relevance of major?

pixell · #1 12-01-2003, 01:45 PM

One of my professors told me that a person's major quite often has little to no relevance to what they end up doing.

How true do you think this is?

Just curious what you guys have experienced since I'm having doubts about my major.

AlphaGam1019 · #2 12-01-2003, 01:48 PM

depends on what you're aiming for. specific career goals require specific majors. also true if you're aiming for professional school. otherwise, it really doesn't matter :P

DeltAlum · #3 12-01-2003, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AlphaGam1019
depends on what you're aiming for. specific career goals require specific majors. also true if you're aiming for professional school. otherwise, it really doesn't matter :P

I basically agree, but would add the word "some" specific career goals...

Obviously, if you want to be in one of the "professions" (except the alledged oldest one), you need to go to Medical School to be a doctor, Law School to be a lawyer, etc. (Mostly the ones that they call doing the work "practicing" -- does that concern anyone?

Otherwise, there's a pretty large amount of disparity in the job market between what job and degree people hold.

Rudey · #4 12-01-2003, 02:12 PM

Yeah I hear there are a ton of art and philosophy students with jobs.

-Rudey
--Big money jobs baby!

DeltAlum · #5 12-01-2003, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rudey
Yeah I hear there are a ton of art and philosophy students with jobs.

Depends on the kind of art degree. Daughter one is a graphic designer and does OK.

I hear that with some degrees now there is a required class in "Would you like fries with that?"

AlphaGam1019 · #6 12-01-2003, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum
Depends on the kind of art degree. Daughter one is a graphic designer and does OK.

well graphic design is a practical major within art.

I must have a phobia with impractical majors- I got the hell out of the music conservatory after my freshman year.

swissmiss04 · #7 12-01-2003, 02:55 PM

A lot of general type majors (general music, psychology, art, philosophy) usually have trouble getting jobs after graduation w/o any sort of master's or phd degree. I'm a music therapy major, so assuming that there's an m.t. position open for me after graduation, I'll do that. Otherwise I'll be relegated to teaching piano lessons, getting an orchestra job, etc. But at least I'll be employable.

Eirene_DGP · #8 12-01-2003, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by swissmiss04
A lot of general type majors (general music, psychology, art, philosophy) usually have trouble getting jobs after graduation w/o any sort of master's or phd degree. I'm a music therapy major, so assuming that there's an m.t. position open for me after graduation, I'll do that. Otherwise I'll be relegated to teaching piano lessons, getting an orchestra job, etc. But at least I'll be employable.

I recently started working at a group home on weekends and I have found that a lot of people there have unusual degrees considering the type of work they are doing. When I was interviewed for the job with a degree in English, the HR mgr told me the diverse group of backgrounds go well with the territory...

#9 12-01-2003, 05:39 PM

I was a history major, and now I'm the secretary for a maintenance department at a large company. Take from that what you will

MareImbrium · #10 12-08-2003, 10:36 PM

I agree with what the professor said in the original post. As long as you know what you want in life and take the necessary steps to attain that goal, then I say have fun in college and major in whatever your heart desires.

Heck I am an Anthropology major but I have no deisre to become an anthropologist or archaeologist. My long term goal is to become an English teacher.

Someone else I know majored in English and applied to Law School. After about a year or so, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a writer, whether it be for the big screen or however those kinds of terminiologies work.

AchtungBaby80 · #11 12-08-2003, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rudey
Yeah I hear there are a ton of art and philosophy students with jobs.

Oh, yes. My aunt was an Art major, and she works for the Communications department at the University of Kentucky...doing nothing that has to do with art.

UKDaisy · #12 12-08-2003, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AchtungBaby80
Oh, yes. My aunt was an Art major, and she works for the Communications department at the University of Kentucky...doing nothing that has to do with art.

hmmm...... which department? would it be good to shadow her? PM me!

Rudey · #13 12-09-2003, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AchtungBaby80
Oh, yes. My aunt was an Art major, and she works for the Communications department at the University of Kentucky...doing nothing that has to do with art.

And most of them have no jobs and end up going back to school for something. It's not like she has a job right now that requires a PhD in something very specific right? I'm assuming it's a very general position that can be filled by people from any major. Those kinds of jobs are sparse these days.

I also know a banker that graduated from a music school and works at Lehman Brothers. He is the only one that I know of that is there with that "irrelevant" a degree and he's only there (actually I wonder if he's there still) because the economy bubbled up and banks were forced to take anyone and everyone just to handle ridiculous opportunities that should never have been there to begin with.

-Rudey
--So take the risk...