English/ History/ Foreign Language majors? Talk to me!

[Anonymous]

English major, History minor.
I have an MLS but have never worked in a traditional library. Taxonomies/knowledge management are niche fields, but they pay fairly well and there's not a lot of competition for jobs.

[Anonymous]

English & Political Science Double Major

Worked on Capitol Hill, major lobbying firm, and now exec team for a leading advocacy non-profit.

Don't discount the value of being able to communicate well to a wide range of audiences. Lots of paths.

[Anonymous]

I learned more about crafting good, well-reasoned prose in history class than I ever did in a journalism class.

History courses in college are *fantastic* for writing papers and essays under pressure (midterms, final exams) that require sourcing and working facts seamlessly into the narrative to support your main points. It was invaluable to me.

Not too long ago, a teenager asked me what classes to take in high school and college to become a journalist. I said history, history, history. Work for the student newspaper, too.

I highly recommend taking a history course in college, even if you are a STEM major. History class is where you learn to write.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi! Just curious if you were any of the above majors, could you tell me what you do now. Or if your child is studying any of the above things, what do you think they will do with it.

DD simply arbors math, physics and thinks she hates any kind of science. Sad, she had a really lousy biology teacher freshman year at her school and is so turned off. Whatever.

Doesn’t want to be a lawyer, teacher, or librarian. Teachers are so horribly treated theses days and I am a librarian and they finish lowest on the totem pole in my federal agency. Unappreciated and underpaid.

I am asking because we are trying to choose colleges that might have additional areas that she can minor in to make such a degree more marketable.

Wish I had a stem kid. But I don’t! Sweet kid. NO STEM.

So.... that's truly terrible
I majored in philosophy, then worked at an investment bank, then got my master's, now work in consulting. Not from a T25 or highly regarded SLAC.
Humanities/social science majors pose no issue in job security for a student that is adept at representing themselves/communicating well.

+10. Thank you philosophy major! I love people like you. What did you get your masters in?

Public Policy. I could have stayed at the Investment Bank I worked at after college. I probably would have moved up and probably my earnings would be better at this point, but I wanted to do something different. I still do fine and have a great WLB so no regrets.

NP
Is Public Policy good major for humanity students with great writing skills?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH and I were both English majors - at different colleges.

He runs a very high profile TV production company. Until I started having kids, I represented TV writers, as an agent.

We did not meet through TV work, either.

are you guys conventionally attractive and or attended top schools?

Getting on the agent training program at caa, wme, icm, uta is NOT easy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi! Just curious if you were any of the above majors, could you tell me what you do now. Or if your child is studying any of the above things, what do you think they will do with it.

DD simply arbors math, physics and thinks she hates any kind of science. Sad, she had a really lousy biology teacher freshman year at her school and is so turned off. Whatever.

Doesn’t want to be a lawyer, teacher, or librarian. Teachers are so horribly treated theses days and I am a librarian and they finish lowest on the totem pole in my federal agency. Unappreciated and underpaid.

I am asking because we are trying to choose colleges that might have additional areas that she can minor in to make such a degree more marketable.

Wish I had a stem kid. But I don’t! Sweet kid. NO STEM.

So.... that's truly terrible
I majored in philosophy, then worked at an investment bank, then got my master's, now work in consulting. Not from a T25 or highly regarded SLAC.
Humanities/social science majors pose no issue in job security for a student that is adept at representing themselves/communicating well.

+10. Thank you philosophy major! I love people like you. What did you get your masters in?

Public Policy. I could have stayed at the Investment Bank I worked at after college. I probably would have moved up and probably my earnings would be better at this point, but I wanted to do something different. I still do fine and have a great WLB so no regrets.

NP
Is Public Policy good major for humanity students with great writing skills?

It’s ok.

Public policy majors in 2022 without strong data analytics skills are kinda not competitive unless you go to a top top school or have lots of connections

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:History major here. Worked for several years after getting my BA in a variety of admin positions across real estate, consulting, and tech firms. Then went back for my - wait for it - MSLS, hi fellow librarian mom. But I found I didn't really want to work in a library (I hear you on the bottom of the totem pole thing, sigh) so I went back into administration. Now in senior management at a nonprofit, but sometimes eye a jump back to the corporate world which I may yet do.

In my crowd, my closest history major friend (BA) now works in the intelligence field and has been all around the world. Closest English major friend (also only a BA) is high up in some tech startup and makes way more money than me (or my STEM PhD DH for that matter...whom I also outearn, incidentally). Best friend from college who majored in foreign languages works at a global ed tech firm. And a former roommate who majored in philosophy is now doing really well in politics.

As the English professor above noted, a liberal arts degree often fosters excellent writing and communication, not to mention critical thinking, skills and those are always going to be in demand. Lots one can do with degrees like English, history, philosophy or foreign languages!

Hi librarian mom from a fellow librarian mom! You were smart to decide to stay out of the library, in my opinion. It sounds like your history major served you well and you have enjoyed your career - always great news~

I am towards the end of my career, but as I said, I often don't feel so valued in my federal agency. My salary grade is the same as the administrative assistants, who have zero education! I thought about returning to school for something else, but now I am just too close to retirement and too tired! I don't want what I had to put up with for my DD as a librarian.

Your history major friends sound like they have interesting jobs too. I find this college thing so baffling from when I went.. so different!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi! Just curious if you were any of the above majors, could you tell me what you do now. Or if your child is studying any of the above things, what do you think they will do with it.

DD simply arbors math, physics and thinks she hates any kind of science. Sad, she had a really lousy biology teacher freshman year at her school and is so turned off. Whatever.

Doesn’t want to be a lawyer, teacher, or librarian. Teachers are so horribly treated theses days and I am a librarian and they finish lowest on the totem pole in my federal agency. Unappreciated and underpaid.

I am asking because we are trying to choose colleges that might have additional areas that she can minor in to make such a degree more marketable.

Wish I had a stem kid. But I don’t! Sweet kid. NO STEM.

So.... that's truly terrible
I majored in philosophy, then worked at an investment bank, then got my master's, now work in consulting. Not from a T25 or highly regarded SLAC.
Humanities/social science majors pose no issue in job security for a student that is adept at representing themselves/communicating well.

+10. Thank you philosophy major! I love people like you. What did you get your masters in?

Public Policy. I could have stayed at the Investment Bank I worked at after college. I probably would have moved up and probably my earnings would be better at this point, but I wanted to do something different. I still do fine and have a great WLB so no regrets.

NP
Is Public Policy good major for humanity students with great writing skills?

It’s ok.

Public policy majors in 2022 without strong data analytics skills are kinda not competitive unless you go to a top top school or have lots of connections

+1. Public policy majors need to know their way around SAS or some other statistical software package.

[Anonymous]

College is for education, not for job training. Education comes in many forms, and liberal arts is a wonderful form. I was a classics major (Ancient Greek & philosophy). Got a masters in public policy. I now run a think tank about the digital technology. Lots of CS majors working with us! I think my education gave me a broader view that helps show the role that tech plays in our world.

[Anonymous]

You’ve said what she doesn’t like and want. But what classes does she enjoy? What activities does she do that she loves? Let her explore based on her interests and find the right fit for her.

[Anonymous]

I have a history degree. I am a teacher. But, many of my peers went to law school or business school. You are right to steer her away from education, it’s rough out here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a government major, art minor… been in Human Resources since I graduated many years ago. You’d be surprised how many liberal arts majors there are in the corporate world.

Yes! we have lots of English majors in HR. What matters especially for climbing the ladder are the certifications after college, like SHRM.

[Anonymous]

For non-stem and non-“vocational” fields (like elementary education degrees) you have to go to a top school to get a top job if that’s what you’re vying for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi! Just curious if you were any of the above majors, could you tell me what you do now. Or if your child is studying any of the above things, what do you think they will do with it.

DD simply arbors math, physics and thinks she hates any kind of science. Sad, she had a really lousy biology teacher freshman year at her school and is so turned off. Whatever.

Doesn’t want to be a lawyer, teacher, or librarian. Teachers are so horribly treated theses days and I am a librarian and they finish lowest on the totem pole in my federal agency. Unappreciated and underpaid.

I am asking because we are trying to choose colleges that might have additional areas that she can minor in to make such a degree more marketable.

Wish I had a stem kid. But I don’t! Sweet kid. NO STEM.

So.... that's truly terrible
I majored in philosophy, then worked at an investment bank, then got my master's, now work in consulting. Not from a T25 or highly regarded SLAC.
Humanities/social science majors pose no issue in job security for a student that is adept at representing themselves/communicating well.

+10. Thank you philosophy major! I love people like you. What did you get your masters in?

Public Policy. I could have stayed at the Investment Bank I worked at after college. I probably would have moved up and probably my earnings would be better at this point, but I wanted to do something different. I still do fine and have a great WLB so no regrets.

NP
Is Public Policy good major for humanity students with great writing skills?

It’s ok.

Public policy majors in 2022 without strong data analytics skills are kinda not competitive unless you go to a top top school or have lots of connections

+1. Public policy majors need to know their way around SAS or some other statistical software package.

+2.

Me: history/English double major. Now law/policy/politics

DC: history major. probably law/policy politics

I’m not worried, but TBH, that’s partially because DC has the financial resources and connections of his parents. DC also has a true passion for policy and politics & there would be no point in trying to talk him out of it. I’m encouraging him to minor in statistics or economics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College is for education, not for job training. Education comes in many forms, and liberal arts is a wonderful form. I was a classics major (Ancient Greek & philosophy). Got a masters in public policy. I now run a think tank about the digital technology. Lots of CS majors working with us! I think my education gave me a broader view that helps show the role that tech plays in our world.

That sounds lovely but is not reality for the vast majority of people.