Types of jobs for liberal arts majors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband was a history major. He went to law school and is now making $2 million plus a year as an equity partner in a law firm.

Law degree is not a humanity.
It's a professional degree.

Lol

[Anonymous]

The key to getting a good job is contacts and some expertise in a subject matter area. Too many graduates don’t realize that this is what they have to focus on.

Working on the Hill or off the Hill is a quick way to get both of the above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/college-major-highest-lowest-incomes/

History is not too bad compared to other huminites, but still way below Econ, Business, STEM

OP said top ranked. The numbers look a little different when you aren't including History majors at Radford

https://careers.williams.edu/files/2021-Destinations-After-Williams.pdf

Here's another data point.

https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?166027-Harvard-University

Harvard English: $49675
Harvard history: $89,238
Harvard Econ:$124,570
Harvard CS: $256,539

We all know the data points. But I don’t see how that’s persuasive to someone who has zero interest in CS. People study what they are gifted in, and the world needs all kinds of majors.
So.

Because people were claiming they make $2M with history major, so

Well humanities majors know that PP’s husband, lucky as he is, doesn’t represent all of us. Only a CS major would assume readers wouldn’t be able to untangle that!

CS majors provide real data.

But don’t know how to interpret/apply it. Critical thinking skills are a big selling point for humanities majors.

The important critical and analytical thinking skill here is the ability to see that there are 50 people making Starbucks barista income for every 1 lucky person making $2 million.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of 4 kids who all went to SLACs. Me, Lit major with French minor, lawyer. Brother, international relations major, long career as a Naval Officer. Sister, Econ/Japanese double major, worked a few years doing random nonprofit jobs, got an MBA and works for Google (maybe YouTube now?) doing something in marketing. Other sister was a biology major, did Peace Corps, taught for a while in private schools, got married to a classmate and is now a SAHM living her best life.

Oh and we all own homes in nice neighborhoods and are financially secure, no trust funds or parental money, and none of us has ever had to work at Starbucks contrary to what some on this board would have you believe.

NO. Mongo only major in STEM. Philosophy make Mongo feel sad.

Much better to spend $80k a year for a degree where you will be replaced with AI in ten years.

#1 job most at risk from AI: coder/software engineer.

How is AI created?

CS background maybe?

Yes, todays coders are actively creating their own replacements.

But wow look at the pay! As we all know, past results guarantee future performance.

Those jobs will DEFINITELY be around for today’s graduates in the 2030s and 2040s.

Everyone should be thinking real hard right now about “can what I do be replaced by software”. Looking at you, lawyers.

If you receive assignments digitally and your work is digital, you can be replaced. If your work product is physical, but you work indoors and your task is repetitive, you can be replaced. That's a lot of jobs

Not to pile on the AI doom...but I also read about how new HVAC and other home systems will increasingly come with technology that alerts homeowners of any problems, and many times the homeowner themselves will be able to handle easy fixes. Indicates that it should reduce need for HVAC and other technicians by over 50%.

I guess we all have to believe that AI/Tech will create new jobs that nobody has ever dreampt.

BTW, apparently humaniies majors make good AI prompt engineers...so there is a win for the humanities folks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of 4 kids who all went to SLACs. Me, Lit major with French minor, lawyer. Brother, international relations major, long career as a Naval Officer. Sister, Econ/Japanese double major, worked a few years doing random nonprofit jobs, got an MBA and works for Google (maybe YouTube now?) doing something in marketing. Other sister was a biology major, did Peace Corps, taught for a while in private schools, got married to a classmate and is now a SAHM living her best life.

Oh and we all own homes in nice neighborhoods and are financially secure, no trust funds or parental money, and none of us has ever had to work at Starbucks contrary to what some on this board would have you believe.

NO. Mongo only major in STEM. Philosophy make Mongo feel sad.

Much better to spend $80k a year for a degree where you will be replaced with AI in ten years.

#1 job most at risk from AI: coder/software engineer.

How is AI created?

CS background maybe?

Yes, todays coders are actively creating their own replacements.

But wow look at the pay! As we all know, past results guarantee future performance.

Those jobs will DEFINITELY be around for today’s graduates in the 2030s and 2040s.

Everyone should be thinking real hard right now about “can what I do be replaced by software”. Looking at you, lawyers.

If you receive assignments digitally and your work is digital, you can be replaced. If your work product is physical, but you work indoors and your task is repetitive, you can be replaced. That's a lot of jobs

Not to pile on the AI doom...but I also read about how new HVAC and other home systems will increasingly come with technology that alerts homeowners of any problems, and many times the homeowner themselves will be able to handle easy fixes. Indicates that it should reduce need for HVAC and other technicians by over 50%.

I guess we all have to believe that AI/Tech will create new jobs that nobody has ever dreampt.

BTW, apparently humaniies majors make good AI prompt engineers...so there is a win for the humanities folks.

I think climate change and poor infrastructure is the counter balance. I live in nyc where everyone's basement flooded last week bcs we are not ready for these micro mini storms

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can only say about my DS and DD, both graduated from Ivies with liberal arts degrees and they are not making a lot of money.  One is still living at home with us four years after graduation.  The other one is living with a roommate because she can't afford to have a place of her own.  You can take it FWIW.

Thanks for your honesty.

I think now a days, a general liberal arts degree is way less marketable than even 10 years ago. A lot of people on this forum went to college 10+ years ago, and the landscape of the job market has changed since then.

There's a reason why so many colleges are getting rid of English and other liberal arts majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can only say about my DS and DD, both graduated from Ivies with liberal arts degrees and they are not making a lot of money.  One is still living at home with us four years after graduation.  The other one is living with a roommate because she can't afford to have a place of her own.  You can take it FWIW.

Thanks for your honesty.

I think now a days, a general liberal arts degree is way less marketable than even 10 years ago. A lot of people on this forum went to college 10+ years ago, and the landscape of the job market has changed since then.

There's a reason why so many colleges are getting rid of English and other liberal arts majors.

I'm the ex-microsoft person. I think this can be true, but I think we do a disservice by not educating people about how various big firms work these days whereas we spend too much time talking about college admissions. It's the old "think more about the marriage than the wedding" advice.

I've mentored maybe 200 teens and young adults. It's amazing to me how many have granular knowledge about colleges: can weigh various aspects of admissions, understand where you can or cannot switch disciplines once you've arrived, can parse the COA numbers by adjusting what their personal travel costs will be vs published. They have DCUM-level knowledge on some of this. But for jobs .. they just take anything. Or they self-select out - "I don't have those skills". I got an email yesterday from a woman who graduated with a humanities degree three years ago (English, I think? Maybe philosophy?). She had a vision of the kind of job she wanted, but didn't see how she could get there. We discussed various options - building skills at this less desirable company, getting certification, etc. I pushed an idea of taking a different job at a One Specific Big Giant company with lots of opportunity. I had to explain it to her in college admissions speak - this place will let you in as an English major and allow you to switch to Business. Some places won't, this one will. So instead of getting an entry level job in her area at Okay company, she could get a totally different job at Big Giant company. She was dubious, but did it (she got an event planning role) and three years later, this week, she's pivoting into the area she wants at the company she wants. Naturally, a couple years in she shifted what her dream job was very slightly. Even then, she said "it's like I'm changing my major". It's still all college speak!. Also, she's been making pretty good money the entire time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you mean humanities or social sciences majors? Because my nephew is a CS major at a small liberal arts college and has a really good data science job lined up next year. Because math and science ARE among the liberal arts.

+1

My DC has a CS and Economics degree from a LAC and is a software engineer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you mean humanities or social sciences majors? Because my nephew is a CS major at a small liberal arts college and has a really good data science job lined up next year. Because math and science ARE among the liberal arts.

+1

My DC has a CS and Economics degree from a LAC and is a software engineer.

? ok but that have a CS degree, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can only say about my DS and DD, both graduated from Ivies with liberal arts degrees and they are not making a lot of money.  One is still living at home with us four years after graduation.  The other one is living with a roommate because she can't afford to have a place of her own.  You can take it FWIW.

Thanks for your honesty.

I think now a days, a general liberal arts degree is way less marketable than even 10 years ago. A lot of people on this forum went to college 10+ years ago, and the landscape of the job market has changed since then.

There's a reason why so many colleges are getting rid of English and other liberal arts majors.

I'm the ex-microsoft person. I think this can be true, but I think we do a disservice by not educating people about how various big firms work these days whereas we spend too much time talking about college admissions. It's the old "think more about the marriage than the wedding" advice.

I've mentored maybe 200 teens and young adults. It's amazing to me how many have granular knowledge about colleges: can weigh various aspects of admissions, understand where you can or cannot switch disciplines once you've arrived, can parse the COA numbers by adjusting what their personal travel costs will be vs published. They have DCUM-level knowledge on some of this. But for jobs .. they just take anything. Or they self-select out - "I don't have those skills". I got an email yesterday from a woman who graduated with a humanities degree three years ago (English, I think? Maybe philosophy?). She had a vision of the kind of job she wanted, but didn't see how she could get there. We discussed various options - building skills at this less desirable company, getting certification, etc. I pushed an idea of taking a different job at a One Specific Big Giant company with lots of opportunity. I had to explain it to her in college admissions speak - this place will let you in as an English major and allow you to switch to Business. Some places won't, this one will. So instead of getting an entry level job in her area at Okay company, she could get a totally different job at Big Giant company. She was dubious, but did it (she got an event planning role) and three years later, this week, she's pivoting into the area she wants at the company she wants. Naturally, a couple years in she shifted what her dream job was very slightly. Even then, she said "it's like I'm changing my major". It's still all college speak!. Also, she's been making pretty good money the entire time.

idk.. but a lot of the algorithm used by recruiters look for specific majors.

In any case, per the OP, most jobs for liberal arts majors with just an undergrad don't make much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How hard is it to get in a top law school right after graduating from a SLAC?

Actually, very easy if you look at the statistics from top LACs

Prove it. I would like to see those stats. Please provide a link. TIA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband was a history major. He went to law school and is now making $2 million plus a year as an equity partner in a law firm.

Pretty sure that his high income is due more to his law degree than to his degree in history.

In short, humanities majors need a professional degree in order to make serious money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband was a history major. He went to law school and is now making $2 million plus a year as an equity partner in a law firm.

My husband was a history major and his now running a major tech company (after getting an MBA) making about the same as above.

Do you think that the MBA degree may have something to do with his success ? Or do you attribute it all to his degree in history ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you mean humanities or social sciences majors? Because my nephew is a CS major at a small liberal arts college and has a really good data science job lined up next year. Because math and science ARE among the liberal arts.

+1

My DC has a CS and Economics degree from a LAC and is a software engineer.

? ok but that have a CS degree, too.

Yes, CS is a liberal arts degree.

DC has two colleagues who have math degrees from LACs. You don't need a CS degree to become a software engineer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can only say about my DS and DD, both graduated from Ivies with liberal arts degrees and they are not making a lot of money.  One is still living at home with us four years after graduation.  The other one is living with a roommate because she can't afford to have a place of her own.  You can take it FWIW.

I question whether someone who had two kids go to Ivies would use the expression "liberal arts degrees" this blithely. FWIW.