Need Help and Information on Jobs/Majors!

Graduate School
1

<p>I'm 21 years old and I still have no idea what I want to do in life as far as education and a future job. I do have a degree, but it's in something I absolutely hate (Healthcare Reimbursement) because I was pretty much forced into doing it since I wasn't sure what I actually wanted to study. I recently graduated and definitely want to go back to school to get a degree and education that I'm actually proud of, but I'm just so unsure and it most likely has to do with lack of information, no matter how much I research.</p>

<p>In high school I was really good with language arts (not so much writing though) and social studies, so I figured I should look to do something along those lines. My first thought was to become a high school English teacher, but someone told me that most states are only hiring temps instead of hiring full time. Hearing that definitely worried me because like everyone else, I really want to make sure that I'm going to be able to get a job after I graduate. Is that even true or does anyone have any negative or positive experiences with hiring? </p>

<p>My second option was to do a double major in Arabic and linguistics and double minor in computer science and psychology. I came to this choice because I couldn't really think of anything else that would suit my strong points (I'd love if anyone had any other suggestions as well for what I should possibly consider studying or any suggestions for a better major/minor pairing) and with the research I did do, most say that this sort of pairing would give me an edge. And the same question again: does anyone have any experiences with hiring? Also, does anyone know what type of companies or organizations I could work for if I take this route?</p>

<p>Any response would be greatly appreciated and sorry for not exactly being specific!</p>

2

<p>Do you have an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree?</p>

<p>If you have an AA or AS, I can see going back to finish a BA or BS. I am skeptical, however, of a double-major AND a double-minor. First of all, they are difficult to complete - majors usually involve about 8-10 courses, and minors involve around 5. Since there’s basically no overlap between the majors you chose, that’s around 30 courses, which is probably about 90 credits, which would take the average full-time student three years to complete not including general education requirements. The solution to not knowing what to do isn’t to just pick everything; you have to do some inner thinking to figure out your interests. One major (or two very complementary majors, for which you have a plan) and one minor is enough.</p>

<p>But think about it - you already majored in something you feel forced into because you weren’t sure what you wanted to study. If you are still unsure and only picking things because you cant think of anything else - why would you repeat history by going into a major when you are unsure? You need to work backwards - think of what you want to do and then figure out what credential you need to do that. Don’t just major in something by process of elimination. I don’t agree that your pairings will give you an edge. It’s honestly not even the exact major you choose, with the exception of certain technical, health, and educational fields. It’s the kinds of skills you develop. A computer science major can be useless if he or she doesn’t have good technical skills (programming, mathematical, etc.)</p>

<p>If you want to be an English teacher, it’s true that some counties in some states are only hiring temporary workers (through programs like TFA) but it’s also true that many counties/states need permanent full-time English teachers. My county alone (in metropolitan Atlanta) is currently hiring 5 high school English teachers. My friend graduated with an English certification at the beginning of the recession (2008) and got a job teaching English full-time. If you have some flexibility in where you are willing to teach, and that’s what you really want to do, then pursue it.</p>

<p>If you already have a BA, IMO there is little point in returning for a second bachelor’s. You could certainly get a master’s, but especially in that case you really need to consider exactly what you want to do - work backwards. Figure out your career goal and get a master’s to satisfy that goal. For example, if you want to be manager, get an MBA. If you want to translate materials from Arabic to English, or you want to work in the Middle East, getting an MA in Arabic or Near Eastern studies may suit you.</p>

<p>See this article: <a href=“http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/05/19/should-you-go-to-graduate-school”>http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/05/19/should-you-go-to-graduate-school&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;