Some perspective on undergraduate majors and employment
Here is a re-presentation of a discussion I initiated on Twitter about choosing an undergraduate major sparked by the first hour of the Diane Rehm Show today (http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-08-29/derek-bok-higher-education-america).
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One of the most frustrating aspects of the higher ed discussion: persistent, and false, assumption that undergrad majors are tied to jobs.
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Having a “marketable” major doesn’t guarantee a job in that field anymore than having an “unmarketable” major guarantees unemployment.
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@ShaunHuston A “marketable” major means you have to compete w/ everyone else in that market.
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@ShaunHuston Why not major in what make you shine differently than the others who are crowded into marketable majors. Be unique. Be you.
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@l1brar1an yes; and you will lose in that market to people who have more native skill and passion for the field than you do.
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There is no one-to-one relationship between one’s major and one’s post-graduate employment.
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@ShaunHuston & it ignores the “real world” our grads must navigate- choosing a career & staying in it forever w/o change is not the norm
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@ShaunHuston that’s pretty much limited to those who get post Bachelors degrees & is a privilege sign. But ignoring that allows us to 1/2
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@ShaunHuston blame students for choosing the wrong major when they don’t meet the success metrics of those who had opportunities they don’t
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@amlibrarian yes. Part of this discussion is about denying structural and contextual factors in (un)employment. Blame the individual.
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Many factors will play a role in where, and whether, you get a job after graduation. Some in your control, some not.
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@ShaunHuston I’ve been trying to write career advice for some young friends, and I keep stalling. It’s much harder than when I graduated.
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@sultryglebe i think you can honestly tell your friends that their undergraduate major most likely won’t be a barrier to finding a job.
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@sultryglebe getting employment and trying to work in a specific field are not the same. No, there aren’t many jobs in philosophy, but …
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@sultryglebe … plenty of philosophy majors have good jobs (and I’m using philosophy as one example of a major that gets derided).
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@sultryglebe students are still better off majoring in a field they care about, then majoring in something solely for job-reasons.
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@sultryglebe for most people, in most cases, the undergraduate degree is more important than the major.
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@ShaunHuston It’s just knowing that when I double-majored in Romance Languages and History, college cost less and job market was better.
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@ShaunHuston I wouldn’t change my schooling, but we need to go back to that same (or a better) level of opportunity for after.
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@sultryglebe yes. but those are questions about issues beyond the control of any individual.
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In many cases, your major will be one of the least important factors.
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Students: don’t major in something solely because you think it will lead to a job. That will diminish the value of your education.
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@ShaunHuston related maxim – Don’t feel you have to major in something just because it comes easy to you (if it doesn’t also excite you)
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@amlibrarian yes. choosing to challenge yourself could be another way to distinguish yourself to employers cc: @l1brar1an.
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@ShaunHuston @amlibrarian Or in my case choosing not to take another year in French means you graduate with w/ Sociology instead of English
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Major in something meaningful to you. Most people get jobs because of a wide range of qualities.
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What everyone pressuring you to major in something “practical” won’t tell you is that most people don’t end up working in “their field”.
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Major in dance. Major in lit. Major in sociology. Major in geography. Major in religion. Major in whatever moves you.
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Your education is more than your major. Your major is a small part of what you can offer employers. A job is only one aspect of your life.
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@ShaunHuston uJourney helps students choose wisely. However, there’s only 1 job for every 2 college grads, so even good majors struggle.
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Here’s the thing: in the U.S., the tendency is to want to make everything a matter of individual choice.
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Don’t have a job after college? It’s your fault for choosing an “unmarketable” major.
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This line of thinking masks the underlying dynamics of the economy.
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If we blame 20 yos majoring in theater for their own unemployment, we don’t have to confront how power is exercised in a capitalist culture.
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That string of tweets was sparked by the first of hour of @drshow today, particularly listening to callers, not so much Derek Bok.
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