Liberal Arts degrees

[burbuja0512]

Many degrees need something else other than what you'll learn in a four year college. To bring it back to the point of the OP, an LPN degree will get you a job doing what you studied for. An LPN may not be glamorous, but you have learned a skill. Can you say the same about a liberal arts degree? What are you going to do? Be a liberal artist?

Don't take this the wrong way.. I think a liberal arts degree is as good as many other degrees, like business or psych or history or sociology, etc. But it's hard to jump right out of school into a solid career with one of these degrees unless you add something else, like a graduate degree or work experience.

For many of us working adults, a degree is just a check box. It's the one thing that our resumes are missing. I could literally get a degree in underwater basket weaving and my boss would be pleased. He doesn't care, but wants to see that someone at my career level has the piece of paper.

For a brand new student, if liberal arts is what interests you, then do it! However you will need to plan your future out and make sure that you are focused on what your next steps will be. If you don't want graduate school, then I would suggest either several really good internships or volunteer work to add experience to your resume, or quite frankly, look at different degree options.

I know I'm rambling a bit now, but let's look at it from the perspective of an employer. If I hire a recent college grad, I already know that I'm going to have to train them on office basics and basically teach them how to work. However, if they have a relevant degree in the field, then they will add something to enhance the knowledge base of the team, so it could be worth the hassle.

The question with any job is "what do I bring to the team? Why am I a better choice than the 500 other candidates that applied?" If your only answer is that you have a degree and lots of enthusiasm and that you're a quick learner, you probably need to study more or gain more experience. (did I mention volunteer work or internships?) Or just be prepared to take the lowest possible entry level job and anticipate that it will take years to work your way up.

I REALLY do not mean this post to be negative in any way, shape, or form. It's just very important to be totally realistic about what different degrees will get you. I feel so bad for kids that think that the world will open up to them once they have their undergrad. I would compare it to when little girls read fairy tales. You learn that you get married and it's "Happily ever after." Just like when you get a bachelors, you think that you'll get the job of your dreams and make enough money to support your family in luxury. It can be true, but does require a lot more work than the diploma, unless you're really lucky or incredibly well-connected.