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Old 06-21-2008, 06:01 PM
 
426 posts, read 1,731,995 times
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Hey,

I'm thinking of moving to Portland in a few months from Wisconsin. I really need to get way from the freezing darkness of the Wisconsin winters. Dark at 4:00 pm? 7 months of overcast? No thank you. I haven't been to Portland, but I love the Northeast and just don't want to deal with the stresses of living in Seattle or the Bay Area (although I'm still open to Seattle). I've also heard I will not need a car in Portland due to the very extensive rail system, which is great because I'd prefer not to deal with that at only 23.

I am just wondering, how good would the job market be for a History major from a top-rated state university (UW-Madison)? I know it's kind of a broad question, but I'd appreciate any input.

Thanks
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Old 06-21-2008, 06:37 PM
 
Location: Baker City, Oregon
5,398 posts, read 8,080,307 times
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If you look on a globe you will see that Portland is farther north than Wausau, WI. This means that Portland has more darkness in the winter than Madison.

U. of Wisconsin at Madison is one of the great American universities, but a history major might make it difficult to find meaningful employment, especially now, in a tight labor market.

I'm not implying that there is anything wrong with a history major - just trying to be realistic.
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Old 06-21-2008, 06:47 PM
 
Location: Lakewood OH
21,695 posts, read 28,314,680 times
Reputation: 35862
Quote:
Originally Posted by karlsch View Post
If you look on a globe you will see that Portland is farther north than Wausau, WI. This means that Portland has more darkness in the winter than Madison.

U. of Wisconsin at Madison is one of the great American universities, but a history major might make it difficult to find meaningful employment, especially now, in a tight labor market.

I'm not implying that there is anything wrong with a history major - just trying to be realistic.
Hey, I am a history major from the University of Illinois. There is not much call for this degree you are absolutely right.
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Old 06-21-2008, 06:47 PM
 
426 posts, read 1,731,995 times
Reputation: 296
Quote:
Originally Posted by karlsch View Post
If you look on a globe you will see that Portland is farther north than Wausau, WI. This means that Portland has more darkness in the winter than Madison.

U. of Wisconsin at Madison is one of the great American universities, but a history major might make it difficult to find meaningful employment, especially now, in a tight labor market.

I'm not implying that there is anything wrong with a history major - just trying to be realistic.

Yeah, it was a fallback option to ensure my GPA stayed high after some upper level economics courses started being too much work for a relatively unmotivated student. In retrospect, I wish I could redo college.

It has given me good writing, research, and communication skills, however. I hope to conveys these to jobs that would use them, such as paralegal work. I have thought about going back to school for one semester to finish out my economics degree (I have almost all the credits), to which I'd maybe be able to get a job in a business despite never having an appropriate internship. We shall see, I guess.
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Old 06-21-2008, 06:56 PM
 
Location: Lakewood OH
21,695 posts, read 28,314,680 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ComfortablyNumb View Post
Yeah, it was a fallback option to ensure my GPA stayed high after some upper level economics courses started being too much work for a relatively unmotivated student. In retrospect, I wish I could redo college.

It has given me good writing, research, and communication skills, however. I hope to conveys these to jobs that would use them, such as paralegal work. I have thought about going back to school for one semester to finish out my economics degree (I have almost all the credits), to which I'd maybe be able to get a job in a business despite never having an appropriate internship. We shall see, I guess.
I thought paralegal would work for me too so I went back to school to get certified in that field. I graduated with top honors but the paralegal jobs are scarcer than hen's teeth around here. Even our teachers advised us to move to other cities where we might have a better chance at a job.
If employers want a paralegal only, they ask for years of experience. If they are will to take entry level people the person has to also be a legal secretary. Many of my classmates went back to school to get a certification in legal office services to combine that with their paralegal degrees.
Now I have been told by one of my former teachers that there are so many recent law school out there looking for work that they are taking paralegal jobs.
This is a tough town in which to find a job in most fields. You have a better chance in economics I would think.
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Old 06-21-2008, 07:26 PM
 
426 posts, read 1,731,995 times
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Well, what do you think I could possibly do with a History degree in Portland? I really hate economics and I've already been in college for 4.5 years, so I don't want to go back... at all...
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Old 06-21-2008, 07:33 PM
 
Location: Baker City, Oregon
5,398 posts, read 8,080,307 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Minervah View Post
Hey, I am a history major from the University of Illinois.
I hope you weren't one of the liberal arts majors who made fun of the geeky engineering and computer science guys and gals (not to mention the ag majors).

I'm assuming U of I in Urbana.
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Old 06-21-2008, 11:19 PM
 
Location: Lakewood OH
21,695 posts, read 28,314,680 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by karlsch View Post
I hope you weren't one of the liberal arts majors who made fun of the geeky engineering and computer science guys and gals (not to mention the ag majors).

I'm assuming U of I in Urbana.
Who me? Never ! Some of my best friends were engineering and computer science folks. Actually I only had one year in Champaign-Urbana, the rest I finished at UICC (University of Illinois at Chicago Circle)
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