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

[Anonymous]

I majored in English and Political Science . Work as a lobbyist. I make more than enough money. I did attend a top school and have a policy masters degree. I think degree plus ambition plus great school will get you pretty far.

[Anonymous]

The degree is irrelevant. If you get the right internships in college, work hard, and are ambitious you will be totally fine.

- History major, now attorney who is married to an English major, now Big 4 consulting partner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+1

[Anonymous]

I had Political Science & Journalism and went to law. I would trade all of it for a stem degree in a second. And I will absolutely encourage my kids to go into stem if they show the ability.

We all graduated 10+ years ago with our liberal arts degree and were able to find jobs. Anyone look at the legal job market lately? The problem is that there is such a glut of liberal arts people with no real world skills in the market competing for a very limited number of jobs. The world needs only so many consultants.

Now, put a driven, bright woman in a stem field, and see how far she will go.

In a bubble, a well rounded liberal arts person is a fine aspiration. But our kids need money to live people.

[Anonymous]

I'm was an English major and am a lawyer. Off the top of my head, my English major friends from college have the following jobs: M.D. specializing in psychiatry, editor at a well-respected financial news publication, technology transfer specialist, realtor and fundraiser for a philanthropic organization.

[Anonymous]

Ha- sounds like my father who had an MS from Berkeley in EE and worked in tech. He argued with me that I would never be able to support myself in the lifestyle to which I had become accustomed (i.e. in the lifestyle HE raised me).

My BA was in Gov't & Politics, I got into my current field and worked there for 6 years before going back and getting a masters. By the time I was 35 I was making more than my father had ever made in his best year. So, yeah, I was able to support myself in the lifestyle to which I had become accustomed. It became a running joke in our family and I still smile when I think about it to this day.

As an aside, I did work as a shoe salesperson - while I was in college to help support myself. No shame there.

[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).

I believe this - had a friend who was a classicaly-trained conductor. He made enough money programming to buy his own symphony orchestra.

[Anonymous]

English major from a well-regarded school. (Ranks top in its region for liberal arts schools). I make about $100k and am very young for the level of success I have achieved. (Under 40, running a nat'l organization).

The liberal arts degree gave me the communications and critical thinking skills I needed -- but it was my extracurriculars where I got a lot of the skills I use today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had Political Science & Journalism and went to law. I would trade all of it for a stem degree in a second. And I will absolutely encourage my kids to go into stem if they show the ability.

We all graduated 10+ years ago with our liberal arts degree and were able to find jobs. Anyone look at the legal job market lately? The problem is that there is such a glut of liberal arts people with no real world skills in the market competing for a very limited number of jobs. The world needs only so many consultants.

Now, put a driven, bright woman in a stem field, and see how far she will go.

In a bubble, a well rounded liberal arts person is a fine aspiration. But our kids need money to live people.

And what if you kid shows no aptitude for STEM? What then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had Political Science & Journalism and went to law. I would trade all of it for a stem degree in a second. And I will absolutely encourage my kids to go into stem if they show the ability.

We all graduated 10+ years ago with our liberal arts degree and were able to find jobs. Anyone look at the legal job market lately? The problem is that there is such a glut of liberal arts people with no real world skills in the market competing for a very limited number of jobs. The world needs only so many consultants.

Now, put a driven, bright woman in a stem field, and see how far she will go.

In a bubble, a well rounded liberal arts person is a fine aspiration. But our kids need money to live people.

Pray tell, what are these "real world skills" which you think "liberal arts people" are lacking? You argument sounds like a lot of hot air and misinformation to me.

[Anonymous]

1) The fact that you got a liberal arts degree in undergrad and then went on to become a lawyer, doctor, or some other professional seems irrelevant. Your success is based on that second degree, not your undergrad. And I say that as an attorney with a BA in history.

2) Maybe DC is an anamoly, but I see a ton of entry-level jobs looking for liberal arts degrees, or at least looking for the skills a liberal arts degree implies. I think a lot of those English majors working in shoe stores were mediocre students with no plan for what they were going to do after graduation.

[Anonymous]

What is wrong with working in a shoe store? Someone has to do it. My mother worked in a shoe store, then she managed the store, then she became the district manager for a chain of stores. And yes, her degree was in Communications. Who cares? Am I supposed to be ashamed that she worked an honest job?

So fuck you snobs who only think that being a doctor, lawyer, or engineer are the only worthy careers. The world can only take so many assholes with god complexes... and that statement only applies to the first two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had Political Science & Journalism and went to law. I would trade all of it for a stem degree in a second. And I will absolutely encourage my kids to go into stem if they show the ability.

We all graduated 10+ years ago with our liberal arts degree and were able to find jobs. Anyone look at the legal job market lately? The problem is that there is such a glut of liberal arts people with no real world skills in the market competing for a very limited number of jobs. The world needs only so many consultants.

Now, put a driven, bright woman in a stem field, and see how far she will go.

In a bubble, a well rounded liberal arts person is a fine aspiration. But our kids need money to live people.

And what if you kid shows no aptitude for STEM? What then?

Obviously if they can't actually do it, then they have a tougher career path or go to grad school. No one said the world is fair, but that doesn't mean we should ignore the truth that our country produces a lot of high paying jobs that require STEM skills, and we do not graduate enough people to fill those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

A student from a good college with a "desirable" major should be a well educated person. I am the poster with the English major for a dad - would love to see how many Anonymous posters had to look up the word "metallurgy" in their (online) dictionary to understand my original post. Not many English majors, I'll bet, but most of the STEM folks. BTW, in the 1940's, to get an English degree, you had to study chemistry, biologoy, physics and math in addition to Shakespeare, to graduate.

I've a dear friend with an Ivy League education and a top five law degree who survived high school, college and of course law school without ever taking a science class. I love her, but is she "educated?" I don't know.....

I'm pretty sure anyone with a science background can figure out that word just by looking at it. Find me an English major who can provide a scientifically reasonable definition of "metal".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with working in a shoe store? Someone has to do it. My mother worked in a shoe store, then she managed the store, then she became the district manager for a chain of stores. And yes, her degree was in Communications. Who cares? Am I supposed to be ashamed that she worked an honest job?

So fuck you snobs who only think that being a doctor, lawyer, or engineer are the only worthy careers. The world can only take so many assholes with god complexes... and that statement only applies to the first two.

Well, I am a professional with an English BA who chimed in on here and I don't think there's anything wrong with working anywhere. Honest work is honest work. I think many of us were reacting to the assertion that you destined for lower level work if you get an English BA. Most of us on here have agreed that your undergraduate degree alone is not your destiny. I'm quite sure there are many, many STEM and business undergrads who haven't made it to the so-called upper ranks of society either. Basically, the whole premise of the thread's original article is complete bunk.

BTW, I have family working in retail management, and you can make a lot of money doing it. More than some "professionals." I would personally call management of any kind a profession but hey, I'm just a graduate of some podunk state school so what do I know?