What majors should DD explore?

[Anonymous]

She's doing well at community college and looking to transfer to a four year. Very good (and instinctive) writer who also does well in history but not strong in math or science. She's still at her HS job and has been there four years. It's family owned and they really like her. She deals with customers and is more a people person. We were thinking of marketing but having her take the required accounting, stats, and economics would really be difficult.

[Anonymous]

Don't assume she can't do something. Let her try. Find an appropriate school for her... not a huge university.

Marketing would be good.

[Anonymous]

You hit it on the nail with marketing if DD is exploring majors that have solid early entry-level jobs. Perhaps she can look into journalism if she likes to write? She seems like she would also do alright in more squishy liberal arts majors, such as political science, international relations, or history. However, these aren't marketable majors so which four year college DD ends up is very important.

You need to put it in context too. Majoring is only one small part of the equation of post-college jobs nowadays. She also needs to land good internships during the school year as well. So among everything else, where she ends up post-CC is the most important factor.

[Anonymous]

Public Relations, Digital Marketing, Communications would all be good. But I have a degree in medical sciences and am now a Director of HR, so I know college majors aren't everything!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You hit it on the nail with marketing if DD is exploring majors that have solid early entry-level jobs. Perhaps she can look into journalism if she likes to write? She seems like she would also do alright in more squishy liberal arts majors, such as political science, international relations, or history. However, these aren't marketable majors so which four year college DD ends up is very important.

You need to put it in context too. Majoring is only one small part of the equation of post-college jobs nowadays. She also needs to land good internships during the school year as well. So among everything else, where she ends up post-CC is the most important factor.

Yeah, there's NO jobs for political science or IR folks around DC. Not a one! Are you kidding me? Help her to find what she likes. She will be good at something she enjoys. Ask her to think about what type of life and job she might like and work it backwards. Help her find something that will of course give her security but also something that she will want to do each Monday morning. Nothing sadder than people who wish their lives away 5 days at a time. All the money in the world doesn't make up for hating your job. She doesn't have to have it all sorted now. If I had a nickel for everyone I knew who majored in one thing and ended up somewhere else, I'd be a rich woman. The beauty of a liberal arts degree is that students learn how to learn, how to apply knowledge and HOW TO COMMUNICATE - something that is sorely lacking amongst college grads these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You hit it on the nail with marketing if DD is exploring majors that have solid early entry-level jobs. Perhaps she can look into journalism if she likes to write? She seems like she would also do alright in more squishy liberal arts majors, such as political science, international relations, or history. However, these aren't marketable majors so which four year college DD ends up is very important.

You need to put it in context too. Majoring is only one small part of the equation of post-college jobs nowadays. She also needs to land good internships during the school year as well. So among everything else, where she ends up post-CC is the most important factor.

Thank you. We live in the Midwest and she is interested in a state school known for more of a friendly, we are a family atmosphere, which she needs. The business school graduates do well in a strong, local market.

[Anonymous]

midwest - her focus should be pr/communications with the focus on being as cute as she can be for her mrs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You hit it on the nail with marketing if DD is exploring majors that have solid early entry-level jobs. Perhaps she can look into journalism if she likes to write? She seems like she would also do alright in more squishy liberal arts majors, such as political science, international relations, or history. However, these aren't marketable majors so which four year college DD ends up is very important.

You need to put it in context too. Majoring is only one small part of the equation of post-college jobs nowadays. She also needs to land good internships during the school year as well. So among everything else, where she ends up post-CC is the most important factor.

Thank you. We live in the Midwest and she is interested in a state school known for more of a friendly, we are a family atmosphere, which she needs. The business school graduates do well in a strong, local market.

If she's already old enough for college, she should be doing this research on her own. It's fine for you to suggest things, but the motivation needs to come from her. Also, she can apply communication and marketing skills to almost any field and it comes in handy in many jobs from HR rep, to pharmaceutical rep, to social worker, to teacher etc.

However, what does she want to do? Does she want to stay in the midwest? Does she have an interest in a particular field or subject? She should informationally interview people who have the kind of job she can see herself doing in 10+ years. She could shadow people on the job. She could do an internship. She doesn't have to have all this worked out, but she needs to be thinking and acting on her goals a little more independently.

[Anonymous]

If she can hone her writing skills, she will always be able to find a job. So many people can't write.

[Anonymous]

My first thought was journalism. I personally have no experience with that field so I don't know if it's one of those degrees where you can actually find work. I know there are journalists but I don't know if there are enough jobs for the number of degree holders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first thought was journalism. I personally have no experience with that field so I don't know if it's one of those degrees where you can actually find work. I know there are journalists but I don't know if there are enough jobs for the number of degree holders.

Isn't journalism a shrinking field due to the internet?

[Anonymous]

Ask on a midwest forum, they will know your job market there.

[Anonymous]

My son is a junior in college. Many degrees require a lot of writing. Public Relations is a solid degree that requires great writing skills. My son does not like to write so it is one reason he is not liking the PR degree. With the world being global there are many minors that could be very interesting. I would ask her what she is interested in doing. What industry does she enjoy? Many colleges have a social media degree and this is very important in todays business world. At my son’s State University it is called New Media Communications. Marketing is a solid degree but really has a lot to do with sales, and working with sales departments. Is that something she is interested in. Many colleges also are offering an Organizational Leadership degree which seems to be working very well for people in both profit and non-profit organizations, and opens up the possibility of working in many different departments.

[Anonymous]

She should explore the ones that are reasonably rigorous and make her happy.

She should not choose the ones her mom finds on the internet.

[Anonymous]

I was an English major who ended up in corporate communications. No math needed!