Engineering!

DH is an engineer and companies are always trying to poach him.

Anonymous wrote:Computer science
Nursing
Chinese
Arabic

My relative graduated in 2013 with a double major in a liberal arts field and Chinese from a well-known university with a great reputation. He spent a total of 18 months in China so he's quite fluent in Mandarin. He has been looking for a job in the government or in consulting, the fields he was told would be "very easy" to get a job in as a Chinese speaker - and he's only been able to get short-term work as an interpreter or a substitute teacher (think day jobs). He's very intelligent, presentable, well-spoken, can hold a conversation with anyone - so, no obvious social problems that might turn off an employer. Being able to speak Chinese really well hasn't been, in an of itself, an entree to a career so far. I'd recommend pairing the language major with another set of skills in order to make yourself more marketable.

Even for students in college now, we just have no idea what their career paths will look like. I think it's fair to say that most of them will not only change jobs, but change careers, a few times.

Count me among those who think it's important to learn how to learn and how to communicate effectively, and to apply oneself strenuously to something difficult. In college, it's best to do that with something you enjoy. Then, moving on, you have the analytic skills and the discipline to work in a variety of areas.

I had a totally useless major, but it taught me invaluable reading/writing/analytical skills. I'm a lawyer.

I would go with whatever their strengths are. My DD is strong in math and sciences. I would suggest Engineering (though you said but that aside) but my #1 suggestion for her would be to get into the sciences and have a career in the medical field.

I knew I was going to grad school, so I majored in something I really liked (history) so I would have a better chance of getting good grades and thus a better chance of getting into a good law school.

If that's not the case for your kid, I would suggest something practical - engineering (yes!), computer science, nursing, business, communications.

Are they good at math and science? If so a degree in analytics would make them very marketable when they graduate. Healthcare management, business, computer science are all very good too.

OP here again -- and the cost/value of college is an issue for me as well. 20 years ago, we all just assumed that if you graduated from college, you were employable. Now, I realize that there are a lot of schools (legitimate schools) selling degrees that have little value to employers. The colleges are making money on the students, but the students end up with a degree to nowhere. So, I want my kids to be a lot smarter about it than I ever was.

OP here.... I got my law degree, worked for awhile and after taking time off for kids would like to go back -- but not necessarily in law. I'm willing to start at an entry level, but I find that my bachelor's degree is worthless. So, I feel like I am essentially like a HS graduate when appling for jobs. When I advise my kids about college (which is still a few years away), I'd like to give them serious advice about picking a major that will have some value. I hope/expect that they will get a higher level degree as well, but if they want to change directions later down the road -- I would hope their bachelors degree has some value (unlike mine!). So, that's where I'm coming from. Yes, I want my kids to learn how to think in college.... I assume that will happen in any major and certainly though grad school. I'm a bit jealous of people who have a "real" degree for undergrad... I didn't receive much of any advice other than "follow your dreams" type of comments and i regret choosing such a fluffly, useless undergrad degree.

Thanks for the suggestions.... there are quite a few I hadn't thought of.

Anonymous wrote:Do you consider college to be vocational training that should lead to a specific career path, or do you consider college to be an education in critical thinking, analysis, research and communication?

I am of the school of thought that college students should be learning to learn and communicate. If you learn those things, you can learn anything and do anything. By majoring in a subject about which the student is passionate, or at least more interested than other subjects, there is greater incentive to excel and stay focused.

FWIW, I majored in History and work in Web development.

I'm the English major PP above. I used to think like you, but now I see 20-year-olds graduating with 5 or 6 figures of debt (and I was one of those people myself). So yes, I now believe that college should offer some vocational training toward a career path, since most people don't have the vast wealth required to support a fun four years of "learning to learn and communicate." Today's economy and higher ed costs do not allow for romantic notions like that among pragmatic people. You chose your career field wisely, though; well done you.

Do you consider college to be vocational training that should lead to a specific career path, or do you consider college to be an education in critical thinking, analysis, research and communication?

I am of the school of thought that college students should be learning to learn and communicate. If you learn those things, you can learn anything and do anything. By majoring in a subject about which the student is passionate, or at least more interested than other subjects, there is greater incentive to excel and stay focused.

FWIW, I majored in History and work in Web development.

You need to provide some information. Are you worried about this person being a high earner, is a teacher okay with your family ethos. Do you think they can work at a desk all day, more a people person, etc.

Also, will this person wish to work part time in the future?

Information Technology
teacher
nurse practitioner
accountant
business/marketing
social work

Computer science
Nursing
Chinese
Arabic

Haha - ex-English major here who was totally going to answer "engineering" if all things truly are equal with your DC. I'm in the same boat as you and it pains me to hear of more kids majoring in English and only English (though I still think it's a great minor or a good choice for a double major so long as the other major is practical). I went to a very small, private, l.a. college that frankly didn't have a lot of majors, so CS and business/accounting were really the only practical options. Both held no interest for me than or now, but knowing what I know now I would have double majored in English and business. And I would probably be doing quite well.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure there would be a lot of recommendations for engineering. So, let's set that aside. Other than engineering, what major would you suggest for a kid who is a good student, not stellar, who could go one of many ways? I ask this question b/c I got a BS in a major that was interesting to me, but I never considered whether this major would make me employable. I never thought about the fact that I'd have to get a masters or PhD in the same field to have any hope of employment. Although I did get a higher level degree (in another field), my bachelors degree is essentially useless. I wish someone had helped me understand that a degree should have practical value. The classes that I liked in college led me to a degree with no employment value.

So, my question is really, what are the bachelors degrees that actually have employment value... Spanish? Accounting? Communications? ???? I have no idea.

You can also major in something interesting to you and take a lot of practical classes on the side. I wish I had taken more quantitative/business classes.

I'm sure there would be a lot of recommendations for engineering. So, let's set that aside. Other than engineering, what major would you suggest for a kid who is a good student, not stellar, who could go one of many ways? I ask this question b/c I got a BS in a major that was interesting to me, but I never considered whether this major would make me employable. I never thought about the fact that I'd have to get a masters or PhD in the same field to have any hope of employment. Although I did get a higher level degree (in another field), my bachelors degree is essentially useless. I wish someone had helped me understand that a degree should have practical value. The classes that I liked in college led me to a degree with no employment value.

So, my question is really, what are the bachelors degrees that actually have employment value... Spanish? Accounting? Communications? ???? I have no idea.