Colleges are talking my nephew into a "liberal arts" education so he can be ready for the work world! (apply, employers)

[mcb1025]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

Let me tell him what I think; Forget about college untill you have a plan of action. What purpose would the education serve? After 4 years of school would he be able to move into the work force? I know plenty of people with the majors he is being told to go after and those people are working for Starbucks, as bank tellers, in retail, as wait staff. Unless their is some kind of plan with a pay off then why go to school? Chances are he can get a job at any of those places without the degree.

The girl who served me the other night at a bar had an accounting degree.

My friend with an MIS degree works at a call center. He makes significantly less than me.

My other friend with a Management degree works at Best Buy as a clerk. He's been passed over for promotions several times.

My friend with a Marketing degree has been unemployed for over a year and can't get a job at Foot Locker.

So I guess, according to your logic, these people have failed, too?

Meanwhile, I have a BA and have been employed with one of the nation's largest telecom companies since a few weeks after I graduated. Not bragging here, just pointing out that your opinion on this matter does not necessarily reflect reality.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by mcb1025

The girl who served me the other night at a bar had an accounting degree.

My friend with an MIS degree works at a call center.

My other friend with a Management degree works at Best Buy as a clerk. He's been passed over for promotions several times.

My friend with a Marketing degree has been unemployed for over a year and can't get a job at Foot Locker.

So I guess, according to your logic, these people have failed, too?

Care to guess how many lawyers with over $100K in law school debt are making $30K/year working for Legal Aid?

[Stranded and Lonely]

Those unemployed or minimum wage workers you mentioned with college degrees were likely the bottom rung of the people who graduated. Even in today's terrible economy most people who graduate from college will get a better job within a year of graduation and have a better chance of future opportunity and promotions than someone who just got out of High School.

Originally Posted by mcb1025

The girl who served me the other night at a bar had an accounting degree.

My friend with an MIS degree works at a call center. He makes significantly less than me.

My other friend with a Management degree works at Best Buy as a clerk. He's been passed over for promotions several times.

My friend with a Marketing degree has been unemployed for over a year and can't get a job at Foot Locker.

So I guess, according to your logic, these people have failed, too?

Meanwhile, I have a BA and have been employed with one of the nation's largest telecom companies since a few weeks after I graduated. Not bragging here, just pointing out that your opinion on this matter does not necessarily reflect reality.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by mcb1025

The girl who served me the other night at a bar had an accounting degree.

My friend with an MIS degree works at a call center. He makes significantly less than me.

My other friend with a Management degree works at Best Buy as a clerk. He's been passed over for promotions several times.

My friend with a Marketing degree has been unemployed for over a year and can't get a job at Foot Locker.

So I guess, according to your logic, these people have failed, too?

Meanwhile, I have a BA and have been employed with one of the nation's largest telecom companies since a few weeks after I graduated. Not bragging here, just pointing out that your opinion on this matter does not necessarily reflect reality.

I am not expressing an opinion of those that are in the workforce working jobs that they didn't recieve an education for. I am informing the OP about others that went to school for a degree they did not need to get the job that they are in now. Each of the jobs I mentioned could have been had without the degree. Your job could have been had without a degree.

Chances are the Accountant that works in food service, makes more than she could in the accounting field, unless she becomes a CPA. Having a degree is only one step in the process to become a CPA. Your friend with the managment degree chances are it isn't an MBA or I would bet wouldn't be working at Best Buy. I have an MBA and am sure that would be the case. But then for the moment their are many others out there that do have an MBA that are also looking for work. It is a nice economy, but it won't stay this way forever. Some degrees you need to have a graduate degree to make any money in.

The reality is that for those with a degree in English Lit, Sociology, or any of the other diciplines ending in gy, your not marketable and could have gotten the job without the degree.

[itshim]

In this day and age, I would get creative and do two things to make up the difference whether we're talking double majoring or minoring . There's nothing like graduating college, and learning something, but still feeling unbalanced. During my UG, I majored in Anthropology with a biology focus. In grad school I did Poli Sci with a focus on Economics/Stats.

For Engineering I'd advise something as valuable as creative writing and/or literature.

For Accounting, combine with something like a Econ minor or focus.

With Math or Physics try combining it with Philosophy (if you can hack it because these 3 are very intensive disciplines)

[zentropa]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

The reality is that for those with a degree in English Lit, Sociology, or any of the other diciplines ending in gy, your not marketable and could have gotten the job without the degree.

I am sorry, but you are very wrong. That is certainly not "the reality"

[itshim]

Anther word on for LA majors...

Take a language, and study it for 4 years (i.e. 1 course level per year). By graduation, you should have decent comprehension of speaking and writing. And keep it interesting, whatever language you use, try studying abroad there for a semster or even a summer through volunteer work. Even if your school doesn't offer that, most schools will accept strays from other Universities.

[e_cuyler]

Accounting/some kind of IT is a better combo. Econ *can* be useful in accounting, but generally only in larger markets with a need for specialists. It's usually not all that relevant to general accounting work.

Chances are the server with the accounting degree can't find a job at all in this market.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by zentropa

I am sorry, but you are very wrong. That is certainly not "the reality"

In the context that I am speaking of, those individuals that went and earned an english lit degree, sociology, or some other gy degree and are now working as waiters, office coordinators, secretaries, bank tellers, they could have gotten those jobs without the degree. They chose to go to school and now are working in fields that do not represent the degree in any way. I have yet to see one of them that needed the degree and in every case standing next to them is someone that did not go to school and they are both working at the same place.

That type of degree can be called a "Circle degree". For the most part someone who earns one will need to continue attending school to earn an advanced degree in the subject. Eventually the student will have the knowledge and background to teach the subject and chances are will end up getting a job with a college or university teaching other students that are trying to get degrees in the "gy" diciplines.

Show me one person that has a Bachelors in Sociology and has a job that requires them to have a Sociology degree? You can feel free to use any of the "gy" diciplines to prove me wrong.

[Topaz]

The Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State says that employers don't care about majors as much as they care about skills like ability to manage projects and build relationships that benefit the employer. These folks survey employers to determine recruiting trends.