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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Every recruiting/management conversation I have ever had in every job has boiled down to "we just need someone who can think without being told what to do."

Honestly, studying a specific skill in college always seemed like a bad idea to me because its going to be out of date as soon as you leave. Learning how to think and how to learn and how to communicate seem like better things to work on for four years. [/quote]

Good luck with that on your resume.

Like you said, colleges don't teach specific skills, it's for building foundations.
I agree with that.

However if your area of foundation is an useless area, then you'll have tough time especially if you go to a mediocre school.
[b]That's the reality.[/b]

[/quote]

See, I disagree with your reasoning.  You can't look at the majors people chose and conclude their futures--because the people who chose English or art history or whatever on average are more likely to be people who want something different out of life than $$ than the people who chose accounting or engineering.  Some may plan on being a SAHP, some may want to be a teacher because that's what people in their family do, some may want to be a struggling artist and take a chance and don't mind working at a coffee shop for that chance.  Some may want to understand and change the world and are happy just having enough to live.  Some may be just kind of flighty and don't really think about the practical matters of life until they are facing them.  Some may have enough family resources not to care all that much.

But if you--as a an individual not a generic pattern of data-- want $$ and also want to major in English or Sociology or Studio Art or History or Philosophy or whatever there are paths to do it.  You major in English and then do a bootcamp in some marketable skill, you seek out internships that use a marketable skill.  You prep hard for the LSAT and go to a top law school.  You take your pre-med reqs and go to med school.  You network and start your own business.  Being a top notch English major with your mind focused on how to get a career will likely serve you better than being a half-a**ed business major thinking your 'marketable' major is going to do it for you.  I think it's likely more about mindset than major--it's just that when you look at the data there are going to be more of those with a career-oriented mindset who chose pre-professional majors.[/quote]

[b]people who want something different[/b]

LOL look at the irony.  
Look all the posts by the humanities people saying that 'oh I have a humanities degree and, and I work in consulting making $300k  [/quote]

DP. That’s a bit unfair. A bunch of people claimed liberal arts grads were bound to become baristas or could never earn as much as pre-professional majors. Some people chimed in with examples that refute that claim. No one was trying to claim that these individuals represent the universe of liberal arts grads. [/quote]
But the majority of LA undergrads are not in consulting or earning big bucks with just their undergrad degree.  Those who do are the extreme outliers, definitely not the norm.[/quote]

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