# Worthless Degree



## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Sorry if this sounds derrogatory but i was thinking about returning to college in the summer possibly from where i left off on a previous course .

Anyways i was just wondering is their anyone out their that has attained a degre or other equivalant qualification only to find themselves in a job that didn't require the hard earned damn thing afterall for one reason or another ?


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## bowen87 (Feb 9, 2009)

Not in the sense you are talking about, but with an IT:Networking degree it's almost impossible to get a job without passing a certification test.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

Ive invested over 30,000 in college tuition and pissed because sa and depression inhibited me from continuing. Its up to you because even people with degrees can have a very hard time finding a job and not might not even be relevant to the degree. if you think you can finish even with sa or other psychological problems than go for it./ my two cents.


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## Sonoran Lion (Dec 18, 2008)

I know someone who has a degree in chemistry yet works in the IT field as a systems admin. He says his degree has little to do with his job as a systems admin, but it has helped him obtain employment, raises, and promotions. According to him, his degree shows employers that he has the ability to work towards his goals as well as the ability to comprehend difficult subjects. Though, this is just an anecdote and shouldn't imply this is the case in all situations concerning degrees.


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## bowen87 (Feb 9, 2009)

Damn, he must have his CCNA!...Stupid test, I gotta take it this summer


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

*Whatever you do, minor in business, accounting, marketing etc. IMO it's a must. *


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## Sonoran Lion (Dec 18, 2008)

bowen87 said:


> Damn, he must have his CCNA!...Stupid test, I gotta take it this summer


Haha, he does, along with a few others. I've noticed that the IT field tends to place the most emphasis on experience, then certification, and then a degree.



FairleighCalm said:


> *Whatever you do, minor in business, accounting, marketing etc. IMO it's a must. *


I concur. Knowledge of business in such areas as marketing, organizational behavior, and business communication are becoming more important in the job market. Some of the most desired skills by employers are the ability to work within a team setting, communication and presentation abilities, and the ability to deal with ambiguity, among others.


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## Strategist (May 20, 2008)

Anything in the liberal arts. I double majored in Psychology and Global Studies - if you want to be a counselor you need a PhD, Global Studies will get you a low paying non profit job :no..... I was lucky to be hired as a claims assistant. 

I think it would have been better to just learn a trade that is needed, like construction, IT, nursing, paralegal, culinary art..... Business is always needed but rather difficult with SA. I would only go into something that needs a PhD if i was really interested in it (engineering, medical, etc), otherwise stick to the trades.


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## Wirt (Jan 16, 2009)

how can it be useless it not having one is even more useless?

and no it's not useless..actually the opposite. just because the economy is down and there arent enough jobs to go around right now doesnt mean it will be like that forever. The economy will pick back up, stores will expand again, and need to hire more people. to just void off getting a degree because it's economically a bad time to look for a job is extremely short sited

if anything, the least you should have if you want a high-end job is a degree (at least for the average joe). depends what field you go into, but most people get an entry job with their BS, then get their mastor's while working at that job


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## dax (Nov 19, 2004)

I think degrees in accounting, finance, management, nursing or bio-med, computer science and IT are pretty safe bets as far as finding a job quickly out of school.


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

*After I graduated from college, I went to truck driving school. I had 5 bonafide job offers before I passed my tests. Just a thought. *


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## Madmonkeypoo (May 3, 2004)

A much as I don't want to admit it, having a degree does help you in the job market. With this economy you're likely to not find a job using your hard earned degree, but the simple fact that you have one and can put it on paper opens doors to you. Even if it's not related. For some reason if you're willing to put in the time and money to get the degree, employers will consider you more than the other guy (unless he's got 10 years experience over you).


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## Rasputin_1 (Oct 27, 2008)

Eh. I would not think a marketing degree would be too valuable. Or any liberal arts degree. If you get something like engineering though im sure it makes a big difference.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

MavenMI6Agent009 said:


> Ive invested over 30,000 in college tuition and pissed because sa and depression inhibited me from continuing. Its up to you because even people with degrees can have a very hard time finding a job and not might not even be relevant to the degree. if you think you can finish even with sa or other psychological problems than go for it./ my two cents.


This is true....I went for it, regardless of the anxiety I had. In the long run, it made me oblivious to people's reactions for the longest time. I just felt rejection and fear of failure more than anything else.

I have a degree in computer science, and was unemployed for two years (Aug. 2002 - June 2004). I am really starting to use my degree more than ever now. I have been with my current job for 4 1/2 years now. It's scary, but I have to take it as a challenge I can build on.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

I was previously studying sport/sport science but i dont think it's gonna open a lot of doors for me careerwise so i think my effort and attention would be best served studying a "trade" as stated above but yeah i'll give it plenty of thought before committing.

Thanks for all the feedback.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

great. said:


> anything in the liberal arts. I double majored in psychology and global studies - if you want to be a counselor you need a phd, global studies will get you a low paying non profit job :no..... I was lucky to be hired as a claims assistant.
> 
> I think it would have been better to just learn a trade that is needed, like construction, it, nursing, paralegal, culinary art..... Business is always needed but rather difficult with sa. I would only go into something that needs a phd if i was really interested in it (engineering, medical, etc), otherwise stick to the trades.


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## hyacinth_dragon (Dec 28, 2008)

Its is very hard to find a paralegal job if you are trained in that area. Most of what they hire is fresh graduates who plan on attending law school in a few years or they want someone who has been a secretary for 20 years. Lots of places could care less if you are trained as a paralegal and would rather train you themselves.


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## zaph (Aug 4, 2004)

A topic very close to my heart, I have not just one, but two worthless degrees. One in Physics and the other in Civil Engineering. Take them at face value they look like something valuable. We are always being told about how we need more scientists and engineering, you can't get any more practical. Except there are no jobs for someone with undergrad physics, especially in an economy which makes sod all, except make believe money. Thanks to all the *******s in the city with those clever sub prime loans, we are not building anything, so we don't need Civil engineers. The ultimate irony is I am now less employable that I was straight out of high school, because the first question you get asked when you apply to pointless toilet cleaning Mcjob, is why would someone with two degrees want to work here? If I sound bitter it is because I am.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Found on yahoo news today: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-wanted_you_10_jobs_where_employers_come_looking_for_you-668


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

zaph said:


> If I sound bitter it is because I am.


I feel your pain my brother recently got turned down for being "Over qualified" for a position.

Wtf ?

How can you be OVER qualified ? :con


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

K, scratch that phoebus already took the words outta my mouth lol.


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## solasum (Nov 17, 2008)

Good God, I was just looking at my school's degree requirements for a Humanities major.... to go along with my French major, no less.


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## beatlegeuce (Jun 28, 2007)

im a fine arts major thats probably the most useless degree ever, lol. But any degree is better than none i suppose....


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Did you get a career in the arts industry as a result ?


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## mypasswordneverworks (Dec 12, 2008)

polythene said:


> Degrees are pretty useless, especially with the economy being what it is (no one cares about your little degree when there's somebody better-qualified in that field who's been laid off), but without one you're basically out of luck when looking for a job. That is, unless you're looking into retail/sales, that kind of thing, and even they insist on hiring people with previous experience in that area.
> 
> Even the people with 'useful' degrees are going to have a difficult time finding a job, but without one you won't even get your foot in the door. So yes, they're useless, but without one you won't be able to get anything better than a service job.


I agree. Well, I don't regret it but it doesn't mean **** in this economy. It is fairly useless without experience. I hope when the economy rebounds so I can get a job!


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## mypasswordneverworks (Dec 12, 2008)

FairleighCalm said:


> *Whatever you do, minor in business, accounting, marketing etc. IMO it's a must. *


Pick accounting. Business is too general in most employer's minds. Marketing has no entry level jobs--it's all sales (not SA friendly)


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## mypasswordneverworks (Dec 12, 2008)

Phoebus said:


> Yeah, I'm in the same predicament...I'm over qualified for 'lower end' jobs.


me too! I'm too educated for lower end jobs--too inexperienced for the higher jobs. It's a ***** :mum


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## GraceLikeRain (Nov 9, 2003)

I have a B.A. in speech-pathology, but I can't practice as a speech path in Wisconsin because I do not have my master's degree. Right now I work with preschool children who have special needs at a place where teachers are not required to have anything more than an associate's dergree. I won't say that my degree is "useless," because my boss pretty much created a new position for me when she found out that I was unhappy and was going to quit, but the pay and benefits suck where I work.


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## TruSeeker777 (Nov 9, 2003)

Hey Heather, can you work as an SLPA? I'm training for that now. The more I learn the more I love the field.


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## Arkturus (Dec 10, 2006)

Many people have jobs that have nothing to do with their degree, but there are some pretty useless bachelors degrees, like . . .

Philosophy
Anthropology
Sociology
Pyschology(too many grads for number of jobs its relevant too)
Biology(too many grads for number of jobs its relevant too)

and things like 
film and dance


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## solasum (Nov 17, 2008)

Yeah, I'll be double majoring in a humanity and a social science, probably. Do you think a business would hire someone if she majored in one of these subjects, even if it's not business or something like that? And with only a Bachelors?

Phoebus, have you already graduated?


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

I'm a classics major with a possible art history double-major. But I completely have a plan to become a teacher or a professor, so my degree isn't so massively irrelevant.

I still think that you should major in what you actually like. Life is short.


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## SilentLoner (Jan 30, 2006)

solasum said:


> Yeah, I'll be double majoring in a humanity and a social science, probably. Do you think a business would hire someone if she majored in one of these subjects, even if it's not business or something like that? And with only a Bachelors?
> 
> Phoebus, have you already graduated?


No one holds a liberal arts education agains tyou. You just have to find a way to apply it.


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## ericj (Jun 20, 2007)

zaph said:


> A topic very close to my heart, I have not just one, but two worthless degrees. One in Physics and the other in Civil Engineering. Take them at face value they look like something valuable. We are always being told about how we need more scientists and engineering, you can't get any more practical. Except there are no jobs for someone with undergrad physics, especially in an economy which makes sod all, except make believe money. Thanks to all the *******s in the city with those clever sub prime loans, we are not building anything, so we don't need Civil engineers. The ultimate irony is I am now less employable that I was straight out of high school, because the first question you get asked when you apply to pointless toilet cleaning Mcjob, is why would someone with two degrees want to work here? If I sound bitter it is because I am.


I haven't listed my education for quite a while now. Thankfully there's still some call for people in my field, or at least there was... I'd rather that employers not know about my education unless they ask me directly. Even then I try to avoid talking about it.

I'm so embarrassed. I have constant doubt that I could have completed it myself, since it seems my parents were often involved (early helicopter parents, before it was as common as it is now), and I don't know to what extent.  Listing or admitting to it is like lying in my mind. Not listing it keeps employer expectations more realistic... Between that and the horrible self-doubt-instilling extended unemployment (or at best marginal employment) for years due to the dot-com crash, I have no faith in my education, and only marginal faith in my skills even though people seem to think I'm really good at what I do.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

http://www.bspcn.com/2008/06/05/the-10-most-worthless-college-majors/ :lol :um


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## solasum (Nov 17, 2008)

Ah, I see. At least I don't have to worry about majoring in communications. It seems like all the in-demand careers lately are in the service, math and electronic fields, and none of those fits me. Maybe I'll be a translator. The only reason I'd even consider getting a Master's is because there's a non-thesis option at my school, so I wouldn't have to argue my thesis in front of anyone.


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## ncislover (Mar 8, 2009)

political science here. yea, worthless at the moment. i am patiently waiting for times to get better.
i am doing administration now and considering adding on a healthcare admin track...that will probably be best. i am still not going to have the experience to compete though. ugh.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

Phoebus said:


> http://www.bspcn.com/2008/06/05/the-10-most-worthless-college-majors/ :lol :um


Both of my majors are on that. Loltastic.


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## IDK (Jan 16, 2009)

zaph said:


> A topic very close to my heart, I have not just one, but two worthless degrees. One in Physics and the other in Civil Engineering.


If you're not able to find a job with even just one of those degrees, you are doing something very very wrong...


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## likeOlikeH (Jun 29, 2008)

I'm about to graduate from a state school with a Poli Sci degree and feel like it will be unbelievably useless. I worked on a political campaign during 2008 so I hope that experience can help me find something in politics or campaigns after I graduate, but those are two fields that are unbelievably difficult for someone with SA.


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## indieblueuro2 (Dec 16, 2008)

I have two AA degrees one in economics the other is in liberal arts, I probably could have 5 total, political science and accounting or history, but AA degrees are worthless... I got anther semester til I get my BA in political science (another junk degree) or another year for a BA in economics (whatever degree/better than junk) The way I see it unless you have an engineering or similar BA/BS they're all junk degrees...

If you want decent money you'll need an MBA or go to law school/pass the bar (considering each)


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## hyacinth_dragon (Dec 28, 2008)

indieblueuro2 said:


> I have two AA degrees one in economics the other is in liberal arts, I probably could have 5 total, political science and accounting or history, but AA degrees are worthless... I got anther semester til I get my BA in political science (another junk degree) or another year for a BA in economics (whatever degree/better than junk) The way I see it unless you have an engineering or similar BA/BS they're all junk degrees...
> 
> If you want decent money you'll need an MBA or go to law school/pass the bar (considering each)


Haha. I may have to do an MBA and a law degree.


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## indieblueuro2 (Dec 16, 2008)

hyacinth_dragon said:


> Haha. I may have to do an MBA and a law degree.


To be honest,
Even with an MBA/Law degree you're not set for life either... a member on here has their MBA and got laid off, now they can't even get an $8.50 an hour job, to add to that there's a few lawyers on here who don't even pull 40k annually....

(Thanks Cheney/Greenspan you guys are tops!!:sus:haha:no)


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

FairleighCalm said:


> *Whatever you do, minor in business, accounting, marketing etc. IMO it's a must. *


I didn't just minor in business. I was a business major, with finance as my specific field and graduated in 1995. It was a worthless degree to me since SA prevented me from ever getting any job at all.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

hyacinth_dragon said:


> Haha. I may have to do an MBA and a law degree.


I know somebody with an MBA & a law degree (along with many other degrees) who never managed to get a real job -- that person is called my brother.

And hyacinth will be happy to know that there is no bar exam to pass if you graduate from law school in Wisconsin (there are only two law schools in this state).


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## Amocholes (Nov 5, 2003)

No degree is worthless.

I do not have one. I work for a very large, international corporation. I was told by one of the corporate managers that in order to advance, I needed to get a degree. They didn't care what the degree was in, just that I had one. It could be advanced basket weaving or contemporary poetry translated to ancient sanskrit. I', almost 49 yo. It ain't gonna happen. 

There are some opportunities that call for a degree. A lot of companies want the experience of earning the degree. You may end up doing something totally unrelated to your degree and finding that you like it. I am an electronics technician. I have been since I was 16. I haven't done any real troubleshooting in over 5 years. My title is now Database Administrator. I handle all data requests for the department. I sit at a computer all day playing with databases. I enjoy what I do and I'm pretty well paid for it.


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## 0rchid (Aug 19, 2006)

Bachelor of science. If you don't have a Masters or PhD, you can't get any research job. If you don't have good enough marks for professional school, then you're screwed. You can't get any good job with a bachelor of science.


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## hyacinth_dragon (Dec 28, 2008)

UltraShy said:


> I know somebody with an MBA & a law degree (along with many other degrees) who never managed to get a real job -- that person is called my brother.
> 
> And hyacinth will be happy to know that there is no bar exam to pass if you graduate from law school in Wisconsin (there are only two law schools in this state).


Haha. I already know the business about the bar.

If it comes to that I would be staying with my current employer and would be working the entire time.

Based on the pm conversations I've had with you your brother is disabled, thats why he didn't get a job.


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## bflygirl (Mar 13, 2009)

I have a master's degree in gerontology I don't use at my job at all. However, just getting a master's degree got me a 25% raise at my current job, so I guess it was worth it.


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## lazy (Nov 19, 2008)

So umm... I'll probably graduate in 6 to 12 years time. 6 if I'm content with the bachelors, 8 if I somehow magically find out I have a calling and then decided to get my masters, and 12 if I went insane and got obsessed with my field of study (PhD).

Will the economy still be messed up by then?


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

Next year I'll be graduating with one of the most classically useless degrees around: English. But I don't mind too much. I'm an enormous book nerd and I wouldn't be happy studying anything else.


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## Kennnie (Oct 21, 2010)

a WILD MAGICIAN APPEARS!!!!!!!! xD


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## Volp (Apr 1, 2012)

This thread depresses me 

I don't know what path I should pave for my future.


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## alte (Sep 4, 2010)

bezoomny said:


> I still think that you should major in what you actually like. Life is short.


Time spent in college is even shorter. You can major in something challenging and practical that may not be your first choice in terms of interest but if it provides you stable employment, it would improve the quality of rest of your life. You can pursue your interest as a hobby. With an average 40 hour work week, there will be plenty of free time.


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## Flame Sixtyone (Aug 27, 2009)

What would be the least useless degree? I'm still deciding on a major to take in college which will give me a high chance of getting a job. I think it's something like engineering or IT


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## northstar1991 (Oct 4, 2011)

You can always double major.


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## Dark Alchemist (Jul 10, 2011)

Another language would have been a good investment for me. But I double majored in fields I'm happy with. I'm currently in grad school.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

I have three majors but its a degree compiled for the undecided


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## gorbulas (Feb 13, 2004)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...8mKnAw?docId=4734ca1ff33b453cbda50e5c5dc18d97

read this so don't feel so bad ...


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## daphnis (Feb 3, 2012)

I had a double major and I used to put myself down for even pursuing them (it was a tough process). Depending on how you see the worth of your degree, the opportunities are boundless. 

Even if you majored in something "useless", make it work: talk about how hard you worked for it and how you'll work hard in the job you're applying for.


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## amc420 (Feb 7, 2012)

I haven't graduated yet, but i'm pursuing a bachelors in painting, and hope to go on and get a masters. I get put down a lot because of the major I chose, and I know that I likely will not get a job in this field. But I simply wouldn't be happy doing anything else, and there was so much pressure from my family for me to go to college, so i'm a painter. It doesn't matter what I do with my degree, because its for me, not anyone else. I wanted to learn about something that is important to me, so I am, reguardless of what others think about my "bad career choice."


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