Philosophy Rated As One of the Top Majors to Avoid

[Anonymous]

I had several friends from college who were philosophy majors. 2 became Rhodes Scholars, followed by grad school. Not the worst path in the world.

Honestly all this talk about majors is a little silly - anyone who wants to get beyond a mid-level job these days probably needs to go to grad school. So why not pursue something interesting in college. Being a CS or engineering major is great but not everyone is suited for that. And even engineers tend to get masters or more advanced degrees in their field so aren't stopping at college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This is what I think, too. Any job that requires top-notch writing (in English) is staying right here in the US of A.

And how many jobs are there that require top-notch writing in English?

Everybody I know writes, lol. But I don't run with the corporate crowd.

[Anonymous]

Sir why do you want fries with that. Why do you want extra whip. Why do you not want to use your super savers grocery card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A philosophy major as being the career path for the future?

I guess this is a case of the delusional leading the more delusional! Do you guys have a clue as to what it means to work in a corporate environment and deal with real life business challenges?

Hint: Kant will be no help!

What is this assumption that people even want to work in a corporate environment. I'd rather pull my teeth out one by one.

What can you do with a philosophy degree? Law school, med school, graduate school, writing, teaching, divinity school.

And I would take any of those over working in the corporate world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A philosophy major as being the career path for the future?

I guess this is a case of the delusional leading the more delusional! Do you guys have a clue as to what it means to work in a corporate environment and deal with real life business challenges?

Hint: Kant will be no help!

I'm sorry, but when I went to school, the business classes were easy. Really easy. In fact, most people majored in business so they could party all of the time. Yeah, they got corporate jobs, not because of their education but because of their parents' connections. That's the reality of how the world works.

I'm not saying to major in philosophy as a career path. I'm saying that liberal arts majors are not necessarily dead ends. It all depends on what you do with it, whether you do internships, develop other skills, et cetera.

I think all of the people who pursue computer science thinking it's a sure thing are going to be disappointed. Jobs are not outsourced because of lack of labor. They're outsourced for cheaper labor. Anything that can be done remotely and that doesn't necessarily require excellent communication skills can be outsourced and eventually, if it will save money, will be outsourced.

Sure there are engineering jobs and IT jobs that don't lend themselves to outsourcing, but those are very specific, and I imagine there will still be a steady stream of immigrants who will do those jobs for cheaper.

My point is that nothing is a certainty. I don't know if there's much point to majoring in something you hate because you think it's a sure path to a job. But no matter what you major in, you should always be looking to add skills that are marketable, and that can be done with any major (either by supplementing with certain courses, adding a minor, interning, et cetera).

[Anonymous]

If what the proponents of a philosophy major are arguing is that there are other avenues for these individuals to pursue through grad school, med school, law school, etc you will have no argument from me.

But if an undergrad with a philosophy major intends seeking a job with merely those credentials to his name, he will be at a distinct disadvantage compared with others who have a more marketable undergrad major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If what the proponents of a philosophy major are arguing is that there are other avenues for these individuals to pursue through grad school, med school, law school, etc you will have no argument from me.

But if an undergrad with a philosophy major intends seeking a job with merely those credentials to his name, he will be at a distinct disadvantage compared with others who have a more marketable undergrad major.

Depends on the market. If I am hiring a compliance officer, I might want someone who understands ethics, not engineering.

In reality, mid-career philosophy majors make more than accounting majors, microbiology majors, and even architecture majors, so maybe learning how to think isn't the economic disaster some falsely assume it is.

http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report-2014/majors-that-pay-you-back

[Anonymous]

If you're hiring a compliance officer, you want someone with a legal or internal audit background. Come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A good philosophy grad would seem well suited for any number of entry level knowledge work jobs. I can't see why philosophy would be any worse than any other liberal arts major, or majors like sociology etc.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anyone here think they might die of boredom at a STEM job? Ever seen what scientists really do all day? mathematicians?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone here think they might die of boredom at a STEM job? Ever seen what scientists really do all day? mathematicians?

You know what you are doing with a STEM job in 20 years? A STEM job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A good philosophy grad would seem well suited for any number of entry level knowledge work jobs. I can't see why philosophy would be any worse than any other liberal arts major, or majors like sociology etc.

I majored in Sociology and it's pretty worthless too. I can really breakdown the social groups at a party though! When my kids are college age I hope they go for something more practical, maybe even a 'trade' type school. My husband got a degree in computer programming and engineering. Now, that was useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A good philosophy grad would seem well suited for any number of entry level knowledge work jobs. I can't see why philosophy would be any worse than any other liberal arts major, or majors like sociology etc.

I majored in Sociology and it's pretty worthless too. I can really breakdown the social groups at a party though! When my kids are college age I hope they go for something more practical, maybe even a 'trade' type school. My husband got a degree in computer programming and engineering. Now, that was useful.

But if you had focused on research methods and stats and really grasping SSPS, you could get employed at a company doing research in the DMV. When I taught sociology I used to tell my students in my research methods class but they didn't take my advice seriously. Now to advance further you'd still need graduate work but there is a market out there for young people with research skills. I know because I work with them now.

Like anything now, you have to be focused and you have to network and do internships. It's easier with some majors than others of course but it's not impossible with a sociology or philosophy degree to get good work. However, many professors are clueless about how people with BAs do this so students should go early to their career planning center for help and do lots of informational interviews with people working in jobs that interest them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A good philosophy grad would seem well suited for any number of entry level knowledge work jobs. I can't see why philosophy would be any worse than any other liberal arts major, or majors like sociology etc.

I majored in Sociology and it's pretty worthless too. I can really breakdown the social groups at a party though! When my kids are college age I hope they go for something more practical, maybe even a 'trade' type school. My husband got a degree in computer programming and engineering. Now, that was useful.

The people I know who make the most money in computer programming actually don't have computer programming degrees. The reality is that they were always interested in programming, learned a lot on their own, and worked up from entry level jobs. One person I know who does have a computer programming degree said the coursework was useless. Most of it was outdated. What actually landed him a job was his knowledge and skill set that he developed outside of the classroom and through computer programming online communities.

My point is that if you aren't already into computer programming, then going to school to study it isn't necessarily going to work out well. And if you are into computer programming, you don't necessarily need a degree specifically in that to make a career out of it.

[Anonymous]

I am in a management position and came from a liberal arts background. What I would say has changed over the past three decades is that although we still hire undergraduates with a major in one of the liberal arts, we are far more selective and it is the cream of the crop to whom we offer entry level positions.

When it comes to those with a STEM background, we are less stringent in our requirements.