<p>All of the above will lead to a job. But is your goal to get an entry level job and stay there indefinitely or to prepare yourself for a lifelong career? If it’s the latter, you’ll want to move up the leadership chain. That requires a broad range of knowledge and skills and the intellectual range to view issues from multiple perspectives. Technical training is great for teaching students how to do things. Knowing how to assess what things are appropriate, warranted, ethical, and wise for the long run, are things that the liberal arts help to develop. A liberal arts undergrad degree combined with subsequent technical training is a great recipe for success.</p>
<p>If the only tool in your belt is a hammer, all the world’s problems tend to look like nails. One-tool technicians can get stuck in career ruts without the flexibility to change directions.</p>
<p>There are lots of four-year degrees you can explore, which will lead you to a specific vocation. Some healthcare programs like nursing and respiratory therapy come to mind. A computer science degree should also do the trick. Another option you can explore is the [Bachelor’s</a> degree in Accounting](<a href=“http://www.cc-sd.edu/bachelor-degree-business-accounting.html]Bachelor’s”>http://www.cc-sd.edu/bachelor-degree-business-accounting.html), which will open up four main career paths for you (public accountant, management accountant, government accountants or internal auditor).</p>
<p>You can explore several such career-focused degrees at California College San Diego. The college offers academic programs in the fields of healthcare, business and computers.</p>
<p>When we were at Freshman Parent Day at D1’s smallish private university two and a half years ago, a psychology professor gave a sort of pep talk to the parents. His basic point was that we should let our kids follow their educational interests, and don’t pressure them to be business majors (it’s the kind of school that attracts a lot of families who want their kids to be business majors). He pointed out that a business major does not specifically prepare a student for a career any more than a philosophy major does. </p>
<p>He said at that university, only three degrees gave you certifiable qualifications to get a job on graduation day: accounting, education and engineering.</p>
<p>Way back when, I had the same question as the OP. I ended up getting a degree in Biology and did a medical technology internship. I spent 5 years in a profession that frankly, I HATED.</p>
<p>It was extremely stressful, the hours were lousy (worked almost every weekend and holidays), and chances for advancement were very limited. Oh, and when we moved (H was transferred), I spent quite a while unemployed as I could not find a job. I ended up returning to school and changing careers entirely as did many of my fellow med techs.</p>
<p>Just my experience here. But the moral of the story is that looking at a major/career strictly in terms of “will there be jobs” can be a big mistake.</p>
<p>You need to pursue your passion. Maybe if you are asking this question, you don’t have a real passion? My son is a visual effects artist for the film industry and was in demand right after graduation. But that is something that he was totally passionate about and committed to throughout college: the combination of the film world and computer technology.</p>
<p>They also are probably not “allied health majors” in an undergraduate allied health program. </p>
<p>Athletic Training would offer you the chance to work with people. It’s a degree that you can get an entry-level job with just an undergraduate degree. I’m doing it now-- working for a PT clinic/fitness center as an athletic trainer after 3.5 years of school and graduating with a Bachelors. Now over 80% of athletic trainers have a Masters or higher, but it’s not required.</p>
<p>@digmedia – I don’t know if that’s totally fair. A lot of people don’t discover what they’re passionate about until later in life, or what they’re passionate about is more of a hobby and less of a profession. They still need to work.</p>
<p>Computers, computers, computers. If you know computers (really know them, not just how to work a PC) and have people skills you will be grabbed up. Someone said their son is graduating with a degree in computer engineering and has 3 offers, it will be that way for a very long time. Of course, good math skills help too.</p>
<p>If your student is strong in math, I would recommend an actuarial math major. There are a series of ten exams to become an actuary, but you can start taking them in college. S is graduating this spring, has received numerous job offers and has accepted a position at a major insurance firm.</p>
<p>Even in Computer Science, you may find that you need a masters to get a job (though the prospects are certainly quite good for those with just the BS).</p>
<p>That’s all the more reason to not box yourself into a narrow career path with a degree that prepares you for an entry-level job in a field to which you may not be committed for the long haul. The best career skills that one can take away from undergraduate work are those which build communication abilities and require students to draw upon multiple disciplines and develop expertise in exploring information and constructing new understandings from what they find. Those skills can get a student promoted into leadership positions long after an entry-level job from a purely career-related major has concluded.</p>
<p>Be aware that the timespan for relevance of technical skills today is very short. And many of today’s college students will find their life’s work in career paths that don’t even exist today.</p>