If your kids are English majors they're destined to work at a shoe store

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP -- you know little of what you assert. Most organizations are starving for people who can write. Many LOVE English majors. They tire of business majors who can't write and who think too narrowly. My DD was an Ivy League English major and was hired on Wall Street because they loved her writing.

Yep. And there's so many more like your daughter these days.

[Anonymous]

I'm an English major now practicing law. I never sold a shoe in my life. I will absolutely encourage my kids to be liberal arts majors. The liberal arts help develop critical and creative thinking. Besides, an undergraduate degree of any kind won't guarantee success.

[Anonymous]

I worked at a shoe store and loved it - 11th and 12th grades (no, I didn't have to touch feet (this is the most-asked question when people find out about that job)), but did not go on to become an English major.

[Anonymous]

Getting a degree from a good college with good grades (or a mediocre college with great grades) is what is really important since this is what will get you into graduate school. A few people do well with just a BA, but increasingly professional fields require an MA so it is what you study in graduate school that matters. Or, be an entrepreneur. You can study whatever you like and then work for yourself as long as you are smart, a really hard worker, creative, and willing to take risks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP -- you know little of what you assert. Most organizations are starving for people who can write. Many LOVE English majors. They tire of business majors who can't write and who think too narrowly. My DD was an Ivy League English major and was hired on Wall Street because they loved her writing.

What did they hire to do? I'm genuinely curious.

[Anonymous]

English major - now lawyer. Husband too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an English major now practicing law. I never sold a shoe in my life. I will absolutely encourage my kids to be liberal arts majors. The liberal arts help develop critical and creative thinking. Besides, an undergraduate degree of any kind won't guarantee success.

Yeah, but you are basically relying on another degree for your profession. Lots of people can make a career out of math and science degrees, without going back to school.

An A student from a good college in electrical engineering/ computer science can probably get a job in strategy consulting, banking, and technology. That's a lot of opportunity. An A student in liberal arts has a much more uncertain future.

I'm not saying that we should abandon liberal arts. But I am watching my friends with PhD's in liberal arts struggle because there are no tenured jobs, few slots in their specialties, and not a lot of outside employment besides the journals and think tanks. So if you love it, do it but do it with eyes open. If your primary goal is to find professional opportunity, learn math, science, and engineering.

[Anonymous]

Obviously English majors can be successful people, but a theme that I am noticing here is that most of the successful English majors went on to pursue additional degrees in something else (e.g., law). If you want to get a good job without going back for a graduate degree, I agree that STEM is the way to go.

[Anonymous]

in non-stem fields, prestige of your alma mater is a lot more important, if you are not going on for further study.

The PP that has a English major daughter working on the street is a prime example. That is not out of the ordinary.

English major -> law school also makes a lot of sense as well given the law is heavy in effective communication and writing.

Another trend I see often is English majors that pick up 8-9 of the pre-med prereqs required for med school, sitting for mcats, and going onto med school.

So yeah, English majors are successful, but do not deny that many go on to grad school in something else or come from prestigious UG schools that are strong targets for OCI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was an English major and I have also never sold shoes. I am in a professional career making over $100K in total compensation. I have a master's degree.

And you are an idiot.

Me too! English major, great career in consulting, over $100K, masters. It's all about having some focus and some good internships. That is what got me on a good track right out of college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does everybody have to work in a STEM field? You know, there are good jobs for humanities lovers out there:

law
communications
marketing
foreign service
teacher
professor
counselor
event planner
business
clergy...

to name just a few. The world needs all kinds of folks. Even shoe salespeople.

because we're cool!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I majored in Art History and I'm making six figures in a totally unrelated field.

My best programmer was a music major. He was way better than the computer science majors (who by and large are not a smart bunch).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an English major now practicing law. I never sold a shoe in my life. I will absolutely encourage my kids to be liberal arts majors. The liberal arts help develop critical and creative thinking. Besides, an undergraduate degree of any kind won't guarantee success.

Yeah, but you are basically relying on another degree for your profession. Lots of people can make a career out of math and science degrees, without going back to school.

An A student from a good college in electrical engineering/ computer science can probably get a job in strategy consulting, banking, and technology. That's a lot of opportunity. An A student in liberal arts has a much more uncertain future.

I'm not saying that we should abandon liberal arts. But I am watching my friends with PhD's in liberal arts struggle because there are no tenured jobs, few slots in their specialties, and not a lot of outside employment besides the journals and think tanks. So if you love it, do it but do it with eyes open. If your primary goal is to find professional opportunity, learn math, science, and engineering.

That's completely different. Having a Ph.D. in a liberal arts field is an extremely difficult position to be in. The original post was about getting a bachelor's degree in English, which lends itself to all kinds of different possibilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I majored in Art History and I'm making six figures in a totally unrelated field.

My best programmer was a music major. He was way better than the computer science majors (who by and large are not a smart bunch).

This. Seeing a lot of fail students with STEM degrees. How did they get into those programs and manage to graduate?

[Anonymous]

Liberal arts grads are losers too.