulsory course taken across a two-year period by UK students aged roughly between fourteen and sixteen years-old.It is this nationwide recognition of the study programme which makes its results so vital, since they are one of only a handful of officially determined benchmarks indicating one's academic abilities.Employers use these grades, along with any further qualifications awarded, to assess a person’s suitability for a particular role.Whilst GCSEs are traditionally taken by the dozen, and include a set of core subjects (namely English, Maths and Science), it is more likely that adults looking to gain a new GCSE qualification or re-sit a past exam will only pick one or two subjects to focus their attention on. This is often because they are completing the programme alongside a full or part-time job, or have limited time to dedicate their studies as a result of having a family to look after.However, the most com mon scenario is that they only actually need to advance their education in one particular area of study.Are you after a GCSE in literature? Learn how to focus exclusively on great works targeted to the exam!  Hire English tutors  to help you up your grades!GCSEs are normally studied in the dozen, but adult learners might just focus on one area. Photo credit: LifeSupercharger via Visualhunt CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5 .00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat Type Of GCSE Courses Are Available To Adults?As already mentioned, adult learners tend to return to education to support their professional careers. This is often because they did not originally take the GCSE course seriously and subsequently did not work hard enough to attain good grades.However, this could also be a consequence of not having had the academic ability back then to achieve a certain grade and wanting to try again now to see if they can improve.As an adult learner returning to education, you can attend classes at a school or college either part or full-time, or alternatively you can opt to work from home, enrolling yourself on a distance-learning course and registering your details at your nearest examination centre.Want to know where to find the best online GCSE study materials?A wide range of courses are available to learners of all ages in line with the current specifications, and some paid courses might include private tuition for a reasonable fee.It is always advisable to look for English tuition if not receiving one-to-one contact from a teacher during your course, because they can offer you feedback and tips to support your individual learning needs. Yet another adv antage of hiring an English tutor is that they will no doubt be more familiar with the present course structure and how work is assessed than you (factors which have most likely changed since you were a student since the education system is ever-evolving).If you do not have much teacher/student contact during your course, consider hiring a private tutor who can offer guidance. Photo via VisualhuntYou can do GCSE courses at further education colleges, adult education centres, libraries or via other training providers (on and offline). To find out which establishments offer English courses, you can carry out online searches and then request details of the course specifics directly from your preferred places of study. Courses usually last around 36 weeks and students can make full use of the department’s facilities.If you have limited time to attend classes, then an iGCSE English Edexcel programme could be a suitable option for you as many of the specifications do not require the sub mission of coursework/controlled assessments.As with many other independent learning courses, you must find a centre which is willing to accept you as a private entry student and allow you to take your exam at their facilities. When learning independently, you may find it useful to revise using materials produced by the exam board you are enrolled on.Reviewing past GCSE papers can offer great help for English exam preperation!However, since many textbooks or online materials suggest taking part in group discussions or speaking to teachers as part of the revision process, you may find it useful to find a local study group where you can discuss the modules with peers on the same course and in similar situations to yourself.Moreover, student forums can be a great place to exchange concerns or queries about course-related matters.If you opt for an online GCSE course offered by a training provider, the fees could be quite high and you will still be required to find an examination centre and pay for the assessment itself on top of the tuition fees you have already paid out for.It should be noted that you may be required to attend an interview prior to being accepted on a course too. This is to check that you have the correct core skills to be able to work comfortably towards the qualification or if a pre-GCSE course may be required to get you up to the required standard.Learn why it is so important to check exam timetables and marking schemes!How Expensive Is It To Re-sit A GCSE Exam?The UK government website states that, if you are over the age of sixteen and have left school, you do not need to pay to study English or Maths at GCSE level, although Discretionary Learner Support income is available to some pupils’ cases where a fee applies. This is because the government recognises that basic reading, writing and maths skills are necessary for most jobs or for further study.A typical online course costs in the region of £300, and some establishments offer multi-b uy discounts allowing you to study two or more subjects for a small additional fee.Before signing up for extra study courses, learn all you need to know about sitting GCSE!Where a course fee is applicable, then your chosen place of study may offer a 'pay as you learn' scheme or allow you to pay the sum in pre-arranged instalments throughout the course of the study programme.You may be wondering how you will pay for your course. Photo credit: kenteegardin via Visual HuntHow Do I Study Towards My GCSE When Not Attending School?There are many ways in which you can approach your studies, but the most important thing to bear in mind is that this is probably your second and last attempt at your GCSEs, therefore you must try your hardest to do all that you can to reach your desired grade. As such, as many revision websites, textbooks, lectures or discussions should be sought to support your learning.As previously touched upon, you may or may not have the opportunity to spend time with a pr ivate English tutor or to participate in study groups. If this is the case, you should go out of your way to find other pupils like yourself with whom you can have academic discussions with.When you sign up for a course, there may be a chance to make contact with others on the programme.CGP offer some really useful revision guides for a range of subjects, including English, yet exam boards like Edexcel, for example, have their own study materials readily available to purchase.As well as consulting revision resources, you could consider finding relevant texts at your local library, joining reading groups or going to watch speakers talking about themes related to your topics.Get concise information on GCSE English Language in his handy guide!How Will A GCSE Benefit Me Later In Life?GCSEs have been for many years, and still are, important benchmarks of the U.K. education system.Employers to this day still like to know what kinds of grades you achieved in these exams, even if you have a set of A Levels and a degree which followed them.GCSEs say a lot about you and your work ethics. They also provide an insight into your basic literary and numeracy skills, which could be vital aspects of a role which you are applying for.If, for example, you are applying for a Marketing role which involves vast amounts of tweeting but you only have a 'D' in your English GCSE exam, your interviewer may question whether you have the basic literacy and communication skills required to perform these tasks well (even though you may well have excelled in a Marketing A Level or degree).The difference between you having a 'D' grade and a 'B' could make all the difference in an employer believing in your potential.Similarly, if you are already employed but are looking to specialise in another area of your business, a GCSE could be what you need to progress into that domain. Your employer might help you to make the necessary arrangements and allow you time off work to study, or you might be expected to take the work on in your own time.Either way, your new GCSE exam will be proof that you have reached a certain level of expertise in a particular specification, and you can start adding this qualification to your CV as soon as your result is published.Find your English tutor with Superprof.

Fun Chemistry Facts The Science they dont Teach you at School

Fun Chemistry Facts The Science they don’t Teach you at School Some of the Most Amazing Facts Chemistry Offers ChaptersWhen Chemists Invented things by AccidentReally Incredible Chemistry Facts about Your BodyAtoms: Some Totally Mind-Blowing FactsFun Facts about Acids and Alkalis!Let’s put the theoretical and analytical problems of chemistry aside for a moment. Let’s forget about your next equation, or the diagram you are supposed to be working on. Let’s leave your experiment or calculation to another day and clear your mind of all those important chemistry words you need to learn.Rather than thinking about moles, chemical compounds, or transition metals, let’s focus on the fun parts of chemistry, the amazing bits, the reason why you chose a course in the chemistry department in the first place.Chemistry is not all Avogadro, covalent bonds, or functional groups. It is inspirational. Let’s take a look at some of the most amazing facts in chemistry.The dichotomy between acids and bases that will dominate any basic chemistry courses is fascinating. But what’s fun is that, in this top ic, the world of chemistry is so evident in nature, in the living things around us.Take bees and wasps, the two villains of summer days â€" one bumbling but painful, the other evil-looking and vicious. These insects are the perfect mates, really, as they are also chemical opposites. The sting of a bee is acidic, whilst that of a wasp is alkali! So, technically, the best way to help a bee sting is to get stung by a wasp â€" in the same place! â€" and vice versa. This should neutralise the pain!Bees and wasps are chemical opposites. Chemistry is everywhere!If your thirst for chemistry knowledge is still not yet sated, try our pieces on the essential chemistry equipment and on all things chemistry!

Most Guitar Strings Changed in One Hour, and Other World Records Ready to be Broken

Most Guitar Strings Changed in One Hour, and Other World Records Ready to be Broken Suzy S. Their songs have been featured in commercials, video games, and TV show trailers, and have earned a long list of award nominations.   And now, after a whirlwind 2-year tour, rockers 30 Seconds to Mars are about to break a Guinness World Record for Most Shows Performed During a Single Album Cycle.   The tour promoted their 2009 album This Is War, and their 300th performance on December 7th of   this year will seal the deal for the world record.   The band has seen so much success thus far, its only fitting to see them achieve this record! In honor of this achievement today were taking a look at some other music-related Guinness World Records.   Here are some of our favorites: Most piano key hits in one minute: The most piano key hits in one minute is 498 and was achieved by Balázs Havasi (Hungary) during the Symphonic Red Concert Show at the Music Academy in Budapest, Hungary, on 29 November 2009. Most No. 1 music videos: Madonna had her ninth No.1 on the US Music Video chart on 24 April 2010 with Sticky Sweet Tour. No popular music artist has had more. Most live concerts in 24 hours (multiple cities): The most live concerts performed in 24 hours in different locations is seven: The Hangar Tour, by rapper Jay-Z performed in seven different cities to promote the release of his new album Kingdom Come (2006, Universal Music) from 7 am on 18 November to 1:15 am on 19 November 2006. The concerts were performed in the following order: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Most guitar strings changed In one hour: The most guitars re-strung in 1 hour is 30, achieved by Glenn Haworth (Australia) at Haworths Shellharbour Music Centre, Albion Park Rail, Australia, on 15 March 2009. Longest career as a music teacher: The world record for the longest working career for a music teacher was set by Charles Wright (USA, b. 24 May 1912) who began teaching piano privately and professionally in 1931. He continued to do so for the next 76 years until he passed away on 19 July 2007, aged 95 years 56 days. Largest Singing Lesson: The largest singing lesson involved 6,651 participants and was achieved by Sweet Adelines International during the 63rd Annual Sweet Adelines International Convention and Competition at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, on 24 October 2009. Largest Kazoo Ensemble: On 14 March 2011, an audience of 5,190 classical music fans at the Big Red Nose Show held in the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK, formed a kazoo ensemble as part of Red Nose Day. Accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra and led by comedienne Sue Perkins, the ensemble hummed-out renditions of Wagners Ride of the Valkyres and Eric Coates Dambusters March. The event was hosted by BBC Radio 3s Katie Derham and Basil Brush. These are just a few of the crazy musical acts that have earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, and we can only imagine what other stunts will be thought up next.   For all of the aspiring artists out there why not dream big?   Maybe you could join in and earn a world record yourself. Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

Wear Out - Phrasal Verb of the Day

Wear Out - Phrasal Verb of the Day Todays phrasal verb of the day is: Wear OutInfinitive form: Wear OutPresent Tense: Wear Out/ Wears Outing form: Wearing OutPast tense: Wore OutPast Participle: Worn OutWear Out is a separable English phrasal verb. It can be used in two different ways:When something is damaged or weaken from use and age and is therefore rendered close to being useless1. The carpet looks worn out, and it smells bad, so can we please replace it?2. Whoa! Go easy on the brakes, will you? You will wear the brake pads out faster than you can imagine if this continues.When something or someone makes you very tired1. Haydens wifes demands wore him out, thats why he left.2. Please stop nagging unless your goal is to wear me out.iframe width=420 height=315 src=//www.youtube.com/embed/r7hCnyebNZI?rel=0 frameborder=0 allowfullscreen/iframeExercises: Write your answers in comments and we will correct them.Fill in the gaps from the video above:Billy: I might ____ you ____ before then.Dean: Oh don’t you worry abou t ____ me ____. I’m going to ___ you ___.How does being worn out feel like to you? What was happening during that time when you felt pretty worn out?Complete the sentences below with the correct form of Wear Out.1. The detective finally ___ the suspect ___ by his perseverance in asking questions over and over again.2. His clothes might look ____ ____, but dont be deceived, for hes a very wealthy man under a disguise.3. Am I ______ you _____ yet?4. Wow! You look ____ ____. When was the last time you had sleep?5. If I take this route everyday, my shoes will be _____ ____ by the end of the month.Change the example sentences above to negative sentences (or positive, if the sentence is already negative). Then change them to questions.

5 Questions to Ask When Evaluating a College Major

5 Questions to Ask When Evaluating a College Major Improving Academic Performance I attended Indiana University in Bloomington, IN and majored in Finance in the business school. IU has a very highly ranked business program, and many companies from throughout the Midwest and beyond recruit there. A degree from the Kelley School of Business is a very direct way to position yourself for employment after graduation. Each major, while certainly “academic,” also provides “job training” of sorts, which allows you to slot right in at a major corporation and start being productive in the accounting, finance, operations, or legal department. Employers value that type of rigorous, career oriented training. However, at the time, I also felt like there was something to be said for attaining a true liberal arts education. So, also took the classes required to get a minor in History, a minor in Philosophy, and I was a class away from a minor in economics. These were interesting subjects that provided a broader education and forced me to think in different ways. I was amazed at the intellectual rigor and deep, critical thinking skills which the philosophy classes required. They could make your head hurt. And, the Logic classes in the Philosophy department were extremely analytical, and were basically a branch of mathematics. In fact, I recently went back to do some research, and found that philosophy majors score well above average on both the quant and verbal sections of the GRE. On the benefits of a philosophymajor Furthermore, when I graduated from IU, I took a job at a boutique strategy consulting firm. At Marakon, I worked with Fortune 500 companies to help them make company-altering decisions, such as what markets to exit, which products to invest in, which customer segments to target, etc. The job requires deep knowledge of accounting and finance, is highly analytical and quantitative, and starting in the first few weeks, you’re already introduced to clients and expected to behave and communicate in a business content with people who’ve been working in business for decades. But guess what? Marakon doesn’t really care what you major in, and in fact, prefers not to hire folks with undergraduate business degrees. They simply look for kids who have demonstrated the ability to think analytically, communicate, lead, and deal with uncertainty. In fact, a Philosophy major with the ability to deal with numbers is probably the ideal candidate. In today’s economy, most people think it’s a good idea to choose a major with a direct link to a career: Business major = job in business Accounting major â€" job as an accountant Nursing major = job in nursing Engineering major = job as engineer Education major = job as teacher Of course, with unemployment where it is, this isn’t bad advice. You need to think ahead about what doors your degree will open when you graduate. However, I think it’s more important to choose a major that provides option value and demonstrates your ability to think critically. In other words, an Engineering major is good because you can be an engineer, but also because you can be a consultant, marketer, teacher, or anything else â€" because potential employers will know you’re smart and motivated. With all that said, here are 5 questions to ask when evaluating any given college major: Are you interested in it? Are you able to excel in it? What does it signal to potential employers? What is the most direct, typical career route for those with that major? Are there other ways to achieve the end point that major leads to without actually majoring in that subject? In a follow up post, we’ll use these five questions to evaluate a hypothetical decision between a Marketing and Philosophy major. What do you think is most important when choosing a major?