Trying to figure out a game plan

[sanantone]

A note on college majors: Some of the liberal arts do lead directly to employment depending on how you look at it. They just aren't vocational programs in that they lead to one specific job; but there are many jobs that require or prefer these degrees. Because this is a pet peeve of mine, I have to emphasize that the liberal arts include humanities (English, art, philosophy, religious studies, etc.), social sciences (economics, political science, psychology, etc.), mathematics, and science (chemistry, physics, biology, etc.). They aren't applied or vocational like nursing, engineering, business, etc. However, I would argue that business doesn't really lead directly to a certain job if you apply the same criteria one would apply to the liberal arts. What you have to figure out is whether or not there are more job applicants in your area than job openings for a certain field. That is often the case for the liberal arts including some of the sciences.

If you want to work in social services, parole, or probation, you almost need a degree in criminal justice, counseling, sociology, social work, psychology, etc. There are exceptions for desperate agencies, but if your goal is to work in one of those areas, you should get one of the degrees listed.

If you want to work in a museum, you should get a degree in history, archaeology, anthropology, cultural studies, etc.

If you want to work in fields like public relations, journalism, technical writing, or editing, then you should consider a degree in English, communications, or journalism.

If you want to work as a lab tech, then you should get a degree in chemistry or biology. If you want to work as a forensic scientist, chemistry is often preferred over a forensic science degree.

If you want to become certified as a chaplain by a credible organization, then you need an MDiv. This is a liberal arts degree. I've found that a lot of MDiv programs require a bachelor's degree in divinity, religious studies, or a related field as a prerequisite. Your denomination might even require you to have a degree in a major related to theology in order to become a priest, reverend, pastor, etc.

Figure out what kind of job you want and work backward from there.

Certain liberal arts fields are more employable than others. Chemistry is more employable than English/literature, for example. Some liberal arts fields come up more in job searches giving you more options to choose from. Psychology comes up a lot in job searches; it certainly comes up more than history. The problem is that there is a lot of competition with so many people having a psychology degree. The problem is even worse for business administration. Psychology is the second most popular major, but there are several times more business administration majors. According to PayScale, business administration/management majors were the first and second most underemployed in 2013 and 2014. Business administration is asked for in a ton of job ads, but there are just too many people with this degree. However, if you want to enter a field that requires this degree, you should consider getting it. You just have to figure out a plan to make yourself stand out.