What kind of jobs were you able to get with a liberal arts degree?

[Felix C]

Originally Posted by tropolis

i dont buy this thread either.

everybody has an outstanding career and above average income.

easy to make things up when your on the computer.

i also dont buy the defense of liberal arts majors on here.

imo, it is a waste of time going for a liberal arts degree unless your going to grad school.

the only real worrthwile undergrad majors are in the engineering sectors and some business majors, like finance and accounting.

most people i know that graduated with a BA are either unemployed or working menial jobs.

one of those guys was a math major at a top 25 lac, and he is a temp at wells fargo. he should be at an investment bank making 6 figures.

i fell into the trap of a liberal arts degree being something that would be ok, and have thankfully talked myself out of it and plan to leave where im at and pursue a technical degree.

This post is emblematic of what is wrong in much of the anti-LA presumptions here.

I think the success posts herein represent capable employment not pinnacle of success which would lead one to say outstanding. Only one person mentioned their income. The other groups of salaries for values has little meaning as their is a wide divergence as to what earning power is in this country based on cost of living.

Disbelief of respondents leads to denigration by imputing the veracity. Classic example of group think.

I do not believe anyone is defending LA per say (that is another thread here) as the stated and implied attribute is the individual and their current accomplishment rather than the degre value.

The standard used to determine hiring needs of U.S. companies completely ignores major actors. I would posit the CPG, Logistics and related services corporations or management-track public contact positions are hiring as much by volume as the needs for manufacturing, accounting and banking related. CPG is actually the one area there is considerable growth regarding domestic production in the U.S.

My personal favorite..."People I know who have LA degrees and are unemployed or underemployed means it is a waste." More truthfully and represented in real life is successful people prefer successful people, intelligent people with intelligent people, positive people with positive. etc.

The only trap is the one we create for ourselves or allow others to trap us in.

How difficult is it to understand that you have to fight for what you aspire to in life? I did not wish to denigrate anyone in previous posts but the reason for lack of success is probably due to the individual's lack of development in complementary skills and not what their major was.

Admittedly, there is a current condition of overcapacity of graduates with minimized demand and there are many more barriers to employment.(lessened quality too apparently from the criticisms of grade inflation which pervade higher education) A person could actually create a SWOT analysis of their own prospects.

If one is skeptical due to the anonymity of the Internet Cafe then read/listen to the books written by leaders in business who have been truly outstanding. I was listening to Winning by Jack Welch last Friday and note he stated one should do what they love as they will be more capable than anyone else. He also mentoned many change careers outside of college and have no relation to their major. He read off a list of acquaintances who all were CEOs who started as LA majors.

[Jaded]

Originally Posted by tropolis

i dont buy this thread either.

everybody has an outstanding career and above average income.

easy to make things up when your on the computer.

i also dont buy the defense of liberal arts majors on here.

imo, it is a waste of time going for a liberal arts degree unless your going to grad school.

the only real worrthwile undergrad majors are in the engineering sectors and some business majors, like finance and accounting.

most people i know that graduated with a BA are either unemployed or working menial jobs.

one of those guys was a math major at a top 25 lac, and he is a temp at wells fargo. he should be at an investment bank making 6 figures.

i fell into the trap of a liberal arts degree being something that would be ok, and have thankfully talked myself out of it and plan to leave where im at and pursue a technical degree.

Why would anyone need to "make up" a career simply because they are posting online? It's anonymous, so it's irrelevant either way...no one knows who anyone is, so why lie? No benefit in doing so.

The OP asked for a listing of jobs people obtained with a LA degree. He/she did not ask for anyone's opinion about LA degrees.

BTW, I have a BA degree and was hired by a Big 5 accounting firm BEFORE I graduated; have also been hired at an investment research and management firm; a professional services firm; and a well-known consumer products company. All of these companies need varied workers with varied skills to complement their main product/service. And yes, I was part of the professional staff.

I'm only unemployed now because I recently quit my job to finish a masters program in management. Yep, liberal arts turned science and technical and I've done quite well!

The problem is not with the degree. It's with the idea that one is owed the world without him ever even stepping out of his front door! All this talk about what you can earn "right out of college" is absurd. EVEN engineers have to start at the bottom so to speak; doctors get paid crap during their residency, etc.

Money comes to those who work hard for it or are born into a family with it (and the latter isn't always true).

[user_id]

Originally Posted by Jaded

Why would anyone need to "make up" a career simply because they are posting online? It's anonymous, so it's irrelevant either way...no one knows who anyone is, so why lie?

There are many reasons one would why, for example, maybe they are trying to convince themselves that they are (or did) make the right choice.

I'd imagine exaggeration is more common that out-right lying though..

Originally Posted by Jaded

I'm only unemployed now because I recently quit my job to finish a masters program in management.

You were doing so well, that you left the work force and returned to school for another degree? Yeah....that makes sense.

Originally Posted by Jaded

EVEN engineers have to start at the bottom so to speak; doctors get paid crap during their residency, etc.

Yep, but the "bottom" for an Engineer is a heck of a lot higher than the bottom for a "liberal arts" graduate. Looking at what doctors get paid during residency makes no sense, its just a paid internship and in that sense its much better than what most people get.

Originally Posted by Jaded

Money comes to those who work hard for it...

Nah, it comes to those who work smart for it.

[Jaded]

^^ Ummm...I actually worked and went to school. I could AFFORD to stop working my last two semesters, and that is what I've done. Similar to other full-time MBA/Law/Medical or other graduate students who do the same around the country.

But no, that wouldn't make sense to someone like you who obviously likes to gloat but actually does nothing. You just keep working "smart" and leave the rest of us alone. Thanks!