I wish I had my parents' full approval.

Parents Forum
1

<p>Hi parents of CC,</p>

<p>I'm a student who is majoring in a communications-related field (corporate comm. to be exact).</p>

<p>I have a head full of ideas of where I want to be headed. I'm not getting a comm degree just because it's "easy." I want to go into a career field in advertising, marketing, PR, and maybe journalism.</p>

<p>I don't feel good enough for anything else. I'm not into law, I wouldn't like working as a doctor or nurse, and you can just forget about engineering.</p>

<p>In high school, I participated in a lot of EC's where I helped design and plan advertisements for causes and events. Loved it.</p>

<p>I took a journalism class last semester (first year in college). LOVED IT. It was my favorite class. I had always dreamed of becoming a news anchor (never really took it into consideration because I was fashioned to believe journalism majors made nothing), and even though that's really hard work, I have no doubt in myself when it comes to working for it.</p>

<p>However, when I talk to my parents about it, I can sense their doubt. They have friends with kids who majored in communications and work in retail. They have friends who, on the other hand, have kids who was in the pre-med/law/BA field and now make bank.</p>

<p>They compare me so much and even though they say they support me, I can hear in their voices a bit of resentment in their statements. I can see in their eyes that they don't like me focusing on careers that might not make any money or going to school for a degree that seems "shaky." I can hear that they wish me to choose something else when they talk about other (more solid, it seems) career paths for me.</p>

<p>They always tell me, "it's about who you know, as well, when it comes to these kinds of careers." I see truth in that because I personally witness it a lot.</p>

<p>But it feels bad that I feel as though I don't have my parents full approval in my future career goals. I have a general idea of where I'm headed, even though it's a broad field. I just didn't want to stick to ONE thing and have no back-ups. And I know it may not make me a ton of money... but it should be enough to survive.</p>

<p>As parents, did you have to "accept" what your child(ren) majored in?</p>

<p>P.S. this was also a bit of a vent for me. :p</p>

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<p>I suspect that part of the reason for your parents’ attitude is that you’re projecting the attitude you showed in this quote.</p>

<p>In any case, I think you can strengthen both your own confidence and your parents’ confidence by seeking out communications-related extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, or summer jobs/activities/internships. Getting some practical experience in various aspects of the career field that interests you will enhance your resume, too. It’s not too early to talk with your college’s career center about how to go about finding opportunities of these kinds. </p>

<p>As a parent, I did not have to “accept” my kids’ majors, and they wouldn’t have cared what I thought, anyhow. They both knew exactly what they wanted, which seems very weird to me because at the same age, I didn’t have a clue.</p>

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<p>Happykid is a theater tech major. And boy was it hard for Happydad to wrap his brain around that one. It has taken a while, but he’s finally on board. In her field, there is a lot of “who you know”, and because of her work at her college theater and her summer internships while she doesn’t yet know “everyone” she knows plenty of people who do “know everyone” in her profession in our region. We are not worried at all about her career prospects.</p>

<p>The key to your future employability is to get decent internships and part-time jobs related to your career field. That way you will build up your network. It won’t be long before you know plenty of people who know more people, and they in turn will know others. When they see that you are moving in a clear direction, your parents will start feeling more confident about your choices.</p>

<p>Your parents, like all parents, are worried that you might never get a job. That they can look around at the children of friends who don’t have good jobs makes your choice even scarier for them. If your parents are immigrants, they may still think that the only real route to success in the US is through the door of a med school, law school, or Ph.D. program. What they are forgetting is that those kids of friends who are working retail can move up in the retail business and become store managers, regional managers, and ultimately heads of the retail industry if that is what they want to do. Your parents also may have forgotten that the national (and international) economies are in shambles. Retail jobs are better than nothing, and there are plenty of architects, and lawyers out there who can’t even get retail jobs, and there are MDs out there who can’t service their six figure college and med school debt.</p>

<p>Hang in there. We are all rooting for you!</p>

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<p>Hang in there, get lots of related experience while an undergrad, give it time.</p>

<p>Been there, done that myself. Graduated from a top 15 school. Worked in campus recreation and intramurals (a towel boy as my friends use to say) for about 10 years. The pay was quite sad. Prestige? lol.</p>

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<p>I understand your point of view AND your parents. You are interested in PR, journalism, etc, all fields in Communications. But when many of us hear “Communications” degree we roll our eyes. It doesn’t sound solid, and it doesn’t sound intellectual. It sounds like the equivalent of pop music, bubble gum. I am not saying that’s true, I’m just saying that is how many perceive it. You can have a career in your favorite areas without that major: In my mind the stronger majors to lead to those fields would be Writing, English, History, or Journalism. From my personal perception, those majors will grant you more respect. Journalism majors these days, sadly, may be on shaky grounds getting employment.</p>

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<p>Print this out and show to your parents:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/Unemployment.Final.update1.pdf[/url]”>http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/Unemployment.Final.update1.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Contrary to popular belief, communication majors are not destined to work in retail…</p>

<p>Redpoint: you should read this too…humanities have huge unemployment compared to comm…according to this report</p>

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<p>I think a lot of parents may have this issue. I have a son majoring in video game design. I am full of doubt, and encourage him to make as many connections as he can while in school for future job prospects. I also have encouraged him to double major in computer science since he went in with quite a few AP credits. As parents we want our children to be happy and successful. He knows I have always been a worrier and will continue to be.</p>

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<p>Double major - business and communications. You will be much more marketable and business communications requires a strong knowledge of business. A mid-level corporate comm executive (director-level) at a F1000 company will earn a six figure salary.</p>

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<p>I strongly agree that you should consider a double major. If you lean towards business, great, if not, the majors I mentioned.</p>

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<p>Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I am planning on double majoring, or at the very least minoring. I have to talk to my counselor about that!</p>

<p>That still worries my parents! Hahahaha. But thanks for everyone’s stories, it’s good to hear the parents’ pov! I can totally understand where you guys are coming for, as I myself am worried about making enough to survive.</p>

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<p>Most accredited comm schools require either a minor or second major…</p>

<p>Totally agree with other posts…business could be a great option w the communications…</p>

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<p>I agree with everyone who urges you to seek internships. I work in Corp Comm and my husband works in video producation. We have so many applications for entry-level jobs that we don’t even consider anyone without internship experience. It’s that important. </p>

<p>Good luck. :)</p>

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<p>My sister was an English major Communications minor and she is now an editor for a marketing group. I think the Business/Communication route is a good one, or a major in English with a minor in Communication is another good option. When my S wanted to major in Journalism, I told him my fear was that I don’t see a future in Journalism, not in the traditional sense, because of the internet and the change in media in just the past 10-20 years. Maybe your parents are communicating a similar concern?</p>

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While it’s true that print journalism is withering, the internet, niche magazines, corporate PR, and cable TV are making up for it. As a whole, I think the media/journalism job market is relatively flat; not necessarily shrinking. A person just needs to be flexible and openminded about the type of work he or she will be doing. A Wall-Street-Journal-or-bust attitude is a recipe for failure.</p>

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<p>I understand wanting your parents’ approval. You need to understand that sometimes adults move forward without it. And that’s perfectly ok. In fact, it’s a good thing. As a new college student, this may be your first big step into doing what you need, but believe me, it won’t be the last. </p>

<p>I’m not crazy about my d1’s current bf. Nice kid, but not much to offer beyond “nice,” kwim? Would d1 be happier if I were to jump up and down and clap my hands in approval? Sure. However, my opinion will not influence how long the relationship lasts. She gets to choose who she dates, and she does not need my approval to date anyone–or no one. She knows it. More importantly, I know it, so my behavior toward my d is unaffected. </p>

<p>Your major is about what you want to do with your life. Unless your parents are the type to withhold ollege funds for being in the “wrong” field, you do not need their approval. You can decide that, while it would be nice to have, you are fine without it. Then move forward. Get good grades. Get internships. Work to be the best you can be. If they never come around to liking what you do, they will always have to respect who you are and what you’ve accomplished.</p>

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<p>Please advise him to check the employment web sites of video game companies. The number of jobs they have for people with computer science degrees is far greater than the number of jobs they have for people with game design degrees. (And someone with a computer science degree can more easily get other computer software jobs than someone with a game design degree.)</p>

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<p>My child is a communications and business double major. Her career goals are much like you mentioned. She did choose her school based on its strength of program but also its internship placement for undergrad students. She felt it would become necessary to have a couple few internships under her belt to be “marketable” upon graduation. I think it can be done, and down well, with proper planning.
On the video gaming mentioned with others, I live in the land of Microsoft and other like companies, I can tell you there are plenty of grownups who have nice homes, cars, families, etc that play and or design video games all day long! Who knew???</p>

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<p>Yes, but how many of them graduated with a degree in “video game design” as opposed to some other major like computer science or some other applicable major like art, psychology, cognitive science, etc.?</p>

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<p>ucba- yes, good point! It is probably software engineering.</p>

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<p>I would also look into the field of writing, whether it be journalism, creative writing, comm with a writing emphasis. Many businesses in a variety of fields (law, science, media, health) employ people who can write concisely and with accuracy. Too many graduates just can’t write effectively and that honed talent can be something that gets you in the door. Agree with pursuing internships. My son now says it’s not just who you know, but also who knows you. He was an econ/business major, MA in sport administration, but his writing ability has placed him in some very good internships.</p>