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There are no guarantees in life, but there are majors that are more likely to get you in the door with only a bachelors, and they include engineering, accounting, and computer science. Grad and professional schools also prefer people who have that background and experience.
The only way someone with a "flakey degree" can get a high paying job or admittance to a highly respected professional program is either alumni networking (eg. ivy league old boy network), family connections, or perfect board scores coupled with relevant work experience.
I'm not sure what line of work you're in or what your experience has been to give you this opinion but I know people who do interviews and hiring. They are not as concerned about where an applicant went to school as much as whether the person can write well, has analytical skills, can communicate well, think creatively, and is able to take a task and run with it. It doesn't matter what field their degree is in if they meet these requirements.
I imagine there are some fields where the area of study and the degree earned must be specific to a particular job, but there are plenty of opportunities for people with liberal arts degrees.
And a kinesiology degree can be applied toward work in sports medicine, physical therapy, sports psychology, teaching, coaching, and more. Many degrees that are considered "flaky" to some people have real value in application.
I'm not sure what line of work you're in or what your experience has been to give you this opinion but I know people who do interviews and hiring. They are not as concerned about where an applicant went to school as much as whether the person can write well, has analytical skills, can communicate well, think creatively, and is able to take a task and run with it. It doesn't matter what field their degree is in if they meet these requirements.
And what type of jobs are available for people who have these core skills, but no unique skills or ability that they bring to the table?
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Originally Posted by Ashburnite
I imagine there are some fields where the area of study and the degree earned must be specific to a particular job, but there are plenty of opportunities for people with liberal arts degrees.
And what are these opportunities and how much do they pay?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashburnite
And a kinesiology degree can be applied toward work in sports medicine, physical therapy, sports psychology, teaching, coaching, and more. Many degrees that are considered "flaky" to some people have real value in application.
Every person with a degree has value. The only question is whether the person with the "flaky" degree afford to live in an area such as NoVA that has a high cost of living?
And what type of jobs are available for people who have these core skills, but no unique skills or ability that they bring to the table?
You can train a person with these skills to do most anything.
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Originally Posted by live_strong28
And what are these opportunities and how much do they pay?
Real estate agent, analyst, administrator, manager, insurance agent, writer, proofreader, copywriter, computer technician, telecommunications worker, radio producer, television producer, conference planner, office manager, human resources specialist, publication, electrician, recording engineer, sales representative, marketing representative, builder, contractor, court clerk, business developer, etc. Really many of the jobs that make the world go round but you just don't notice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by live_strong28
Every person with a degree has value. The only question is whether the person with the "flaky" degree afford to live in an area such as NoVA that has a high cost of living?
You're idea of "flaky" may be something that is critical in a specific industry.
Why are you so determined to argue that certain degrees are less valuable? A certain degree from a certain school does not guarantee a job. One man's flaky is another man's foot in the door or sign of dedication to bettering himself.
You can train a person with these skills to do most anything.
Training is in college. Companies want white collar workers to come in and produce. Even blue collar workers need to come in with even more specialized skills.
Those people who come in and need training right off the bat....they're not getting paid much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashburnite
Real estate agent, analyst, administrator, manager, insurance agent, writer, proofreader, copywriter, computer technician, telecommunications worker, radio producer, television producer, conference planner, office manager, human resources specialist, publication, electrician, recording engineer, sales representative, marketing representative, builder, contractor, court clerk, business developer, etc. Really many of the jobs that make the world go round but you just don't notice.
Exactly, and these are the type of jobs that are most sensitive to fluctuations in the economy. Real estate industry.....sales jobs....newspaper industry...tv news...etc.
Sales jobs, overhead, building jobs, print/newspaper, other blue collar jobs, etc. Most of the jobs you listed above don't even require a college degree...never mind a liberal arts degree.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashburnite
You're idea of "flaky" may be something that is critical in a specific industry.
Why are you so determined to argue that certain degrees are less valuable? A certain degree from a certain school does not guarantee a job. One man's flaky is another man's foot in the door or sign of dedication to bettering himself.
Actually, I'm only trying to understand your perspective. But, for the most part, the value of a degree is reflected in the starting pay. That's why engineering majors have the highest starting salary out of college, and liberal arts majors have the lowest.
If you want to give someone credit though for the term "flaky major," give it to Denton56 who coined the term "flakey majors" even though she spelled it wrong.
See for yourself below:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Denton56
True math kids loved the toughest teachers at TJ and couldn't wait to take Dr. Dell's AP physics, one of the toughest classes in the school. Quantum Physics was another course the real math kids couldn't wait to take. But of course there were students admitted who should never have been there and they struggled to succeed. The same happens at every college too, particularly the Ivies. That's what some of the flakey majors were designed to do, get students through college who never belonged there in the first place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Denton56
No, worse, things like Gender and feminist studies, Kinesilogy (PE), African American studies were ALL students get an A, film study, developmental sociology, human geography, textiles and clothing, Romance studies, all those things for which there are no jobs.
My nephew majored in English Literature--an honor student from a fine "Christian" college. It took him a year to get a job--with his mother's company, no less. He won the Physics competition as a HS Junior, but got some very bad advice from some very well intentioned people.
You can train a person with these skills to do most anything.
How do you decide to hire one over the other? Or someone who never went to college at all, but had good skills? Why bother with college?
Real estate agent, analyst, administrator, manager, insurance agent, writer, proofreader, copywriter, computer technician, telecommunications worker, radio producer, television producer, conference planner, office manager, human resources specialist, publication, electrician, recording engineer, sales representative, marketing representative, builder, contractor, court clerk, business developer, etc. Really many of the jobs that make the world go round but you just don't notice.
Again, no need to waste all that time and money on college when a degree isn't needed for any of those jobs.
You're idea of "flaky" may be something that is critical in a specific industry.
Like what?
Why are you so determined to argue that certain degrees are less valuable? A certain degree from a certain school does not guarantee a job. One man's flaky is another man's foot in the door or sign of dedication to bettering himself.
Of course certain degrees are less valuable because they are easier to get thus there are more of them. There are many fewer people who can compete an engineering degree than can finish a degree in sociology, English, French literature, or history. Therefore, people with engineering degrees are much more likely to get a job and to be paid more. Supply and demand. We pay more for things in scarcer demand. Engineers are in scarcer supply because not everyone can do the math necessary for an engineering degree. Ditto Physicists.
While I've never known anyone with an engineering degree who didn't get a job in his field, I have known MANY people with degrees in sociology and history and classic languages and French literature who worked at Starbucks and the mall. I have no doubt that you have too. Eventually most realize they must learn more marketable skills and they go back to school.
Training is in college. Companies want white collar workers to come in and produce. Even blue collar workers need to come in with even more specialized skills.
Those people who come in and need training right off the bat....they're not getting paid much.
Exactly, and these are the type of jobs that are most sensitive to fluctuations in the economy. Real estate industry.....sales jobs....newspaper industry...tv news...etc.
Sales jobs, overhead, building jobs, print/newspaper, other blue collar jobs, etc. Most of the jobs you listed above don't even require a college degree...never mind a liberal arts degree.
Actually, I'm only trying to understand your perspective. But, for the most part, the value of a degree is reflected in the starting pay. That's why engineering majors have the highest starting salary out of college, and liberal arts majors have the lowest.
>>>>Why is this so difficult for people to understand? Engineers get jobs before they ever graduate. Companies camp out at engineering schools in the Spring, trying to recruit new hires. Not too many companies hanging out in the English and Sociology departments trying to lure those majors into working for them. lol<<<
If you want to give someone credit though for the term "flaky major," give it to Denton56 who coined the term "flakey majors" even though she spelled it wrong.
See for yourself below:
Thanks for the credit! Colleges are filled with flaky majors. And apparently the US is filled with enough silly parents who are willing to throw their money away paying for them.
I often come across interviews with ivy league kids who major in some of these so called "flakey majors." Many of them have liberal arts degrees like philosophy, art history, spanish, etc.
When asked what they want to do after college, these kids say "investment banking."
And you wonder why our financial industry is in the state it is today.
LOL!
I know someone like that! He graduated from Stanford in 2005 and does work in a bank. As a clerk, and an assistant to an assistant VP! He was so dumb that he actually thought he could get into investment banking with a BA degree. I feel kind of sorry for him, he's smart, but never got any guidance in how the real work works. Very Flaky parents who never figured it out either so they had no such skills to pass on to him.
"And that where my "board scores and good work experience" comes in...along with networking and family connections."
Top law schools care about LSAT scores and grades. Work experience, networking, and family connections (unless your family's name is on a campus building) count for very little in law school admissions. Any rigorous major is acceptable, which is why there are lots of philosophy, history, and classics majors in law school.
There are many paths to personal and professional success. It's not a narrow tunnel reserved for engineering, accounting, and economics majors.
I don't understand why this issue continues to be an argument. People get degrees in all kinds of fields, get jobs in all kinds of fields, make different levels of money, and are happy in a variety of jobs. A degree is just a degree - what you do with it and yourself is what is important. Money isn't the number one priority for everyone and many people (when the overall economy isn't in the tank) make a good living at their job. Not everyone will be an engineer, lawyer, or doctor or hold a job where the name is recognizable to you. The colleges where degrees are earned employ thousands of people, all who have the potential to make decent money and be happy with their jobs. You simply may not have noticed their existence and the value they added to your degree process.
Furthermore, someone with two bachelors degrees - one in political science and one in emergency administration and planning - can get a job and earn a good salary doing a job that never occurred to someone else that it even existed.
College can train you in book learning and show a student how things are done but actually doing the job teaches a person so much more.
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