Liberal Arts degrees

[alleycat]

Here is some more LA food for thought.

20 Lucrative Careers You Can Get with a Liberal Arts Degree | Business Pundit

[skyfall123]

And in this job market how are you going to set yourself apart with a liberal arts degree? If I was a hiring manager and 2 people were identical, but one had a bachelors in math, English, science, economics, accounting, finance, etc, vs someone with a liberal arts degree, I would hire the first guy.

I think most people would agree.

I think Alley's point is that someone who approaches a LA degree with the right frame of mind can develop skills that are equal to or greater than those acquired in other degrees. I agree. A business degree graduate isn't automatically an expert in business or an asset to an organization.

I would hire someone based on their ability to think creatively first and for their business education second. I've made a living outperforming managers within business, because they lack the ability to think creatively and strategically. This is what separates entrepreneurs from others, and is the reason why many successful business people don't have degrees. The creativity is what drives them and gives them the edge.

Of course that person would have to sell that during an interview, but the person doing the interview if they were worth their salt would immediately recognize the value of that type of employee.

What is the capstone of a business degree? Business Policy/Strategy. The ability to think creatively, out side the box....etc....Business Policy hopes to spark creative thinking in individuals. Many LA students have that gene in spades. Again I refer to the girls masterpiece
http://www.degreeforum.net/off-topic/134...-vote.html
99% of business majors couldn't come close to topping that as a marketing piece for a public library.

[marianne202]

I have to chime in and say that I honestly don't believe any job is all about the degree you hold, as much as it is about what you have to bring to the table, either in experience or education. Job ads are an employers grand wish list applicant and very few ever find that perfect person. I was teaching at a community college without any degree, just based on my experience and and I was making almost twice as much as my cousin who had a bachelor's degree majoring in archeology and a minor in French. So she should be much more qualified than me on paper, but she had very little work experience. The only job she could get was as a librarian at a public library. By completing my BSLS I was able to move from the Con Ed side of education to the curriculum side. I did my BSLS while also working on my BSHS just to move the process along a little faster. I also find that it gives a good basic background for education fields.

I have a friend who has a her law degree, passed the bar in 4 states, has her accounting degree and passed her accounting exam with the highest score ever in NC history. She also has her securities licenses in several states and she is working for a little over minimum wage as an administrative assistant. Examples of specific degrees that are making far less than me.

Bottom line is you can't plan your life and education based solely on salary or available jobs. You have to choose something that you enjoy and makes you feel fulfilled in some way. If you don't it doesn't matter because you won't be happy and you won't stay with the "job" that your specialized degree got you. You will be miserable. I think you have to do what makes you happy or you won't be able to do it long term. Bashing someone for doing what makes them happy or doing what they needed to do to check a box, doesn't do anything but make you look ignorant thinking money is the only thing that matters.

When I finish grad school I could make a lot more money in the private sector than I can teaching, but at this point in my life, teaching makes me very happy and I can't imagine any job in the private sector doing the same. So if I'm stupid for choosing liking my career choice over making more money, then call me stupid, but I bet I will do a much better than someone who is doing it only for the money!

I think we all go through phases in our lives and we can and do change our minds and directions. We just can't judge others decisions because we are not in their shoes. It is this variety of life skills and loves that makes our world special and interesting.

I applaud anyone taking steps to further their education regardless of the end goal. Education of any level or type always makes us a better person!

[alleycat]

Liberal Arts Majors:
If you major in the liberal arts, you’re likely to explore more options and create your own career path. The curriculum you follow will give you general knowledge in a range of subjects. It does not train you to work in a specific field.

Just because there's no clearly defined career path for the liberal arts major doesn't mean that you won't pick up valuable career skills. With a liberal arts education, you build a sophisticated vocabulary and develop intellectual skills, such as reasoning and judgment, as opposed to acquiring technical skills for a specific profession.

With preparation like this, liberal arts graduates can adapt to a variety of careers. Here are a handful of popular majors and some of the careers they can lead to:

Anthropology: archaeologist, museum curator
Biology: researcher, naturalist, pharmaceutical representative
Communications: newspaper reporter, advertising and marketing executive
English: editor, teacher
Economics: analyst, teacher
History: college professor, archivist
Languages and linguistics: foreign service officer, interpreter
Political science: policy analyst, lawyer
Sociology: market researcher, jury consultant

List courtesy of College Boards

[burbuja0512]

Liberal Arts Majors:


Just because there's no clearly defined career path for the liberal arts major doesn't mean that you won't pick up valuable career skills. With a liberal arts education, you build a sophisticated vocabulary and develop intellectual skills, such as reasoning and judgment, as opposed to acquiring technical skills for a specific profession.

Yes, I totally agree, but it does require a level of awareness and preparation for the liberal arts degree-holder that graduates of other programs don't have to have. To use the nursing example. You go to nursing school and come out and become a nurse. Liberal Arts majors can't do that - they'll need to really put some thought into what they want to do and then make sure that they get experience that's in line with their chosen career path.

I thought it was interesting that the link you posted above to the top liberal arts careers included several sales options. One of the reasons I got into sales is because they tend to be less picky about degree options. Back when I started, you didn't even need a degree. Now you do, but it doesn't matter in what. B2B sales is a great career path that pays well if you can handle the stress and like talking to people. I would recommend for any liberal arts major.

[burbuja0512]

Bottom line is you can't plan your life and education based solely on salary or available jobs. You have to choose something that you enjoy and makes you feel fulfilled in some way. If you don't it doesn't matter because you won't be happy and you won't stay with the "job" that your specialized degree got you. You will be miserable. I think you have to do what makes you happy or you won't be able to do it long term. Bashing someone for doing what makes them happy or doing what they needed to do to check a box, doesn't do anything but make you look ignorant thinking money is the only thing that matters.

I do agree with you Marianne, but only to a point. I used to be very idealistic about doing what makes you happy, until I saw some examples in real life. I have two brothers. One is a COSC grad who tested out of his undergrad and went on to get masters and a million different CISCO certificates. (and is now working on doctorate, but that's another story)

My other brother went to a traditional school, got his undergrad and his masters in music. He knew he wasn't going to make a lot of money with these degrees, but wanted to pursue his dreams.

Brother #1 is making a healthy 6-figure salary and has been for years. He chose IT and with the time and money he saved from a COSC undergrad, paid for the masters and got his employers to cover the CISCO certificate costs. Not to mention that he's barely 30 and has been making a huge salary since he was in his early 20's

Brother #2 was a music teacher making just over 30k/year when he got laid off. All of the school districts in his state have cut music programs. He has a hefty amount of school debt and is now working in a totally unrelated field and still paying off student loans. His marriage is suffering because with two small children, he can't afford to pay for daycare on his salary. His wife wants to work, but with her business degree and no work experience she has only been able to find work in retail stores, which can't pay the bills. So, she watches the kids during the day when he works and she works at a large electronics retailer in the evening and he babysits. Because she's in retail, she has to work weekends and they don't see each other as often as they'd like. Oh yeah... and she has student loans too.

Anyhow.. I don't mean to play devil's advocate here, and no money will not buy you happiness, but who wants to struggle? I feel for brother #2 and his wife. No they probably shouldn't have had two kids before they had their finances in order, but they're two college-educated people that should have decent paying jobs, but because his music degree doesn't pay and her business degree is worthless without experience, they're scraping to make ends meet. I would not want to live like that even if I had a fulfilling job.

So my point isn't to dissuade anyone from liberal arts. It's just to have a plan in place, and maybe even a Plan B and C, just in case, and be aware of the obstacles you'll face with your degree.

[Shemrat]

I do agree with you Marianne, but only to a point. I used to be very idealistic about doing what makes you happy, until I saw some examples in real life. I have two brothers. One is a COSC grad who tested out of his undergrad and went on to get masters and a million different CISCO certificates. (and is now working on doctorate, but that's another story)

My other brother went to a traditional school, got his undergrad and his masters in music. He knew he wasn't going to make a lot of money with these degrees, but wanted to pursue his dreams.

Brother #1 is making a healthy 6-figure salary and has been for years. He chose IT and with the time and money he saved from a COSC undergrad, paid for the masters and got his employers to cover the CISCO certificate costs. Not to mention that he's barely 30 and has been making a huge salary since he was in his early 20's

Brother #2 was a music teacher making just over 30k/year when he got laid off. All of the school districts in his state have cut music programs. He has a hefty amount of school debt and is now working in a totally unrelated field and still paying off student loans. His marriage is suffering because with two small children, he can't afford to pay for daycare on his salary. His wife wants to work, but with her business degree and no work experience she has only been able to find work in retail stores, which can't pay the bills. So, she watches the kids during the day when he works and she works at a large electronics retailer in the evening and he babysits. Because she's in retail, she has to work weekends and they don't see each other as often as they'd like. Oh yeah... and she has student loans too.

Anyhow.. I don't mean to play devil's advocate here, and no money will not buy you happiness, but who wants to struggle? I feel for brother #2 and his wife. No they probably shouldn't have had two kids before they had their finances in order, but they're two college-educated people that should have decent paying jobs, but because his music degree doesn't pay and her business degree is worthless without experience, they're scraping to make ends meet. I would not want to live like that even if I had a fulfilling job.

So my point isn't to dissuade anyone from liberal arts. It's just to have a plan in place, and maybe even a Plan B and C, just in case, and be aware of the obstacles you'll face with your degree.

This is unbelievably depressing I pray that luck comes their way.

[marianne202]

Scarlett, I'm so sorry about your brother, but he had to have some idea when he got that degree it was iffy for a long term job knowing the schools were cutting back on what they consider "non-essential" courses. I would have hoped that he had a backup plan. Can he teach music lessons privately or work for a music store teaching? This is one reason I believe everyone should have back up skills. I'm fortunate in that I have spent most of my life in healthcare, but I have also done a lot of part-time work in different areas, so I have a broad skill base to fall back on. That is actually how I fell into teaching out of necessity when my husband lost his job. It wasn't anything I ever wanted to do, but then I fell in love with it and stayed.

My cousin who is using her degree to be a part-time librarian has a son who is in his first year at a very expensive B&M school majoring in music and latin. The only possible job I see with these degrees is a teacher and we all know how those jobs are going these days. I think it was somewhat irresponisble of his parents, neither of which could find employment within their degree specific fields, to not make him choose something more realistic in this current job market, even as a second degree or minor, but if this is the only area that makes him happy he will end up trying to make ends meet too with big student debt to pay off. I believe you have to look at the big picture and project out to the future, although some friends think I do that too much, but I think you have to think about the what ifs. I guess I have been knocked down too many times so I tend to think that way first.

I hope your brother can find something better. What about working with a non-profit medical group that does music and art therapy with terminally ill patients or developmentally challenged kids. Try to get him to think outside the box and he just might find something to incorporate all his skills and knowledge. It might not make him rich monetarily, but it may make him richer in life.

Good luck to your family!

[burbuja0512]

This is unbelievably depressing I pray that luck comes their way.

Thank you... yikes, I'm beginning to wonder if I should have posted it.

I really hope that my other posts weren't negative at all. The work world is so tough and you can never really prepare enough.

[burbuja0512]

Scarlett, I'm so sorry about your brother, but he had to have some idea when he got that degree it was iffy for a long term job knowing the schools were cutting back on what they consider "non-essential" courses. I would have hoped that he had a backup plan. Can he teach music lessons privately or work for a music store teaching? This is one reason I believe everyone should have back up skills. I'm fortunate in that I have spent most of my life in healthcare, but I have also done a lot of part-time work in different areas, so I have a broad skill base to fall back on. That is actually how I fell into teaching out of necessity when my husband lost his job. It wasn't anything I ever wanted to do, but then I fell in love with it and stayed.

My cousin who is using her degree to be a part-time librarian has a son who is in his first year at a very expensive B&M school majoring in music and latin. The only possible job I see with these degrees is a teacher and we all know how those jobs are going these days. I think it was somewhat irresponisble of his parents, neither of which could find employment within their degree specific fields, to not make him choose something more realistic in this current job market, even as a second degree or minor, but if this is the only area that makes him happy he will end up trying to make ends meet too with big student debt to pay off. I believe you have to look at the big picture and project out to the future, although some friends think I do that too much, but I think you have to think about the what ifs. I guess I have been knocked down too many times so I tend to think that way first.

I hope your brother can find something better. What about working with a non-profit medical group that does music and art therapy with terminally ill patients or developmentally challenged kids. Try to get him to think outside the box and he just might find something to incorporate all his skills and knowledge. It might not make him rich monetarily, but it may make him richer in life.

Good luck to your family!

It's ok! Yikes... totally depressing post on my part. Maybe I should go back and delete?

Luckily the job he has right now is paying more than teaching and he likes what he is doing, even if he's not raking in the big bucks. I don't think that things would be so tight if they didn't have the two small kids and if his wife could get a decent job. Daycare for two kids under three is literally more than most people pay on their mortgage. I like the music therapy suggestion though... that could be really rewarding. I'll mention it if the current job doesn't work out.

I agree with you on the music and latin choice. I guess that would make him qualified to be a professional gregorian chant singer? hilarious

I'm just so glad that all of us here knows about testing. People pay so much money to get an undergrad and if you make the wrong choice, you end up with mountains of debt that you may not be able to easily pay off and still need years of graduate school to get where you want to be career-wise.

Hee hee.. or maybe I'm just depressed and grumpy today. I think I should go get a margarita. Too bad it's not 5:00 yet