Career unrelated to your degree?

UofISigKap · #1 04-11-2002, 04:33 PM

As I was reading though some of the posts about job hunting, I was struck by what axdalum87 (I think?) said about having a job in a office-type environment even though she had a BS in Elementary Education. BTW, kudos to her for sticking through her job and rising up the corporate rungs!

I was just curious what other people have done with their degree when it doesn't seem to "match" the standard path. Or did you think you knew what you wanted to do and then did something completely different?

FuzzieAlum · #2 04-11-2002, 05:02 PM

I think a lot of people with liberal arts degrees aren't really working in their field, exactly, but maybe that's not the same. I mean, no one needs me to do deconstructionist analysis of Jane Austen (I was an English major), and, well, none of my philosophy major friends are working as professional philosophers.

I do know people who swapped careers by getting an advanced degree (nurses getting MBAs, psych majors going into law). I would be curious to see too how people manage to make a total swap, though, esp. when their initial field is one that does have jobs in it!

Siobhan · #3 04-11-2002, 05:08 PM

I have a degree in history and polisci and am currently working as a secretary. I'm returning to school this sept to do a degree in marketing so I can actually get a job.

juniorgrrl · #4 04-11-2002, 06:53 PM

My degree will be in IT, where there are jobs, but I'm going to law school. I don't want to move to have to get a job, and I don't like dealing with the business end of IT. If I could do web design all day, I'd be happy, but that's not going to happen.

So, I want to work in IP law. It's kinda the best of both worlds

KappaStargirl · #5 04-11-2002, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FuzzieAlum
I think a lot of people with liberal arts degrees aren't really working in their field, exactly, but maybe that's not the same. I mean, no one needs me to do deconstructionist analysis of Jane Austen (I was an English major), and, well, none of my philosophy major friends are working as professional philosophers.

I do know people who swapped careers by getting an advanced degree (nurses getting MBAs, psych majors going into law). I would be curious to see too how people manage to make a total swap, though, esp. when their initial field is one that does have jobs in it!

Boy that sounds familiar

! My education:

Bachelor of Music in Music Education (Instrumental music, percussion specialty)

Master of Library and Information Science, Specialty in Young Adult and Children's Services

Even though there are music teacher jobs available, I was born to be a librarian. I was able to go to library school as a trained music teacher because only about 2 or 3 schools around the country have undergrad LIS programs: Pitt, Illinois, and some I can't remember. You can't be a librarian without a Master's, so a lot of people with a desire to become librarians and a desire NOT to go to UIUC or Pitt take undergrad majors in English, history, art/art history (for those who want to work in museums), or other humanities. I was unique in my library school class, being the only one with a BM. Library science is different that way, it doesn't have any prerequisites or tests except for the GRE, which I bombed and I still got into a top school anyway.

KillarneyRose · #6 04-11-2002, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KappaStargirl
...people with a desire to become librarians and a desire NOT to go to UIUC or Pitt

Peaches-n-Cream · #7 04-12-2002, 02:16 AM

When my mother was a little girl she wanted to be a nurse. She went to nursing school after high school. At 20 after three years of nursing school she went to work in a hospital. When I was born, the powers that be suggested that the nurses go to college and earn a bachelor's degree which my mother did in three more years. After my mother became a widow, she realized she would need to be the sole bread winner and went to law school. She is now a lawyer on Wall Street. At 20 she graduated from nursing school, at 30 from college, and at 40 from law school. Her interests and financial needs changed during her lifetime, and she needed to adjust herself and her educational level to accomodate these needs.

PenguinTrax · #8 04-12-2002, 08:23 AM

Florida State has an excellent library program. One of my friends here got her masters in it and now runs a local community college library.

Anyhow...I have a biology degree and work as a technical writer (software manuals and help systems).

carnation · #9 04-12-2002, 08:39 AM

Life changes do indeed cause career changes. I got my BS, MS, and PhD in agriculture/biology, taught college for years, and then started teaching high school Spanish so I could have the same schedule as my husband (a teacher) and kids. When I returned to teaching college, I became a Spanish professor.

I can't think of the numbers, but a huge percentage of workers switch horses in midstream, so to speak.

Starlet · #10 04-12-2002, 10:59 AM

Whoa, I'm going through this exact thing right now. I'm a journalism major but I just decided this year that I want to be a casting director for TV shows or movies. Yet, how does journalism relate to that? It doesn't. But since I'm going to be a senior and graduating next year, I think it's safe to assume that it's too late to switch majors now.

AXO Alum · #11 04-12-2002, 12:43 PM

I have an AA in liberal arts, a BS in psychology, and a MS in tourism with focus on professional event planning -- where does that get me? A receptionist job! Yep - receptionist. For the past 22 months!

The biggest problem I had was that when I started my Master's degree, I was single (but dating my hubby-to-be) -- so by the time I finished my degree, we were married, and he has a great job. So he didn't want to leave, and I had to take what I could get. Its rough because I am so over-qualified for what I do. I don't mind it -- I love working with people -- but I do wish better for myself because I worked SO hard for that degree. The city I live in is just not event planning or tourism material. The 2 big facilities are all staffed by people brought in from their corporate HQ, and I have NO desire to be in hotel management or catering. So this is my life....at least for a couple more months. I'm trying to go part time, and then I won't work outside the home after Eli gets here (which is why I'm looking at the Creative Memories thing). My big dream is to move to Charleston, SC and get on with a big company there -- major tourism and conventions coming through there. But, it would be far away from my family (more specifically, my 3 - 4 to be - nieces whom I dearly adore).

So...I guess that I just wish better for myself - my grades have always been through the roof, and I know that I could make it in a big career.

Anyway - that's my story

KappaStargirl · #12 04-12-2002, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KillarneyRose

calm down

You know I adore Pittsburgh, but for a lot of people in the West or South, it might be too far away or expensive to spend four years as an undergrad, so they might desire a degree from someplace closer to home or cheaper and then put the big bucks into library school. Why anyone wouldn't want to live in Pittsburgh is beyond me, unless maybe you're a Patriots fan.

I almost went to UIUC, but I'm not big on cornfields or the smell of cows. Great school, though. Top library school in the country, their application alone is somewhere around 10 pages.

UofISigKap · #13 04-12-2002, 05:32 PM

In defense of my beloved UIUC, you only smell the cows when the south winds blow.

(However, the first time I visited it was at it's most ripe and I remember thinking, 'oh MAN! Who would go here if it smells that THAT!')
Hey juniorgrrl - I'm with you on designing webpages all day! If I could, I would...but alas I can't. I did try to teach my third graders how to build basic ones though. What a crazy time that was!

PM_Mama00 · #14 04-13-2002, 10:54 AM

I am not close to graduating, but being that I'm finishing my 3rd year, I finally decided to declare Communications. I should go into business, because I'll be taking over my parent's company once I graduate. I know that I won't be using my degree, but it's Communications is actually very interesting. Plus, if our businesses don't work out (2 apartment complexes and storage units...how can they not work out?) I know that I'll have my degree to fall back on in case I need to find a job.

thesweetestone · #15 04-21-2002, 03:10 AM

I have a political science degree. i don't know what kind of job i'm to even look for. i'm really thinking about going back to school too.