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I was thinking about a similar question the other day because almost every time I hear anyone complain about a news report, the argument is the report has no clue what they are talking about relative to certain fields. For example, there have been complaints most recently about the inner workings of an airplanes and equipment regarding the missing fight from Malaysia. There are supposed to be "fact checkers" somewhere behind the scenes, but why is so much information misreported?
So, what if a person had a general studies degree (or something similar) and then studied journalism so at least they would have some awareness of many subjects they report on? Maybe they would know if information is blatantly incorrect. Or, what if these people helped behind the scenes with movie productions? I also hear a lot of complaints about something in the movies not be correct (ie. the outside of a plane isn't the same one shown from the interior view because the seat count is incorrect). I don't personally care if movies aren't 100% correct because it takes suspension of belief anyway. It does seem more important for the news to be correct, though.
It seems that the overall perception is that it's more important for the news to be the quickest than the most accurate. O/T, though, definitely something to discuss ad nauseum on another thread.
Well, considering that you constructed your question to have only one possible answer, i guess the choice is pretty clear.
You may as well have asked "would you hire someone that you wouldn't hire"?
The reality is that there are jobs that require a generic bachelor's degree that someone with just a high school diploma has no chance at getting. Jobs in the insurance industry often don't ask for a specific major. These aren't office assistant jobs. As I said earlier, my state does not have education degrees, so aspiring elementary teachers will get a general studies or similar degree because they have to teach everything. Again, this is not a job as an office or personal assistant.
If you ask a person with a general studies degree what they specialized in, they will usually have 2 or 3 subjects to give you. For example, I know someone who combined business and public safety. He now works in emergency management at a hospital.
Hiring manager: Soooo.... why do you think I should hire you?
General studies major: Because I have a degree.
Hiring manager: Ummm. So does everyone else.
General studies major:
Hiring manager: .............
How it really works"
Hiring Manager: So, what do you specialize in?
GS Major: Following graduation I interned at _______ where I completed several intensive training programs for silicon wafer quality assurance processes, supply chain logistics and materials sourcing.
Hiring Manager: Soooo...why do you think I should hire you?
GS Major: After graduation, I learned about the various companies I'd like to work for and discovered that the position you are hiring for requires specific knowledge and more important, experience in these areas I just mentioned. My internship not only gave me insight into these areas, I gain over 1500 hours of direct experience in addition to the certified training I received. The certifications I received are recognized by the industry in which your company is operating. I bring not only specific certified training experience but practical experience as well. Also, my general studies allow me to see the various relationships between disparate manufacturing processes and how they need an efficient logistic train to operate effectively.
Hiring Manager: Very well, do you see your general studies major as a weakness or strength?
GS Major: I see it as a strength for the following reasons: First, education, even if specialized, doesn't qualify one to perform the job. Not only do I have a GS degree with the 4.0 GPA, my internship is evidence that I can already do the job. As you might see in my resume and reference letters, I achieved the highest rating from my instructors and intern supervisors. Next, I believe that while specialization can be complimentary to a specific job function, your company is one I have sought out because of the variety of job opportunities, the prospects for advancement and my general studies are leveraged with specific training, knowledge and experience that would enahnce my ability to contribute in many jobs within your company, not just one.
Hiring manager: Do you see yourself as a generalist or specialist?
GS Major: I see myself as a generalist who has specialized training, knowledge and experience as well as the skill sets needed to effectively contribute to your company's success. In essence, hiring me doesn't mean you fill only one position, it means you are hiring me to contribute effectively in the job for which you are currently hiring as well as job and promotional opportunities in the future. I can grow with your company in the many different facets of it's operations.
That is how you get a job, not by limiting yourself because of a made up interview scenario designed to degrade a general studies major.
It's such a worthless degree. Do people actually think a general studies degree will make them competitive in the job market?
In fact, I think a general studies degree may actually hurt your chances of getting hired when compared to someone with no degree.
Just think about it for a second. If someone, for the past 4 years, thought that the most productive use of their time and money was to obtain a general studies degree, would you really want them working at your company?
Hmm. Maybe employers should start doing educational checks on people who don't list any education, just in case they're hiding their general studies degree.
Strange post, and hostile.
A general studies degree is a good choice for someone who wants a very broad education in a broad general area.
I know many who took not only the required courses for a definitive major, but other junior- and senior-level courses in a field interesting to them, and they did VERY well in the job market. They had passion and drive and believed in their paths, and are as excellent as employees as they were as students.
I have and AA in General Studies. The plan was to carry it over to a 4 year university but I never followed through on that. These days there is no General Studies, even at the CC where I got my degree. The equivalent is the AA my son just got which is called Liberal Studies with Transfer, which is fairly accurate. It's all the lower division GE, a concentration of some sort, and everything you need to transfer to any of our State universities as a Junior. There are some majors this doesn't work for, Engineering for example, since it is course specific. For the most part it's a pretty good way to go to CC and does just as much good as an AA in History or English when it comes to transferring.
At the 4 year level the closest thing would be Liberal Studies, which is usually the elementary teacher track but not always.
Anyone here claiming it's useless because THEY wouldn't hire someone with that degree will never be in a position to hire anyone for anything. I don't like to insult but that's a fact. It many cases the difference between a General Studies/Liberal Arts BA is a couple of preselected classes and it's not a BIG DEAL. And you can't compare this to an Engineering or Chemistry degree, nobody is saying that. But not everyone wants to be a Engineer or Chemist either.
It's such a worthless degree. Do people actually think a general studies degree will make them competitive in the job market?
In fact, I think a general studies degree may actually hurt your chances of getting hired when compared to someone with no degree.
Just think about it for a second. If someone, for the past 4 years, thought that the most productive use of their time and money was to obtain a general studies degree, would you really want them working at your company?
Hmm. Maybe employers should start doing educational checks on people who don't list any education, just in case they're hiding their general studies degree.
These are all your inaccurate opinions.
The answer to your question is to get an education.
GS Major: Following graduation I interned at _______ where I completed several intensive training programs for silicon wafer quality assurance processes, supply chain logistics and materials sourcing.
Hiring Manager: Soooo...why do you think I should hire you?
GS Major: After graduation, I learned about the various companies I'd like to work for and discovered that the position you are hiring for requires specific knowledge and more important, experience in these areas I just mentioned. My internship not only gave me insight into these areas, I gain over 1500 hours of direct experience in addition to the certified training I received. The certifications I received are recognized by the industry in which your company is operating. I bring not only specific certified training experience but practical experience as well. Also, my general studies allow me to see the various relationships between disparate manufacturing processes and how they need an efficient logistic train to operate effectively.
Hiring Manager: Very well, do you see your general studies major as a weakness or strength?
GS Major: I see it as a strength for the following reasons: First, education, even if specialized, doesn't qualify one to perform the job. Not only do I have a GS degree with the 4.0 GPA, my internship is evidence that I can already do the job. As you might see in my resume and reference letters, I achieved the highest rating from my instructors and intern supervisors. Next, I believe that while specialization can be complimentary to a specific job function, your company is one I have sought out because of the variety of job opportunities, the prospects for advancement and my general studies are leveraged with specific training, knowledge and experience that would enahnce my ability to contribute in many jobs within your company, not just one.
Hiring manager: Do you see yourself as a generalist or specialist?
GS Major: I see myself as a generalist who has specialized training, knowledge and experience as well as the skill sets needed to effectively contribute to your company's success. In essence, hiring me doesn't mean you fill only one position, it means you are hiring me to contribute effectively in the job for which you are currently hiring as well as job and promotional opportunities in the future. I can grow with your company in the many different facets of it's operations.
That is how you get a job, not by limiting yourself because of a made up interview scenario designed to degrade a general studies major.
What you have described may be true for a GS major that is five std devs from the mean, but it is so out of the ordinary as to be practically irrelevant to the current discussion.
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So, what do you specialize in?
Uhhmmm... Nothing.
Soooo.... why do you think I should hire you?
Because I have a degree.
Ummm. So does everyone else.
.
