my kid majored in philosophy and has a job at a global risk consulting business.

my other kid is majoring in history and has an internship this summer in IB.

It's hard for me to know what "getting a job in their major" means when a lot of kids major in one thing while studying broadly, being tactical about getting internships every single summer, and never had any intention of becoming a .. philosopher.

If you can't find a job in your major right away, just get a sales job and stack cheese. Always be closing. I don't understand the people who slink back to their high school bedroom because they didn't land a six-figure sinecure through campus recruiting. If you can sell, you'll always have a job and be paid well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cengagegroup.com/news/press-releases/2025/cengage-group-2025-employability-report/
https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts

For high schoolers, instead of spending so much money, time, and energy trying to impress colleges, shouldn’t they focus more on figuring out the right major or finding a school that’s actually a good fit? The job reports for college graduates, plus all the constant layoff news, feel like pretty strong warning signs. It makes me wonder whether colleges are really preparing students for a tougher job market or a potential economic downturn in the coming years.

I’m also surprised when I hear advice like “just pick an easier major” in order to get into top schools or “you can rely on the school name or network to get a job.” That might sound magical, but how does that actually work for middle-class or lower-income families without any resource to begin with? Networking is probably exclusive to "the Privileged" who does need to work for a day. Why would those with advantages open doors for those who don’t? It just doesn’t seem like realistic.

I'm worried about my engineer daughter who is going to graduate this year. Engineering jobs used to be so plentiful, but now she's been applying for jobs and getting nothing. She's a good student, has worked in labs, been a TA, has great summer jobs, but has not secured a job yet. I can only think that this economy is shrinking. She's going to work as a barista if she can't find work right away, but it's depressing that an engineer can't find a job right out of college!!

This was my daughter, who graduated last year. Chemical Engineering.

She was eventually able to get a job that started a couple months back, but it is in an area of the country that none of us had even been to and it is very much an entry level position.

Part of the problems is that as a matter of principle, she doesn't want to work for defense employers, nor for petro chemical employers. If your daughter has similar scruples, she may face similar delays.

The good news is that my daughter is happy that she landed where she did (pharma production start up). Fingers crossed it will work out for your daughter also!

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried about my engineer daughter who is going to graduate this year. Engineering jobs used to be so plentiful, but now she's been applying for jobs and getting nothing. She's a good student, has worked in labs, been a TA, has great summer jobs, but has not secured a job yet. I can only think that this economy is shrinking. She's going to work as a barista if she can't find work right away, but it's depressing that an engineer can't find a job right out of college!!

DCUM might be able to help her. What kind of engineer (Aero, EE, MechE, other) and which specialty?

Anonymous wrote:What job could someone with a liberal arts degree get that is In Their Field? English, Psychology, History, Gender Studies, Romance Languages - name jobs that are attainable with only a Bachelors degree In These Fields?

Are you kidding?
Top 10 non-ivy kid, the non-stem major students who did not go on to grad/law/med were hired by nonprofits, publishing companies, and yes even tech companies for non-tech roles. Many are in consulting at McKinsey or BCG.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cengagegroup.com/news/press-releases/2025/cengage-group-2025-employability-report/
https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts

For high schoolers, instead of spending so much money, time, and energy trying to impress colleges, shouldn’t they focus more on figuring out the right major or finding a school that’s actually a good fit? The job reports for college graduates, plus all the constant layoff news, feel like pretty strong warning signs. It makes me wonder whether colleges are really preparing students for a tougher job market or a potential economic downturn in the coming years.

I’m also surprised when I hear advice like “just pick an easier major” in order to get into top schools or “you can rely on the school name or network to get a job.” That might sound magical, but how does that actually work for middle-class or lower-income families without any resource to begin with? Networking is probably exclusive to "the Privileged" who does need to work for a day. Why would those with advantages open doors for those who don’t? It just doesn’t seem like realistic.

I'm worried about my engineer daughter who is going to graduate this year. Engineering jobs used to be so plentiful, but now she's been applying for jobs and getting nothing. She's a good student, has worked in labs, been a TA, has great summer jobs, but has not secured a job yet. I can only think that this economy is shrinking. She's going to work as a barista if she can't find work right away, but it's depressing that an engineer can't find a job right out of college!!

It is likely the college playing a role.
Engineering students at the top schools (MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Penn, Harvard, Cornell, Berkeley, CMU, JHU, Rice) basically walk into jobs at top tech companies even in this market. Consulting is the "backup" and usually is top-tier consulting. Engineering students have median starting salaries of 95-110k at these schools, using 2025 grad data, with under 7% unemployment 6 months post graduation. About 2/3 go into the job market and 1/3 go for PhD. MD, or other graduate studies.
Almost every one of DC senior friends has a job already or at least one phD or MD offer, most have more than one grad offer. They do not "co-op" at top schools, they do research during the semester as well as summers, then industry jobs after junior year sometimes earlier, then they start the hunt. Recruiters come to campus and/or target these ivy+ E-schools.
Above-average engineering at T30-50 schools primarily launch grads into low level entry positions. Those jobs are shrinking and being replaced. Upper level jobs that require high level thinking and pay the big $ typically target the top schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What job could someone with a liberal arts degree get that is In Their Field? English, Psychology, History, Gender Studies, Romance Languages - name jobs that are attainable with only a Bachelors degree In These Fields?

Are you first gen or an immigrant? Colleges are filled with kids in these majors that go on to do all sorts of jobs. College isn’t trade school.

Ummm nooooo….I am not. I am challenging the stats. I went to a NESCAC and did not enter a job In My Field. I was a psych major and never touched the Body of knowledge that is Psychology ever since graduating. So what I am saying is, the article title and its content is totally clickbait. Because All the Liberal Arts undergrads which is probably 40-50% of the undergrad populations is going to enter a job Not In Their Field.

Anonymous wrote:What job could someone with a liberal arts degree get that is In Their Field? English, Psychology, History, Gender Studies, Romance Languages - name jobs that are attainable with only a Bachelors degree In These Fields?

Are you first gen or an immigrant? Colleges are filled with kids in these majors that go on to do all sorts of jobs. College isn’t trade school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What job could someone with a liberal arts degree get that is In Their Field? English, Psychology, History, Gender Studies, Romance Languages - name jobs that are attainable with only a Bachelors degree In These Fields?

Teaching. My job is an English teacher and I majored in English. Ditto for fellow English, history, FL teachers.

DD recently graduated with an English major. She had a few part-time writing jobs while she was in school, and eventually they led to her current analyst position at a consulting company, where she is doing well.
I majored in History, but I work as a Data Analyst. You don’t need to fixate on your major—just keep looking for opportunities where you are and branch out. It’s easy to learn new skills and knowledge these days.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cengagegroup.com/news/press-releases/2025/cengage-group-2025-employability-report/
https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts

For high schoolers, instead of spending so much money, time, and energy trying to impress colleges, shouldn’t they focus more on figuring out the right major or finding a school that’s actually a good fit? The job reports for college graduates, plus all the constant layoff news, feel like pretty strong warning signs. It makes me wonder whether colleges are really preparing students for a tougher job market or a potential economic downturn in the coming years.

I’m also surprised when I hear advice like “just pick an easier major” in order to get into top schools or “you can rely on the school name or network to get a job.” That might sound magical, but how does that actually work for middle-class or lower-income families without any resource to begin with? Networking is probably exclusive to "the Privileged" who does need to work for a day. Why would those with advantages open doors for those who don’t? It just doesn’t seem like realistic.

I'm worried about my engineer daughter who is going to graduate this year. Engineering jobs used to be so plentiful, but now she's been applying for jobs and getting nothing. She's a good student, has worked in labs, been a TA, has great summer jobs, but has not secured a job yet. I can only think that this economy is shrinking. She's going to work as a barista if she can't find work right away, but it's depressing that an engineer can't find a job right out of college!!

My friend who makes the highest salary now was an engineer who struggled to find a job after college due to a tough hiring market. It takes longer in a bad job market.

Anonymous wrote:What job could someone with a liberal arts degree get that is In Their Field? English, Psychology, History, Gender Studies, Romance Languages - name jobs that are attainable with only a Bachelors degree In These Fields?

Teaching. My job is an English teacher and I majored in English. Ditto for fellow English, history, FL teachers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cengagegroup.com/news/press-releases/2025/cengage-group-2025-employability-report/
https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts

For high schoolers, instead of spending so much money, time, and energy trying to impress colleges, shouldn’t they focus more on figuring out the right major or finding a school that’s actually a good fit? The job reports for college graduates, plus all the constant layoff news, feel like pretty strong warning signs. It makes me wonder whether colleges are really preparing students for a tougher job market or a potential economic downturn in the coming years.

I’m also surprised when I hear advice like “just pick an easier major” in order to get into top schools or “you can rely on the school name or network to get a job.” That might sound magical, but how does that actually work for middle-class or lower-income families without any resource to begin with? Networking is probably exclusive to "the Privileged" who does need to work for a day. Why would those with advantages open doors for those who don’t? It just doesn’t seem like realistic.

I'm worried about my engineer daughter who is going to graduate this year. Engineering jobs used to be so plentiful, but now she's been applying for jobs and getting nothing. She's a good student, has worked in labs, been a TA, has great summer jobs, but has not secured a job yet. I can only think that this economy is shrinking. She's going to work as a barista if she can't find work right away, but it's depressing that an engineer can't find a job right out of college!!

Is she doing the co-ops? Engineering, like medicine, is like an intellectual trade job. Unless one is planning to teach, it's less about the brand name and more about experience

Some people go to college to get a well-rounded education. Most will eventually find a career that suits them. But anthropology & physics majors aren’t going to get jobs as anthropologists or physicists right out of undergrad. Same with lots of other majors.

Because most people pick fluff majors. Helps make the 4 years more enjoyable but if not well connected hurts when it comes time to enter the real world.

Life is so much easier when you ask yourself what does this step set me up to do on my next step. Living in the moment is fun but not always rewarding in the long run.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main point is "connections over curriculum." With fewer jobs networking with all that implies becomes more important . . .

I feel bad for low income students from low income places. Their network is much slimmer.

Absolutely