<p>I know this will start a lot of arguments, but below is a look today at the 7-man suite I was in at Princeton, 30 years ago. Note that only one of us got an advanced degree, which is unusual for Princeton. The lack of correlation between the majors and careers that followed, however, is not atypical for Princeton grads, and I’m pretty sure that the same holds for Harvard. All earn over six figures, by the way, and some earned over a million or well into the millions before they quit/retired. GPA’s in this group were unexceptional – this wasn’t the 4.0 suite.</p>
<p>I could go on and on like this, but those who feel that your choice of major will shape your entire life and career if you go to Harvard or another Ivy won’t be convinced. By the way, when we graduated, the unemployment rate was higher than it is now.</p>
<p>In my work, in looking critically at the careers of over 50,000 people, I can conclude the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>You’re more likely to get a job with a technical company with a technical degree and you’re more likely to get a degree with a scientifically-based company (such as biotech) with a bio, chem, or related degree.</p></li>
<li><p>Most engineers have engineering degrees; a portion of engineers have degrees in fields having nothing to do with science or engineering.</p></li>
<li><p>In hiring (and I’m in the catbird seat), work history trumps college name after a few years; elite college trumps major from non-elite college unless the position requires technical skills such as an engineering degree. Do you want me to tell you the story of the biotech client who hired a VP with a PhD in Physics from an Ivy League School and no industry experience over someone with industry experience and a degree in the biochem (mostly because he was just plain good, but when I first met with the client to discuss the candidates for the position, they said, “Look at his education …”. And he was 15 years past earning his PhD).</p></li>
<li><p>Go getters get good jobs, regardless of their major, or even their school’s brand. </p></li>
<li><p>The Ivy name provides a tremendous brand advantage, frequently elevating the person in the eyes of the world to a level above where they should be because of the aura. </p></li>
<li><p>Ivy graduates are generally phenomenally successful, regardless of major. Sometimes it takes them a while to get on the right path. Stories of Harvard grads working at Blockbuster make good news stories, but are usually dealing with rare exceptions or people in their fumbling-around-after-college-until-they-find-the-right path phase.</p></li>
<li><p>A person’s first job out of college sometimes shapes their career. Most of the time, it doesn’t.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Williams College recently did a study of their alumni, and found a fairly weak correlation between major and ultimate career. Here’s the link: <a href=“https://www.williams.edu/feature-stories/visualizing-the-liberal-arts[/url]”>https://www.williams.edu/feature-stories/visualizing-the-liberal-arts</a></p>
<p>So here’s our suite:</p>
<p>Major: Chem Eng’g; Career: Prestige Wall Street firm Partner (retired, age 39)</p>
<p>Major: Politics/Economics; Career: Sr. Exec, Prestige Wall Street firm (retired, now putters with his own firm).</p>
<p>Major: History; Career: Medical Devices Executive. Positions have been held in sales, operations, product development and general management.</p>
<p>Major: Geology; Career: Project Manager, Waste Treatment/Remediation Company (The only one in the group who ever had a job, let alone a career, that was related to his major).</p>
<p>Major: Psychology; Career: VP, Major Bank, runs a small, profitable business sector.
(He has an MBA, but was in banking before he got his MBA)</p>
<p>Major: Psychology; Career: Retained Executive Search Consultant/Business Consultant</p>
<p>Major: Anthropology; Career: Runs an urban renewal non-profit</p>
<hr>
<p>By the way, the only Philosophy major I knew became a partner with a prestige Wall Street firm.</p>