How to Get the Big Bucks

When I came to college, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my future. So, being young and naïve I decided to major in English. My thought process: an English degree can get me into any grad program and basically get me any job I would ever want.

Turns out, I made a big (HUGE) mistake.

According to recent stats by some important people at the Wall Street Journal, a major in liberal arts is…well, worthless.

OK, maybe not worthless, but definitely not nearly as valuable as majoring something a little more 21st century. Just check out these stats for first year earnings in various fields:

Accounting: $46,000
Consulting: $47,000
Aerospace: $54,000
Engineering: $49,000
Retail: $34,000
Education: $30,000
Journalism: $23,000

Depressing, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be.

• If you are still in your first years of school, you still have the chance to re-think your major based on the current employment trends.

• If you are on your way out of school, having a Psych or Soc major doesn’t eliminate your chances of getting a job in consulting or even finance. And, if all else fails, there is always grad school.

• Not all people need high paying jobs to be happy in life. Perhaps the gratification of teaching children is worth more than the $20,000 pay increase you would have as an investment banker. And if not, you can always find a better job later.
I am not a math person – so I would never be very appealing to a finance/aerospace company anyway – but I still wish I could have known this before I locked myself into a life of little money and lots of work.