Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
You know what you want to do with your life, so you're off to a great start. Congratulations—and know that you're so far ahead of most people your age that they can barely see you in the distance. See, you're picking a major that has a career path built into it, pursuing solid training that will prepare you for employment as soon as you throw your graduation cap in the air. If nothing else, your parents will probably bug you less about what you're doing with your life.
That said, there are still options for what you can do with this degree. While in all likelihood, you will be in a lab, exactly who is sending you fluids can be an important distinction. It all depends on the kind of work you want to do and where you want to do it. The possibly disgusting fact of life is this: There's a lot of blood and urine that needs analyzing.
Common Career Fields
Clinical Technologist. This is the job you had in mind when you thought of this major. You did have a job in mind, right? You're not just following some weird bodily fluid obsession? Not that we're judging. Anyway, clinical technologists work in hospitals, and when doctors send stuff to the lab, these are the people that stuff is going to. This gig has the advantages of a single workplace, in addition to knowing the doctors who send you stuff since they work elsewhere in the same building. So if one of them doesn't screw the lids on tight, you can give him or her a piece of your mind.
Cytology Laboratory Technologist. Similar to the previous job, here you'll be examining cellular tissue. Doctors will like to take this from people, too—sometimes via swabs of the insides of mouths and such. In this job, you'll examine these swabs for different diseases. There's no blood or urine, though, so if you're a little squeamish, this might be a good fit for you.
Emergency Medical Technician. (requires certification) Also called an EMT, this is probably not what you had in mind when you started daydreaming about this major. Still, you will graduate with the basic knowledge required to treat emergency cases in the field. So if you're more of a daredevil than a calm, lab-work type, and especially if you have nerves of steel (got to stay cool under pressure), this might be a good career for you.
Medical Records. Hospitals have massive amounts of records. Medical histories are important both so doctors know when a patient is experiencing a problem they've had in the past and can bone up on what worked last time, as well as to help diagnose future problems. "We removed her nose? Maybe that's why she can't smell." You have the kind of training that'll help you understand what the doctors want when they ask for a file, and you'll be precise from your time in the labs. In short, you will be awesome.
Phlebotomist. Have you said this one out loud? You should definitely say this one out loud—it feels all kinds of weird in the mouth. And if you become a phlebotomist, you'll know how to draw blood from people for testing (no, you won't use your mouth). Drawing blood is pretty much the first step of the medical technology tree of information. So if you're a people person, or a vampire with good self-control, you might consider this option.
Hyperbaric Technician. You understand the equipment and you understand what the body needs to be healthy. Unsurprisingly, you know that oxygen is important for people. Really important. Hyperbaric chambers are tools that help patients who would otherwise have trouble getting the proper amount of oxygen. Your job is to keep it in working order and make sure the person inside doesn't pop like a microwave burrito. No pressure.
Law Enforcement. Guess who finds a lot of mysterious fluids they need identified? If you said clowns, you would be correct. If you said law enforcement, you would also be correct, and if you work for the latter, you won't be eaten by clowns. It's really a win-win. Working in law enforcement means you'll have lots of different fluids to test, so those classes in genetics will really come in handy. As DNA records grow, more criminals and victims can be identified by genetic markers, which means you'll spend some quality time in the lab.
Current unemployment of the major
3.0%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
27%Stats obtained from this source.