What are recent liberal arts majors doing now?

[Anonymous]

I was a business major from a great school and my brother was a Comparative Lit major at another good but not great school. He is making ten times (easily) more than I am as a television producer in New York.

[Anonymous]

'07 English major, graduated from a wholly unremarkable school (I love to learn, but was never a diligent student). I bartended, then went on to receive several yoga certficications, and now work as a yoga teacher. I have also: always made enough money to pay my bills and enjoy life, made amazing friends everywhere I've lived, bounced around the US and lived internationally, volunteered my time to many wonderful organizations, married a great guy, and (I think this is important) really enjoyed my work.

I get it, I'm a DC native, and it's a super work-and-image-obsessed culture, and one that does not encourage free-spiritedness nor taking the road less traveled. But there are no guarantees in life - there's no "fool safe" career (or life!) trajectory. Divorces, layoffs, illness, tragedy and general ennui can propel us in radical and unexpected directions at any given time. I've met ex-lawyers who make money slinging drinks, and lowly (!) liberal arts majors who've made it big in journalism, graphic design, non-profits (etc.). There's luck, connections, charm, and a whole host of other factors that determine success - or lack thereof - over which we have woefully little control.

Bottom line: support your son's dreams and ambitions. Allow him the space to learn, explore, and (yes) to make mistakes. He will find his way, as we all do.

[Anonymous]

I have a liberal arts undergrad degree from Duke and got a job at JP Morgan straight out of school. I no longer work there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS graduated from a top Liberal Arts college last year and got an amazing job with a major league baseball team! Alumni networking definitely helped.

Let me guess - amherst, haverford?

Did he attend the winter meetings?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- someone strong in the humanities would do well as an intelligence analyst for the NSA/FBI/CIA etc, knowing how to think about information and write clearly about it are skills that will transfer

It's a crap shoot to break in - the amount of apps they get is insane. same with state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a liberal arts undergrad degree from Duke and got a job at JP Morgan straight out of school. I no longer work there.

going to a target school doesn't count. OP is asking about liberals arts majors from non-targets or semi-targets at best

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PR, communications, policy work, sales, project management, there's lot's of directions someone like this can go. Intern, get experience, and a demonstrable ability to write and produce quality work product. The breadth of types of work happening in corporate in America can be astounding.

I agree with this. It's not as cut and dry as people are making it sound.

I think the the concern (and it is real) is the probability of landing jobs. It all feels like a big crapshoot with risk being greater for certain majors. Not saying there aren't a lot of success stories but there's a lot of struggling people as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:'07 English major, graduated from a wholly unremarkable school (I love to learn, but was never a diligent student). I bartended, then went on to receive several yoga certficications, and now work as a yoga teacher. I have also: always made enough money to pay my bills and enjoy life, made amazing friends everywhere I've lived, bounced around the US and lived internationally, volunteered my time to many wonderful organizations, married a great guy, and (I think this is important) really enjoyed my work.

I get it, I'm a DC native, and it's a super work-and-image-obsessed culture, and one that does not encourage free-spiritedness nor taking the road less traveled. But there are no guarantees in life - there's no "fool safe" career (or life!) trajectory. Divorces, layoffs, illness, tragedy and general ennui can propel us in radical and unexpected directions at any given time. I've met ex-lawyers who make money slinging drinks, and lowly (!) liberal arts majors who've made it big in journalism, graphic design, non-profits (etc.). There's luck, connections, charm, and a whole host of other factors that determine success - or lack thereof - over which we have woefully little control.

Bottom line: support your son's dreams and ambitions. Allow him the space to learn, explore, and (yes) to make mistakes. He will find his way, as we all do.

How much is that "great guy" making it possible for you to teach yoga? Does OP's son need to snag himself a great gal?

[Anonymous]

I'm an English major (graduated about 8 years ago) from a lesser-known private in NC (HPU). After a year or two of decent entry level jobs, I got a gig writing/editing as a contractor for the federal government. Went permanent last year as a 13 - not a shabby salary and work/life balance for a 30 year old English major with two little ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS graduated from a top Liberal Arts college last year and got an amazing job with a major league baseball team! Alumni networking definitely helped.

Let me guess - amherst, haverford?

Did he attend the winter meetings?

PP here - just curious because I wonder if I met him. small world

[Anonymous]

I'm the Duke poster who worked at JP Morgan. The sad reality is if you don't go to a target school then your odds of landing in a high prestige and lucrative career are not good no matter the degree. Like, I don't think engineers from some 10th rung college are getting jobs at Google.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the Duke poster who worked at JP Morgan. The sad reality is if you don't go to a target school then your odds of landing in a high prestige and lucrative career are not good no matter the degree. Like, I don't think engineers from some 10th rung college are getting jobs at Google.

engineers from Washington State U (its not the flagship public in washington) get jobs at msft and amazon often.

What team did you work at JPM? S&T, IB, Research?

[Anonymous]

I was a salesperson at JPM. I was also a hot girl as were majority of the salespeople at JP and most other banks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:'07 English major, graduated from a wholly unremarkable school (I love to learn, but was never a diligent student). I bartended, then went on to receive several yoga certficications, and now work as a yoga teacher. I have also: always made enough money to pay my bills and enjoy life, made amazing friends everywhere I've lived, bounced around the US and lived internationally, volunteered my time to many wonderful organizations, married a great guy, and (I think this is important) really enjoyed my work.

I get it, I'm a DC native, and it's a super work-and-image-obsessed culture, and one that does not encourage free-spiritedness nor taking the road less traveled. But there are no guarantees in life - there's no "fool safe" career (or life!) trajectory. Divorces, layoffs, illness, tragedy and general ennui can propel us in radical and unexpected directions at any given time. I've met ex-lawyers who make money slinging drinks, and lowly (!) liberal arts majors who've made it big in journalism, graphic design, non-profits (etc.). There's luck, connections, charm, and a whole host of other factors that determine success - or lack thereof - over which we have woefully little control.

Bottom line: support your son's dreams and ambitions. Allow him the space to learn, explore, and (yes) to make mistakes. He will find his way, as we all do.

How much is that "great guy" making it possible for you to teach yoga? Does OP's son need to snag himself a great gal?

How cynical!

I do very well (please see above, "have always made enough money to pay my bills and enjoy life."). Have been married less than a year, and am almost 30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a salesperson at JPM. I was also a hot girl as were majority of the salespeople at JP and most other banks.

I know your type all too well - stumbling out of J-Tree trying to bed a buyside analyst. You are hot and went to a target - sales at JPM is the bare minimum you could've done.