<p>A big part of the problem with parental pressure is that the data behind the pressure is often sadly outdated. Few parents have been in the new college grad job market for a long time…I doubt the circumstances now are the same as 20, 30 years ago.</p>
<p>“Practical” majors? Biggest mistake in the world (well, at least in career planning).</p>
<p>Let’s look at real world events over the past few years, and then my own predictions:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>IT/High Tech/Programming. Hot a few years back, then the dot com bust, which no one saw coming. Need I say more? </p></li>
<li><p>Engineering. Just talk to anyone who has lived in S. Cal. for a few decades about the boom and bust in aerospace engineering, for example.</p></li>
<li><p>Nursing. Great career, high demand up to the early 80s. Then the first wave of health care reform hit, leading to massive hospital closures, consolidation and huge nursing layoffs. This led to a drop in enrollment in training, another round of shortages, the shortages helped by horrendous working conditions etc.</p></li>
<li><p>Accounting. Who would have thought 4 years ago that the field would be so hot now? I predict hiring will be DOA in 4 years, if not earlier, due to dialing back of Sarbanes-Oxley requirements that have so raised the demand now. The field has historically had its own roller coaster qualities anyway. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>So, chase away…</p>