Undergrad majors that get jobs now

barrons · 06-01-2012, 01:27 AM

Those B schoolers not feeling too bad. Attack them all you like. But at least they'll not be moving back home after college.

Degrees Employers Plan to Hire in 2012 - Yahoo! Education

PolarBearVsShark · 06-01-2012, 02:51 AM

Bogus article.

chaosakita · 06-01-2012, 06:05 AM

Yeah, I don't think you should take Yahoo articles like that too seriously.

blossom · 06-01-2012, 08:25 AM

The myth is that a mediocre finance major has an edge over a superlative History major. If you struggle through your accounting classes you will have no advantages professionally. The basements of America are filled with kids who majored in something they hated which was "marketable" only to find that corporate America isn't welcoming them with open arms.

T26E4 · 06-01-2012, 08:33 AM

"The basements of America are filled with kids ... " OUCH!

intparent · 06-01-2012, 08:39 AM

Dunno... my daughter graduated Phi Beta Kappa in Political Science with another major in Public Policy this spring, and had multiple strong internship experiences. And she had to take a job outside her field this spring. She GOT a job... which is great. But jobs are really scarce even for the great graduates in some fields, especially with cutbacks in government funding. I was a business major, and while barrons and I are not on the same page on many issues, I think he is not far off on this one. A mid-class Finance or accounting major likely WILL have an easier time finding a job in their field than even a top history major, and probably will get paid more. I love and value the liberal arts as much as anyone (D1 went to an LAC, D2 likely will as well), but I am a realist about majors and the job market.

chaosakita · 06-01-2012, 08:42 AM

Quote:

The basements of America are filled with kids who majored in something they hated which was "marketable" only to find that corporate America isn't welcoming them with open arms.

I doubt they would be much better off if they majored in something less marketable instead.

SansSerif · 06-01-2012, 08:55 AM

Here's the thing ... sure, finance majors may have an easier time getting a job out of college. The smart political science major may have to initially take a job outside her major. But eventually, she will find something better. Something she likes. Something in a field she can tolerate or even like for the next 40 years. But if you hate finance or struggle at it, is it worth getting that first job quicker if it's in a field you don't like or aren't very good at?

It isn't just about getting that first job, or getting a better starting salary. It's about finding something you can deal with doing 40 hours or more a week for many, many years. In the real world, people usually compromise and try to find a middle ground. But no matter how much money you offer me, there's no way I could be an accountant or an engineer. Don't have the skills and would be beyond miserable even if I could become competent at it.

BCEagle91 · 06-01-2012, 10:01 AM

I have always felt that I could enjoy doing just about anything as contentment is a state of mind. I've tried a little of a lot of different areas and there are a lot of aspects of jobs that are interesting once you get into the details.

momofthreeboys · 06-01-2012, 11:10 AM

My business/english double major had a job by fall in the industry he wanted and has been financially sufficient and starting to think about an MBA in a year or so. He doesn't make a fortune but he's happy not to be living at home with mommy and daddy and master of his own domain. I have no complaints. I just keep thinking what I've ALWAYS thought and said...it's the person not the degree. Our intern from the no-name directional university in a "gasp" advertising major just landed a job coinciding with graduation week with a famous software gaming company for a corp communication job that hundreds and hundreds of kids applied for. Repeat, repeat...it's not the college, it's not the degree...it's the person and what they bring to the table.

bosssr · 06-01-2012, 12:03 PM

For the most part I agree with momofthreeboys, it is the person. The one thing that I believe is the degree/college might get them in the door, but that person still has to outshine many people for the job.

Erin's Dad · 06-01-2012, 12:42 PM

There's a great future in cybersecurity. (think plastics)

Classof2015 · 06-01-2012, 12:58 PM

There's a great future in plasticity -- flexibility -- ability to adapt, change and grow.

katliamom · 06-01-2012, 01:21 PM

My company only hired young grads after they passed a 2-hour SAT-like exam. One of their findings is that a majority of finance/business grads couldn't write worth a damn and knew very little about anything but numbers. This really bugged our EVP of marketing, who hated poorly written emails. Said poor grammar and weak writing indicated a lack of basic literacy which made any kind of business analysis suspect.

As result, most of his hires were people who did finance/business AND had a solid education in other fields as well. There were also quite a few humanities majors who only took a few finance/business classes.

barrons · 06-01-2012, 01:25 PM

Not bogus at all. NACE provides employment data used by most college and other placement offices for salalry and job data. Know what you are talking about before getting so smart.

https://myecs.engr.wisc.edu/public/parent/index.php

And katliamom--not many companies use any such testing. At most some ask for SAT scores. Most finance grads from decent schools can write well enough and they start at $60K per year plus bonus with very high placement percentages. Those are the facts.