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.
This guy could parlay that English degree and his secondary studies into a communications job, and probably make some decent coin doing it too. Take the gender studies/sexuality aspect of the education and he could apply it to specific companies (Like, say the YWCA, Planned Parenthood, or some non-profit advocacy group) He could consult at a PR firm who's clientele is reflective of the fields he studied. He could write white papers for companies that market to the demographics he studied or internal newsletters or intranet content.
This is all off the top of my head, if I spend more time and energy I could think of dozens of jobs this guy could apply for. (My point is, that his degrees are far from "worthless") I'd say the problem isn't his education, I'd say the problem is that he's probably a lousy (or unimaginative, or unmotivated) job hunter or worse, a terrible interview. While 9-10% unemployment probably doesn't help him much either, it sounds like this guy needs to seek the services of a job-hunting coach.
On the bright side, you don't need a degree to wait tables!
It's easier to understand this if you consider what kinds of jobs would be available to a BA vs a BS degree. A BA in physics would lend itself nicely to high school teaching jobs, because to some extent education is multidisciplinary. A high school physics teacher should have some social skills, and ability to cross-teach in other sciences and math.
A BS in physics by itself would lead only to high level technician jobs for the most part, but more likely it would be a base for graduate work in one of the hard sciences or engineering.
A BA in anything can lead to graduate work in anything, but it might be harder to get into a good graduate program of your choice if it's too different.
A BA in certain fields IS rather useless if it's from a poorly-regarded school, but if it's from a top tier college it can lead to some very nice jobs.
Most of this is true, and shows why it's ridiculous to call any discipline "worthless." That's a highly relative perspective, and obviously these degrees aren't worthless to those who earn (and subsequently USE) them! As I said above, not everyone is cut out for sciences & technology, and we do need to fill a variety of professions. I love what I do, and would probably be miserable in some boring 6-figure technical job... sure, the money would be nice, but I'd rather make less and do something more creative in nature. Not to mention, computer science majors are a dime a dozen here in Silicon Valley.
Location: where you sip the tea of the breasts of the spinsters of Utica
8,297 posts, read 14,164,711 times
Reputation: 8105
Yes, gizmo ..... and you'd be surprised at how many top level corporate executives have BAs in fields not directly related to business .... they might get the MBA after a liberal arts educations. Lawyers and doctors too. The BA can lead to very high pay if education is continued. The amount of math and science needed by an executive or lawyer is trivial.
And many of us don't mind leading simple lives without a huge paycheck, as you must be doing, and as I'm doing.
Yes, the current job market is without a doubt an anxious moment for college seniors. I would hate to be a college senior looking down the barrel of this economy, especially if I had student loans to pay (which now average ~$26K per indebted student).
In light of the current economic situation, it's imperative that students give proper due diligence to their choice of major, as this is not the time or the economy to recklessly gamble on future success. Right?
Wrong.
Meet Jacob Myers, one of thousands (if not millions) of students who just don't get it.
Why you might wonder? THIS IS WHY
This bears repeating: "Triple Major in English, Theater, and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies!"
Are you kidding me? 35 applications....3 interviews......0 job offers.....and he wonder's why he doesn't have a job??????
I'd wager that next year this time Mr. Myers will be working for minimal wages in a job that doesn't reflect his degree and he'll be begging for a student loan bailout.
Jealous because you obviously never received a higher education?
With the amount of threads you start huffing and fuming over virtually nothing, and nothing worth bothering over, you're going to give yourself a heart attack. You should really give yourself a vacation from the CD forums...
Yes, gizmo ..... and you'd be surprised at how many top level corporate executives have BAs in fields not directly related to business .... they might get the MBA after a liberal arts educations. Lawyers and doctors too. The BA can lead to very high pay if education is continued. The amount of math and science needed by an executive or lawyer is trivial.
Oh, I know! We have a whole bunch of lawyers & executives in my circle of family & friends - we are Jewish, after all. Examples: My sister has a BA in Psychology & Spanish with a minor in Women's Studies, then earned the JD, and now works as a high-level pro sports executive... we also have some cousins who work as corporate lawyers, and they too got their BAs in subjects like English, Psychology, History, etc. Guess those "useless liberal arts" degrees served them all pretty well, huh?
Quote:
And many of us don't mind leading simple lives without a huge paycheck, as you must be doing, and as I'm doing.
I don't mind at all, especially after having been on both sides of the financial fence... plus most high-paying jobs come with high stress (also crazy hours), and I'd rather be living simply but happily in the end. I wouldn't want to work for pennies, of course, but that shouldn't be the case once you're well-educated.
Education is not just about the specific acquisition of skills. A good education will teach you think critically, read texts closely, understand logical arguements, write well, speak eloquently, plan your time effeciently and work hard.
Those skills can be learned in any major.
Really conservatives. What are you afraid of? That Americans might gain the means to think for themselves? That the audience for Fox News might shrink?
Nope none of that. Just concerned he will end up on food stamps, wanting a secton 8 voucher and demanding student loan forgiveness.
You gave up on your education because of one bad class? Talk about reinforcing failure and making immature decisions!
I loved my women's history class, and never noticed any "perverting of history to suit an agenda." You must have either had a bad teacher, or perhaps your OWN agenda was blinding you? I did have a few other classes I didn't enjoy, but that wasn't enough to make me abandon my education - thank goodness.
No. I went into business and earned an MBA and have done well since. I did work full time prior too, during and after college. So I was always employed.
Last edited by CaseyB; 04-23-2012 at 02:51 PM..
Reason: off topic
No. I went into business and earned an MBA and have done well since. I did work full time prior too, during and after college. So I was always employed.
You said you "gave up on academia," which would not be the case if you earned an MBA.
Last edited by CaseyB; 04-23-2012 at 02:52 PM..
Reason: response to deletion
Jealous because you obviously never received a higher education?
With the amount of threads you start huffing and fuming over virtually nothing, and nothing worth bothering over, you're going to give yourself a heart attack. You should really give yourself a vacation from the CD forums...
You're absolutely right. I've never had a single day of higher education. I was born an aerospace engineer and a commercial pilot. It came to me naturally. No training required.
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.
Examples: My sister has a BA in Psychology & Spanish with a minor in Women's Studies, then earned the JD, and now works as a high-level pro sports executive... we also have some cousins who work as corporate lawyers, and they too got their BAs in subjects like English, Psychology, History, etc. Guess those "useless liberal arts" degrees served them all pretty well, huh?
