I'm not sure how this is a surprise to anyone. An art degree is fine, but art history? Is there *any* job other than museum curator that fits that skillset?
And philosophy. I'm rather baffled how anyone could make a career out of that.
It's Hard Out Here For a Twentysomething
- Thread starter Spot's Meow
- Start date
I'm not sure how this is a surprise to anyone. An art degree is fine, but art history? Is there *any* job other than museum curator that fits that skillset?
And philosophy. I'm rather baffled how anyone could make a career out of that.
I think you have to know what you envision as the end-state with whatever degree you get. Certain degrees, I think, only work if you are willing to work all the way to the terminal degree in your field. A philosophy major, for instance--the one real end-state for that (unless you're doing a dual degree with the other one being something more "practical") is to become a professor.
I knew someone, for instance, who had his heart set on being an English professor. He already knew that's what he wanted to do, and that his undergraduate degree wouldn't be anywhere near enough. He was ready for the work it required, to go all the way to his PhD.
HOWEVER--in my case, I have three degrees, all three of which would be considered "practical" degrees: BS in HR management, BA in Spanish, and an MBA. But in my case, what I lacked (due to the time put in on all that schooling) was work experience. And that, in an economically-depressed city, was a killer. (I know, I could've looked into relocating, but it would not have been economically feasible for me at the time.) It took me a year and a half to land a job in retail (the one I still have)--and that only because a young manager was willing to "take a chance" on me. I probably will not progress into my field until the economy gets its act together. That I have a job at all is VERY lucky: it helps that our store is the only large one in our district that still makes its numbers every quarter despite the economy--meaning if corporate starts looking to make cuts (which they've done their damnedest to avoid so far), they won't be looking our way.
So, I don't think we can make blanket statements one way or the other, because everyone's circumstances are different...even those of us who get "practical" degrees.
These are two degrees that definitely fall under what I described earlier as "doing in order to grow as a person".
They are GREAT degrees. I actually think they're likely to be much more contributory to a person's lifetime happiness than a degree that's more focused on getting a job. But do them for the right reason - to learn & grow.
On their own (esp. if only at BA level) they're unlikely to open more than specific niche jobs.
Coupled to other subsequent degrees (or taken to MA or higher levels) they can be pretty potent in getting certain kinds of jobs though.
The twenties are rarely an easy time career-wise. Here are some of the "glamour" jobs I got to do:
1) McDonald's
2) Hostess at a Denny's
3) Telemarketer for USA Today
4) file clerk
5) Help desk support
6) Book store retail
Some of these were after I had a four-year degree.
Finding your passion is the key. Once you do that you can create a plan to work towards it and the success should follow. In the meantime, do whatever you need to do to keep the cash flowing in and spend within your current means.
Time is on your side.
1) McDonald's
2) Hostess at a Denny's
3) Telemarketer for USA Today
4) file clerk
5) Help desk support
6) Book store retail
Some of these were after I had a four-year degree.
Finding your passion is the key. Once you do that you can create a plan to work towards it and the success should follow. In the meantime, do whatever you need to do to keep the cash flowing in and spend within your current means.
Time is on your side.
I know the feeling. I don't think I will have the motivation to go back and do a whole other degree or two, but I definitely plan on attending a range of lectures in these other broader & deeper disciplines when I have more time.
I fell into the "going to school to better yourself as a person category." I don't regret it, yes, my degree in Broadcast & Cinematic Arts and Political Science isn't very helpful in finding a job (unless I wanted to be a cameraman or pursue some sort of ad work) but I enjoyed it. It's what I wanted to do, so dammit I did it. Early on, I narrowed my choices to either grad school or law school. It helped limit any regret I have of my undergrad. The trick is finding employment once I'm done with law school. 
-nobody
-nobody
Maybe it's different in the USA but in the UK, with a few exceptions to do with very specialist trades, graduate training schemes are more concerned with where you went to university and your grade than what you did.
I helped develop the online recruitment program for a international management consultancy company and unless you want to a "approved" university, your application was binned.
I helped develop the online recruitment program for a international management consultancy company and unless you want to a "approved" university, your application was binned.
Thespeckledkiwi
Vice Admiral
No, it was a supplement to the retirement fund, but right now paying whatever it is I am paying for social security could be put to better use.
The younger you are the more optimistic and idealistic you are. It's only when you get older and more cynical you realise that life does indeed suck!Pluck every good bit from life, my cat just fell on my head
.
See now I can see a future...
I read a lot of business news and one thing that irks hiring managers is the college graduates who think they're worth $50K/year. When I left the Navy in 1994, after 7 years of service, I was happy as hell with $24K/year and worked my way up.
Yes, because all people after spending upwards of $130k for college and all the hard fucking work and endless studying are completely happy and deserving of making less than the burger flipper at Burger King.
Do you proofread what you type? Or do you just go into every thread and you see and look for some excuse to somehow be condescending and self-righteous and wave your finger at someone?
But it allows those young whippersnappers to learn humility!
On a more serious note I'm in the same situation that the article describes, I'm still stuck living with my parents, I recently graduated from a local college with a degree in Electronics. I had a crappy retail job but I was down to about 4 hour workweeks at roughly $7.00/hr. with no benefits, I was burned out and sick of being treated like shit (worked my ass of there btw) so I quit back in September. The economy went south a few weeks later. Of about a dozen applications or so I got interviews or a phone call for half of them, most of the interviews are pretty far away so I spend from 8am to 5pm driving. I eventually gave up and now I'm a discouraged worker. The conundrum is I can't get hired in my field for lack of experience and I can't get hired for a burger flipper job because "I'll leave for something better". Now I don't know what to do at this point.
What you might want to do is look for a more specialized retail job, but still look in the customer service sector. Look for something that requires a bit more than the average skill, more than just knowing how to use a register and how to be nice to people. I wound up in a copy shop for that reason--especially if you get involved in the more technical aspects, it's skilled retail. You can make the case that the work will provide enough challenge and interest for you to stick around awhile
But it allows those young whippersnappers to learn humility!
On a more serious note I'm in the same situation that the article describes, I'm still stuck living with my parents, I recently graduated from a local college with a degree in Electronics. I had a crappy retail job but I was down to about 4 hour workweeks at roughly $7.00/hr. with no benefits, I was burned out and sick of being treated like shit (worked my ass of there btw) so I quit back in September. The economy went south a few weeks later. Of about a dozen applications or so I got interviews or a phone call for half of them, most of the interviews are pretty far away so I spend from 8am to 5pm driving. I eventually gave up and now I'm a discouraged worker. The conundrum is I can't get hired in my field for lack of experience and I can't get hired for a burger flipper job because "I'll leave for something better". Now I don't know what to do at this point.
Tailor your resume for the places you're applying. If you're applying for a burger flipping job, don't put down all the impressive things you've done, put down stuff applicable to the job.
My biggest annoyance with the current job trend is that I keep getting one particular line. I'm not qualified. I don't have enough experience. Now for a manager's job, or something like that... Sure, I'll by that one. But I get this line when I'm applying to flip burgers at your fast food restaurant of choice.
I mean, how "qualified" do you have to be to work in a place like that?
I mean, how "qualified" do you have to be to work in a place like that?
Fact: Each retired recipient received every dime ever "paid into the system" within the first 2-3 years of retirement
We're talking about a government program. They're not designed for efficiency.
It's part of a broken system we've got here now. The costs of a college education have blown up to retarded levels, and pay scale once you get out has not kept up. Plus, with more and more parents saying you MUST go to college, the overall value of having the degree has gone down. If EVERYONE goes to college, it's not as valuable as it used to be.
Come out after 4 years (or 5, more and more often), and at $35-40k for a private college (after tuition, room and board, books, expenses), and you can easily walk out with $150k in debt. How far can you get when you've got those kinds of student loan payments? If you don't get a $50k+ job right out of school, you're already completely screwed.
Scale it down, and even if you walk out with $30k, which is reasonable with going to a state college for 4 years, getting half in financial aid, etc, you still owe too much money to take the $20k job and survive. At least, not without living with parents.
Whole system is broken, and gets more and more so every year.
My college cost about $30k a year total when I went there, graduated in 2003. That same school is now in the low $40s. 25-30% increase in the past 5-6 years. How can anyone keep up with that?
Come out after 4 years (or 5, more and more often), and at $35-40k for a private college (after tuition, room and board, books, expenses), and you can easily walk out with $150k in debt. How far can you get when you've got those kinds of student loan payments? If you don't get a $50k+ job right out of school, you're already completely screwed.
Scale it down, and even if you walk out with $30k, which is reasonable with going to a state college for 4 years, getting half in financial aid, etc, you still owe too much money to take the $20k job and survive. At least, not without living with parents.
Whole system is broken, and gets more and more so every year.
My college cost about $30k a year total when I went there, graduated in 2003. That same school is now in the low $40s. 25-30% increase in the past 5-6 years. How can anyone keep up with that?
True. This reminds me of something I read recently where most jobs did not require a college degree decades ago. Instead, companies gave applicants aptitude tests. If you did well on them degree or not you were hired. When these tests were ruled discriminatory companies started looking for college degrees in order to determine aptitude. The irony is that the increased demand pushed college degrees beyond the reach of those that outlawing the "discriminatory" tests were trying to help.
At least you've already GOT a passport, so I can rest easy that you're only after my money rather than citizenship.
Similar threads
