<p>My engineer brother doesn’t do any engineering either. Eventhough he has passed the PE exam which I’ve heard is very difficult to pass and was chief engineering at a large company, his main job now is to answer email for his boss. Just because he studied engineering doesn’t mean writing is not his strong suit. Of course this is anecdote example.</p>
<p>To the OP- I think healthcare and related industries are often cited as having the greatest future growth.This includes not just doctors and nurses, but all of the technical support that goes along with it. Computer Science is also obvious, but a little less secure imo because of competition from other countries; our companies are already hiring their workers or moving plants to them. I also see a future for environmental scientists, engineers and analysts because our planet has some long-term problems that will need some creative solutions. If your daughter is interested in languages and other cultures, maybe learning Arabic and studying the Middle East would lead to interesting work in foreign service or the State Department. </p>
<p>I think I’d approach your issue by asking what does your daughter see herself doing years from now. There may be several majors that would fit that goal. Our world has problems and needs problem solvers. If she has any sort of interest in an area where she could imagine herself as part of a solution to a problem she cares about, that might be a good starting place.</p>
<p>S1 graduated with majors in math and philosophy. Very articulate, voracious reader with great writing skills. He insists everybody should have coding experience (he recommends Code Academy for the uninitiated). Had no difficulty finding a well paying job programming as soon as he graduated.</p>
<p>BTW, my daughter graduated with an English degree. She’s gainfully employed.</p>
<p>What does she want to do? That’s what matters. My daughter, like yours, is equally good in the sciences and the humanities. But she doesn’t want a career in science. She is majoring in medieval studies. Will there be a job for her when she gets out? Who knows? But I would hate to send her to do something I thought made sense if it wasn’t right for her. The world needs all kinds of people. It would be a sorry place if everyone got on the STEM bandwagon just because it seemed like the safest option.</p>
<p>I was a journalism major, and I went straight from that to technical writing. That can pay fairly well. There weren’t many specifically technical writing degrees back then, so I think it is now more difficult to get into the field without a technical writing degree or significant coursework. Digital media is also a trend in technical writing. My niche is that I also have some CS and general science background, so write for programmers and scientists.</p>
<p>I know a couple recent communications and journalism grads who have found work in marketing and news reporting.
Most English grads I know are teachers, administrative assistants, and homemakers/moms.</p>
<p>S graduated with a journalism degree in june and his job is as stradmom said- heavily uses his writing/computer/social media skills. The journalism programs today do a good job of preparing students for many potential career paths.</p>
<p>I majored in journalism a couple decades ago. It was not considered a “hot” field then, either, as newspapers were dying, and TV/internet was the preferred way to get news. However I have worked in all writing related jobs – public relations, advertising, marketing, and yes, even one newspaper. So, maybe a double major in journalism and business? There are plenty of opportunities in the business world for good writers, but it helps to have a business background as well. I eventually went on to get an MBA in marketing.</p>
<p>You don’t have to take a narrow view of what you can do with a particular degree!</p>
<p>My niece majored in classics.
She is a program manager at Microsoft, and makes six figures.
Hasn’t even been in the workforce ten years.</p>