Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It certainly doesn't hurt to get a paralegal certificate, but it's also not necessarily required, depending on one's degree of experience and skillset.
Yeah, if someone is a young and ambitious graduate from a well-respected college, that probably helps. But in the current economy I think it's really competitive for someone with 'just' a BA.
For me to even entertain the notion of working in law in any capacity I'd probably have to get a certificate. While I did office work for awhile, I have no experience with law and I'd be competing with younger applicants who have probably at least done internships. I have no interest in that field anyway, so I'm just thinking hypothetically.
Yeah, it is pretty boring, but I'm only part-time so it's much more tolerable. I've had many different jobs and they all got boring eventually. But it pays well enough that I don't have to work that much, which is nice.
As a psychology major I gotta say that sounds like pretentious, delusional BS. In the history classes I had all I had to do for decent grades was parrot what the instructor wanted; it took virtually no thought at all.
Yeah, that doesn't work at my school. It has gotten a lot harder since I have left or so I heard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lafleur
Exactly this.
Why not focus on some certs for a particular field?
I literally just overheard a guy talking at the hair salon about working at a well-known F500 company and he has a History degree.
I have a friend who majored in Psych and she's in finance. I think she took a few of the CFA exams that helped her move up.
I have a degree in Econ/PolySci and I work in finance as well as an analyst (no certs yet though).
You either need to market your skills better, or get some marketable skills and experience. Another degree, unless in a technical field, is not really going to help you IMO.
You seem to know a lot of educated people. I have questions. Do you live in a big city? How did each of those individuals get those jobs? How did you get your first hiring manager to give you a shot?
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpg35223
First thing's first. There's no such thing as a bad degree. There are only people who had no plan before embarking on a degree program. Did you not talk to anyone? Did you not pursue internships? Did you not talk to your professors about ways to find employment in the arena? Museums? Government organizations?
I mean, jeez. If you get your degree in mechanical engineering, you pretty much have a job guaranteed you when you walk out of the auditorium with your diploma. But pretty much anything else requires your bumping around in the real world for a while trying to get your feet -- Unless, of course, you had a plan.
I know history majors who have made really good livings. But they were also people who had jobs and internships while in college. It makes a huge difference.
Yeah, my university is totally different now. They didn't really offer internships, but now they do. I think they got the crap scared out of them, because the state started looking into programs that were not making money and they closed down the MA in History, though it is back now. I did talk to a couple of people and a few said teach, the others said that I could work in business. Now that I think about it, it sounds like a bunch of people that are just disconnected from the outside world.
How did the history majors you know get a leg up? What jobs do they do?
Quote:
Originally Posted by TabulaRasa
Honestly, this is the BIGGEST BARRIER for some people, and the thing they have the hardest time accepting/wrapping their heads around. Not getting this or accepting it is the reason there are endless discussions of "I regret going to school, I regret the degree program I chose, I regret blah blah blah."
There are simply people who absolutely refuse to face the reality that, for many, you will start out entry level and work your way up as you gain experience, expertise, and training. The commentary of "Well, I know there are jobs in THAT, but I don't want to do THAT, because it's beneath me/I'd be bored to tears/I didn't go to school to be told I'd have to do THAT," etc. is very telling. Very few people walk across their university stage and into a corporate leadership role. Once you get your degree, that's when your actual career education begins - some people get a small preview of it as students, if they did an internship, apprenticeship, practicum, clinical experience, etc., but the truth is that earning a degree is pretty much the bare minimum to get in the door for a lot of jobs, and once you get in, you will have to do your dues-paying, learn and work your way up to wherever you want to be. People seem to think that by virtue of going to school for four years, you've somehow paid your dues in the working world.
My very first year (actually, my very first WEEK) working as a newspaper reporter at age 24, my first assignment my first day on the job was to go to a charity thrift shop that was literally physically in the process of moving from one location to another, take pictures of the move occurring, and get a few quotes from the volunteers. Not exactly demanding.
By a year later, though, I was the editor of that paper. And six months after that, I was the editor of two papers. Two years after that, I had several state press association awards for feature writing under my belt...the youngest person at my paper to gain that level of press association recognition. But I guess I could have turned my nose up and said, "Yeah, I'm not going to go take pictures of some people moving some clothing racks and ask what hours the shop is open and taking donations. I didn't go to college for THAT."
Another perspective, which I personally found to be the case, is that it was easier with a humanities degree, because it (mine in particular), had such a very broad application. My degree relates to pretty much anything. But, again, the key is also in knowing your skills and how to market them. I could sell my degree and related skills and experience with absolutely no problem when interviewing for all kinds of fields...critical thinking skills at work.
I don't expect to get rich(would like to make $12/hr though), but as long as I can do the work, I will do it. It doesn't matter if I start at the bottom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by prospectheightsresident
I haven't heard that one before, at least not as general advice, probably because its terrible advice IMO; I have heard such language regarding people pursuing specific careers such as those in medicine or law (then really, one's major doesn't matter . . . although one still have to do well on MCAT and complete pre-med requirements for med school and do well on LSAT for law school, in addition to having good grades for both). What I have heard is that one's major isn't so important so long as one takes classes outside of one's major that makes one more marketable. For instance, taking finance, accounting, math, etc. classes as a history major makes one much more marketable than if one just took a bunch of history classes and basic requirements to fulfill any core curriculum. That's the advice I give to all of my mentees.
All isn't lost for you, though. Indeed, there are affordable certificate programs you can participate in that will make yourself more marketable. Best of luck with whatever you do
I minored in Spanish, I thought that might be an advantage for me. It some ways it has been. I know someone else with a liberal arts degree who minored in business and he actually has had it worse believe it or not.
You seem to know a lot of educated people. I have questions. Do you live in a big city? How did each of those individuals get those jobs? How did you get your first hiring manager to give you a shot?
This comment was not directed at me, but I too know a lot of college-educated individuals. Whether one has a degree or not, the way to get the job is the same: you must sell yourself. Too many people are under the impression that if you get the degree jobs will throw themselves at your feet.
When I graduated with my BS in biology no one really cared that I had a BS in biology, let alone where it was from. Employers wanted to know what I could do and outside of perhaps engineering and/or math, your degree says little to that. They didn't give a hoot if I could describe the surface of a cell or the fate of pyruvate. All they cared about where the skills I had learned through laboratory components or student research. Could I do ELISA? Did I even know what ELISA was? Could I streak or read a plate? That sort of thing. To go deeper, what they really wanted to know above all was this: will he accidentally contaminate the lab or burn it down?
I also wrote for the student newspaper, a total of three years. I became Editor-n-Chief in my fourth. I sat on Student Government; one year I ran and was elected vice president. As part of my role as VP I sat on two committees as a student liaison. Imagine that, me helping craft policy that impacted students. I formed a club with the sole purpose of building robots for competition. In our first event, an International comp at that, my team beat MIT. I had zero prior experience with robotics, I just thought it would be fun (and a good way to pad grad school apps). The following year we placed last.
I also got involved in research, including one substantial, year-long, project with a Chemistry PI. Remember, I was a biology student. It still baffles my mind to this day how I was able to beat out chemistry students for that one.
All of these equal skills that employers like to see. I must say that I did not first step onto a college campus until the age of 23, though. So I was familiar with the game even before I had begun. As another posted wrote, I had a game plan; graduate school.
My ex GF double majored in History and Poly Sci at a Top 30. She had little EC experience and liked to party. When she graduated she landed a job at a F500. It was not her degrees or school that got her the job. It turns out that she got the job because of her ability to make small talk. Since the position required her to meet with clients, that was a huge skill set they were looking for. She eventually tired of the job, despite the great pay, and went back to school for nursing.
My ex before her also went to school for History. She worked ~30 hours/wk while in school and managed to pick up other small jobs here and there on top of that. In her junior year she got an internship with the county, archiving something-or-another. In her senior year she got another internship, once again archiving, at a university (different from her own). She went on to grad school, an MLS (Master of Library Science). Now she works as an archivist for a particular State.
My point is that once again it is not the degree that gets the job but experiences and skills that do. You need to figure out what skills you do have (and they can literally be anything!) and sell those to HR, not the degree. Keep in mind that the employer is the buyer and you are the one with something to sell (yourself). The World does not owe you a job and let us be honest, the college did not push the degree onto you.
You seem to know a lot of educated people. I have questions. Do you live in a big city? How did each of those individuals get those jobs? How did you get your first hiring manager to give you a shot?
When you go to college, you tend to meet a lot of other educated people. When you work in Corporate America, you also tend to me a lot of other educated people. I do live in a mid-size city with a metro population of a little over 3 million people.
How did each of those individuals get those jobs? I can only imagine that they applied and interviewed for them. They did not just magically land a high-paying job. We all worked our way up. I don't think a lot of people can handle this sort of career trajectory though. Some people need more hand holding throughout their career, so they are better off picking a degree that directly relates to a specific career field. That way, when it comes time to look for a job, they can type in accounting or nursing or plumber into the job search engine rather than have to put some additional thought or take a unique approach into molding their career.
How did I get my first hiring manager to give me a shot? It's nothing I did specifically. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. I applied for the job and got the interview. Apparently, the interview went well enough that I was offered the job. Granted, I actually had work experience and tangible skills coming out of college. Some people decide they don't want to work a job in college. That's all on them though. The work experience is what's going to matter the most.
As of late, I have been thinking about my major and I just do not like it. Honestly, if I had to go back and do it all over it again, I probably would not make it.
My major is in History and I fell hook, line, and sinker for the whole, "You can do anything with this degree!" and "Businesses do not care what you have a degree in, just as long as you have one!" Yeah, they got me, but I have been trying unsuccessfully to just deal with the fact that I have a degree in History. I am not teaching now, but when people heae what I got a degree in, they automatically assume that I am going to teach, which I am not. I just don't understand why English is so versatile, but History is not?
Anyways, the way for me to rectify this is by going back to school and majoring in something that I DO like. I am really active in politics and I would like to work for the city/state/federal government or a non-profit.
So my solution is this, I would like to go back for a BA in Political Science. I know, I know. Someone is going to tell me that they are both liberal arts degrees and they are the same, but the truth of the matter is, no they are not. While they are related on some levels, they are not the same and a person with a Political Science degree has far more job opportunities than someone with a History degree, IMHO, of course.
I thought about getting a Master's in Political Science as well and here is the problem that I see with that. While the Master's degree would supercede the Bachelor's, I would only be able to apply for Master degree positions. The minute that I dumbed myself down to apply for anything entry level, just to get my foot in the door, I would have to use the History degree again. Ugh.
So my idea is this, I go and transfer to the area that I will be moving to, and start taking Political Science classes. Nothing fast, but like 2 per semester and 1 in the summer. It would take me two years but i would be done. What do you guys think?
P.S. And just to emphasis again "the hate", I really wish colleges would stop offering History degrees all together for at least a decade, maybe two. The reason for that is so the number of college grads can somehow equal out to the level of jobs. So hopefully when Joe Blow decides to go in for a History position, he doesn't have to compete with a hundred other folks either.
I find well-trained historians to be among the most intellectually capable and socially-relevant assets of a university. No, I am not a historian.
But a degree in X is ultimately meaningless. One can get a BA in History and do great things or a B.S. in EE and be borderline incompetent and useless to society. What you do with those 3-5 years is everything.
I majored in History with minors in French and Political Science many years ago. Somewhere down the line at university I decided that I wanted to become a teacher. I then focused, as was mentioned several times here, my jobs, my extra-curricular activities, everything towards teaching. I applied for jobs and received a job as a French teacher- I used my other skills to find a job. I have taught French for several years, with one year interspersed with history. I am currently attending graduate school to receive a Master's in History.
I don't see it as worthless because I will do something with it- it is only worthless if I was doing it solely for fun. It is part of my overall education and career plan. I encourage my students to pursue educational dreams but with a heavy dose of reality/preparation. Just going to school to study history, or any degree, with no career plan in sight, no honed skills, or no overall career preparation will end poorly- a disillusioned student/graduate who wishes they didn't study what they did. What I find sad about your situation is that apparently you don't even like what you studied, as you can't find any value in it at all.
So what should you do? Be much more specific with your goals. What career do you want? Then figure out how you need to get there:
What further education do you need?
Where do you need to move?
What professional certifications or associations must you acquire?
What hard work must you do in order to achieve that goal?
What internships or volunteer work should you do to help bolster your resume?
Leverage your current skills. I just got a paid internship to be a software developer. Even though it is only an internship, it actually pays more than my previous job at a Fortune 50 company. And I don't have an advanced technical background. I have a degree in journalism, and I have taken a few computer science classes at the local community college. I told my interviewers that the skills I got from editing articles helped me to debug code in my recent classes. They loved how I was able to make that connection, and I was offered the position on the spot.
Believe me, if you're looking for work in city/county/federal government, there are relatively few degree-specific positions. Also, the vast majority are civil service positions which also require competitive testing.
Don't know if anyone has said this yet, but a good history program should have prepared you adequately with the "soft" skills" of communicating effectively both orally and in writing. These are marketable skills that are applicable practically anywhere. I hope that you aren't relying solely on your content knowledge of history to get you a job. Think of what you had to learn to do so that you could get your degree. If presenting an opinion, evidence, or an argument wasn't part of your history curriculum, then you picked a bad school.
My degree was also pointless as I was not serious about my major, but I am mourning more the loss of 4 years of work experience than my specific field of study. I am pretty much starting my entire life from scratch at 23, after not having worked much prior to graduating. The only job I could get was delivering pizza, and I am still debating whether or not to pursue a career in rock n' roll. I still feel like I have the mentality of a teenager and could not imagine, at this point, of getting a demanding white collar job. Perhaps the corporate and academic world is just not for me as I've always been a rebel without a cause.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
