One of the most important decisions a college student can make is often something they do as an afterthought — and that is choosing their college major.

This decision will shape their future work experience, earnings and hone their professional skills for the future.

By the time students reach their junior or senior year in high school, they generally favor something they are good at, such as math or English. They want to major in subjects in which they got the highest grades in school.

Too often teachers and counselors reinforce this idea by telling students and their parents that their son or daughter “is a natural mathematician” or has a “real gift for English.” For the student with at least some doubt of what to major in, they often rely upon a school guidance counselor who do make sure that students meet the minimum requirements for admissions to colleges or universities.

Unfortunately, the quality and quantity of time a counselor can spend with a student is severely limited. This can also be troubling if the school does not normally send students to top-ranked universities. Students might find themselves at a huge disadvantage. It is important to take the advice of counselors, teachers, and family but they should be in advisory roles. Leading universities have highly qualified applicants from which to choose. Changes in admissions policy happen more frequently at selective universities. There is a need for the student to meet regularly with a counselor, perhaps even as often as several times a year — with their parents. To students nervous about the world of work, the choice of what to major in can be daunting. This is a pity, because a great many variables should be considered when choosing a career — the job market being the No. 1 concern.

Sticking with subjects you know best is not always the wisest decision. For example, a student strong in math and raised in a manufacturing culture might be tempted to major in engineering. In Indiana, the majority of the engineering majors are from blue-collar families. Most have parents that hold technical positions in manufacturing.

Few students realize that their math ability might also be put to good use in other fields. Math is used in economics and in the social sciences.

Job opportunities might be more plentiful as we turn away from manufacturing skills and move toward a more service-oriented economy. Engineering wages have improved over the last few years and a career in this area can provide an excellent jumping off point for jobs in the financial services industry — investment banking and consulting. If you’re an engineering major at a top university, you have a good chance of landing a job as a banking analyst with no previous finance services experience.

Companies will train you if they believe you have the ability. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers are as quantitatively intense and demand rigorous mathematical skills and arguably open more doors than any other degree. I would encourage students to take their time when choosing a major. Sticking with the familiar can stifle creativity and prevent them from learning about other fields of study — in many cases, more suitable to their personality. All of this requires careful discussion. Talk with parents. High school and college counselors are excellent starting points for choosing a major. Take some chances and find out for yourself. Google and YouTube are filled with examples of students making a successful transition from engineering to consulting.

In college, take classes in other fiends, not just the ones at which you excel. A liberal arts education means diversifying one’s knowledge. The best way to find a link to a career is to try something different, look toward what the future economy may offer, and then make a decision.

Gerald Bradshaw is an international college admissions consultant with Bradshaw College Consulting in Crown Point.