What do liberal arts majors do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1/3 of global CEOs of Fortune 500 companies have liberal arts degrees.

A lot of those are economics tho

Economics is a good major unlike those humanities majors like English, communications, anthropology, etc. etc.

I would argue the same skills are being taught, just looking at human behavior through different lenses.

Economics is ultimately about people and how they behave. Just like anthropology, communications, and English.

I do agree the fields those might take you into might have wildly varying pay scales, but not everyone is motivated by a top-earning paycheck. If someone has a passion for anthropology, they'll accept lower pay than a computer scientist. And the difference in an AI world is the computer scientist is more likely to be displaced than the anthropologist, who will APPLY AI to their work.

More to the point, the foundational skills of all these majors are essentially the same, which makes these people highly desirable for large global Fortune 500 companies -- should those majors even desire to work in such an environment.

I have a liberal arts degree in philosophy. I earn $275,000 a year and have earned in the $200s since my 30s.

I realize anecdote is not evidence, but the notion that there's no value in liberal arts is not grounded in reality. And it also doesn't herald the future, where humanities degrees will be more coveted than engineering or computer science. Just ask Mark Cuban.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many things you can do in this world that aren’t engineering. My background fits your description and I work in marketing. I make around $350k. Entry level is about $60k.

Sharp analytical thinkers and storytellers will be needed, even in an AI-driven world.

ESPECIALLY in an AI-driven world. AI is going to replace the coders, not the creatives.

uh no. I have seen AI create art (amazing btw), and write stuff. If AI can code, it can write some marketing blurb.

It can absolutely write “some marketing blurb.” But can it move human beings in a way that inspires them to change their behavior or translate an idea into action? Can it shift thinking or move markets? Not yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many things you can do in this world that aren’t engineering. My background fits your description and I work in marketing. I make around $350k. Entry level is about $60k.

Sharp analytical thinkers and storytellers will be needed, even in an AI-driven world.

ESPECIALLY in an AI-driven world. AI is going to replace the coders, not the creatives.

uh no. I have seen AI create art (amazing btw), and write stuff. If AI can code, it can write some marketing blurb.

It can absolutely write “some marketing blurb.” But can it move human beings in a way that inspires them to change their behavior or translate an idea into action? Can it shift thinking or move markets? Not yet.

Not to mention none of AI's art is "amazing." There's always something off about it, inhuman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many things you can do in this world that aren’t engineering. My background fits your description and I work in marketing. I make around $350k. Entry level is about $60k.

Sharp analytical thinkers and storytellers will be needed, even in an AI-driven world.

ESPECIALLY in an AI-driven world. AI is going to replace the coders, not the creatives.

uh no. I have seen AI create art (amazing btw), and write stuff. If AI can code, it can write some marketing blurb.

It can absolutely write “some marketing blurb.” But can it move human beings in a way that inspires them to change their behavior or translate an idea into action? Can it shift thinking or move markets? Not yet.

Not to mention none of AI's art is "amazing." There's always something off about it, inhuman.

Most of the photos I've seen by "humans" is also filtered, ie, use of AI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many things you can do in this world that aren’t engineering. My background fits your description and I work in marketing. I make around $350k. Entry level is about $60k.

Sharp analytical thinkers and storytellers will be needed, even in an AI-driven world.

ESPECIALLY in an AI-driven world. AI is going to replace the coders, not the creatives.

uh no. I have seen AI create art (amazing btw), and write stuff. If AI can code, it can write some marketing blurb.

It can absolutely write “some marketing blurb.” But can it move human beings in a way that inspires them to change their behavior or translate an idea into action? Can it shift thinking or move markets? Not yet.

AI cannot yet write complex code. Can it write simple code? Yes. Complex code (like complex writing), not yet. Not that different.

Most humanities majors need graduate degrees to get a good paying job. Not so for STEM majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I posted this in another thread, but it’s worth reading “You Can Go Anywhere” by George Anders, or at least listening to some interviews with him. He really effectively bridges the gaps between liberal arts skills and the demands of a tech- and STEM-heavy economy. Lots of examples, paired with compelling data.

He’s honest about the challenges — getting that first job will be more challenging for a humanities major than for a CS major. And the path to success requires a certain amount of nimbleness. But long-term there’s great career mobility and some really amazing opportunities that align very nicely with 21st century employers’ needs.

Here’s one interview: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EK1UOyz80P0

For the record, I don’t know him and have zero stake in his book or his argument, but I happened to listen to an interview during a long drive and found it compelling enough that I immediately sought more interviews and eventually bought the book for DC.

+1 no one is saying humanities majors can't get jobs, but that it's harder to get higher paying jobs with just an undergrad degree. And statistics bear that out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

Harvard English: $49,675

Harvard CS: $256,539

Look at the enormous gap. Imagine why? LOL
Good luck with humanities majors in no name schools.

Your link doesn't go to this data. What are these amounts? Starting salary? After 5 years? I only ask because most of my fellow Humanities graduates went on to graduate school soon after graduation, which will pull down the average early career salary, while most CS majors go right to work. I will say that at 50, things don't look the same as they did when we were 25. Everyone who wants one has a job, most of them interesting and prestigious, but at many different income levels. Not all Humanities majors are poor and not all STEM majors are rich. Life is long and people make choices.

dp.. I think that's the point.. a lot of humanities majors go on to grad school in order to get a good paying job; CS, business, eng.. they don't have to do that. OP is asking what a humanities major just out of undergrad can do.

Most people on here replying are saying they make $$ as a humanities major, but how much were they making their first job out of undergrad? Statistics doesn't match what people are saying on here.

I made 30K/year in DC in the mid-90s. That’s the equivalent of about 60K today. That’s a liveable salary for a 22-year-old single person, even in DC. Not everyone needs or seeks to make big salaries right out of college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted this in another thread, but it’s worth reading “You Can Go Anywhere” by George Anders, or at least listening to some interviews with him. He really effectively bridges the gaps between liberal arts skills and the demands of a tech- and STEM-heavy economy. Lots of examples, paired with compelling data.

He’s honest about the challenges — getting that first job will be more challenging for a humanities major than for a CS major. And the path to success requires a certain amount of nimbleness. But long-term there’s great career mobility and some really amazing opportunities that align very nicely with 21st century employers’ needs.

Here’s one interview: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EK1UOyz80P0

For the record, I don’t know him and have zero stake in his book or his argument, but I happened to listen to an interview during a long drive and found it compelling enough that I immediately sought more interviews and eventually bought the book for DC.

+1 no one is saying humanities majors can't get jobs, but that it's harder to get higher paying jobs with just an undergrad degree. And statistics bear that out.

It's fascinating how many of you are obsessed with "high paying" as the only desirable outcome. And what you really mean is "high-paying more quickly."

People take jobs for a lot of reasons. High-paying is certainly one of them. But others are motivated by purpose, passion, a desire to serve -- people in the military aren't well paid but no one poo-poos them. And honestly, my humanities jobs work in more interesting fields than STEM fields. And likely have better work-life balance.

But, sure, die on the hill of high-paying out of the gate is all that matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe stints teaching English online or college essay help?

When I read all these discussions all I can think is thank god I have a liberal arts degree majoring in English and a good job to go with it because you all are sort of ignorant and lacking in imagination

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many things you can do in this world that aren’t engineering. My background fits your description and I work in marketing. I make around $350k. Entry level is about $60k.

Sharp analytical thinkers and storytellers will be needed, even in an AI-driven world.

ESPECIALLY in an AI-driven world. AI is going to replace the coders, not the creatives.

uh no. I have seen AI create art (amazing btw), and write stuff. If AI can code, it can write some marketing blurb.

It can absolutely write “some marketing blurb.” But can it move human beings in a way that inspires them to change their behavior or translate an idea into action? Can it shift thinking or move markets? Not yet.

Not to mention none of AI's art is "amazing." There's always something off about it, inhuman.

Most of the photos I've seen by "humans" is also filtered, ie, use of AI.

We were talking about the creation of ART though, not photographs.

But you sort of make my point: The humanities majors will USE and APPLY the AI. The computer scientist will only program it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1/3 of global CEOs of Fortune 500 companies have liberal arts degrees.

A lot of those are economics tho

Economics is a good major unlike those humanities majors like English, communications, anthropology, etc. etc.

I would argue the same skills are being taught, just looking at human behavior through different lenses.

Economics is ultimately about people and how they behave. Just like anthropology, communications, and English.

I do agree the fields those might take you into might have wildly varying pay scales, but not everyone is motivated by a top-earning paycheck. If someone has a passion for anthropology, they'll accept lower pay than a computer scientist. And the difference in an AI world is the computer scientist is more likely to be displaced than the anthropologist, who will APPLY AI to their work.

More to the point, the foundational skills of all these majors are essentially the same, which makes these people highly desirable for large global Fortune 500 companies -- should those majors even desire to work in such an environment.

I have a liberal arts degree in philosophy. I earn $275,000 a year and have earned in the $200s since my 30s.

I realize anecdote is not evidence, but the notion that there's no value in liberal arts is not grounded in reality. And it also doesn't herald the future, where humanities degrees will be more coveted than engineering or computer science. Just ask Mark Cuban.

Sorry that's not the reality.

Harvard Economics: $124,570
Harvard English: $49,570

Employers who actually pay don't agree with you.

[Anonymous]

That you’re even asking this question tells me you could have benefited from a liberal arts degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted this in another thread, but it’s worth reading “You Can Go Anywhere” by George Anders, or at least listening to some interviews with him. He really effectively bridges the gaps between liberal arts skills and the demands of a tech- and STEM-heavy economy. Lots of examples, paired with compelling data.

He’s honest about the challenges — getting that first job will be more challenging for a humanities major than for a CS major. And the path to success requires a certain amount of nimbleness. But long-term there’s great career mobility and some really amazing opportunities that align very nicely with 21st century employers’ needs.

Here’s one interview: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EK1UOyz80P0

For the record, I don’t know him and have zero stake in his book or his argument, but I happened to listen to an interview during a long drive and found it compelling enough that I immediately sought more interviews and eventually bought the book for DC.

+1 no one is saying humanities majors can't get jobs, but that it's harder to get higher paying jobs with just an undergrad degree. And statistics bear that out.

It's fascinating how many of you are obsessed with "high paying" as the only desirable outcome. And what you really mean is "high-paying more quickly."

People take jobs for a lot of reasons. High-paying is certainly one of them. But others are motivated by purpose, passion, a desire to serve -- people in the military aren't well paid but no one poo-poos them. And honestly, my humanities jobs work in more interesting fields than STEM fields. And likely have better work-life balance.

But, sure, die on the hill of high-paying out of the gate is all that matters.

With the current cost of college, and the focus on ROI, it does matter to most people. Yes, there is potential to make a lot with humanities for the right person, it's just not as guaranteed as other fields. Not everyone wants to take on more cost with grad school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

Harvard English: $49,675

Harvard CS: $256,539

Look at the enormous gap. Imagine why? LOL
Good luck with humanities majors in no name schools.

I work a lot with IPEDS data (the source of the college scorecard). It is important to note that college scorecard only includes data on students who receive federal financial aid. That means it is a large dataset but it doesn't include information on high SES graduates. Also, I couldn't replicate your findings for the two degrees cited. Are those salaries at the 10 year mark? Does it include those that went on to graduate school?

Many of the lower income elite-college students that I know specifically chose to go into nonprofit work. Not all, but definitely a higher percentage than the UMC private school kids I know.

That’s anecdotal, of course, but it highlights a major problem with these sorts of blunt comparisons: they only compare facts about outcome, rather than intention/choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted this in another thread, but it’s worth reading “You Can Go Anywhere” by George Anders, or at least listening to some interviews with him. He really effectively bridges the gaps between liberal arts skills and the demands of a tech- and STEM-heavy economy. Lots of examples, paired with compelling data.

He’s honest about the challenges — getting that first job will be more challenging for a humanities major than for a CS major. And the path to success requires a certain amount of nimbleness. But long-term there’s great career mobility and some really amazing opportunities that align very nicely with 21st century employers’ needs.

Here’s one interview: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EK1UOyz80P0

For the record, I don’t know him and have zero stake in his book or his argument, but I happened to listen to an interview during a long drive and found it compelling enough that I immediately sought more interviews and eventually bought the book for DC.

+1 no one is saying humanities majors can't get jobs, but that it's harder to get higher paying jobs with just an undergrad degree. And statistics bear that out.

It's fascinating how many of you are obsessed with "high paying" as the only desirable outcome. And what you really mean is "high-paying more quickly."

People take jobs for a lot of reasons. High-paying is certainly one of them. But others are motivated by purpose, passion, a desire to serve -- people in the military aren't well paid but no one poo-poos them. And honestly, my humanities jobs work in more interesting fields than STEM fields. And likely have better work-life balance.

But, sure, die on the hill of high-paying out of the gate is all that matters.

Why is it fascinating? Most of us don't come from money. I grew up lower income. It sucks being poor. I made $26K in 1992 in CA. Not bad for back then, but even that was not easy. I don't want my kids to struggle like I did.

It's great to be motivated by passion, but most people don't have that kind of passion such that they are willing to struggle financially. It's like people who want to get into acting. Most won't make it even as they have passion for it. So, the end up in the service industry waiting tables. Have you seen how some child stars end up? Working retail or some other service industry. That's passion for most people. Only a few really make it.

I have a great work life balance. I have been wfh for the past 10 years in the tech field. Tech is the first industry to allow wfh, way before covid.