<p>I understand this maybe somewhat irrelevant. My son wants to work as a computer consultant or a sales job in the tech industry. An H.R. rep from IBM told him that a major in Communications or English with a minor in M.I.S. would help him get a sales job because of the ability to explain complex material to customers. Do you agree with the HR rep?</p>
<p>Do you think the ability to clearly explain the novels of Chaucer and Shakespeare is applicable to technical lingo that helps a customer understand a certain product. People always tell me that most(not all) practical majors lack communication and writing skills. Do you agree with this as well?</p>
<p>Who am I to argue with an HR rep from IBM. My only thought though is it might make sense to get the degree in computer science or information systems and work on that end before making the trek into sales. Also, having a minor in a field requiring communications skills is also helpful, perhaps add journalism to the mix.</p>
<p>As for communication skills, many are lacking. Even people in marketing I know say that one of the biggest problems they have in finding people is finding people who can write (and some of those people majored in communications). And if one can explain Chaucer and Shakespeare and has the applicable technical background, they should be able to help a customer understand technical products. </p>
<p>You get what you put into your studies whether you attend college or not. Majoring in Communications or English doesn’t instantly make you a great writer/communicator. Not studying English or Communications doesn’t take away from whatever communications skills you learned through high school, liberal arts courses, or life in general. </p>
<p>I see communications/english skills in a similar vein to a foreign language. If you’re hiring someone for a basic job that requires spanish (not academic or educator) it doesn’t matter whether the person you hire is a native speaker, majored in Spanish, or learned it from working at McDonalds. As long as you can speak it you’re good to go. </p>
<p>Basically if your child is already a very good communicator… taking English classes/communications classes aren’t necessarily going to improve them all that much. They will already be taking basic english composition and all with their liberal arts. I think minoring in English/communications (or any other liberal art) or just taking a few more targeted english comp/speaking courses as electives would be sufficient. </p>
<p>I think someone should major in English because they simply enjoy the subject, want to teach, or have an academic career. Not because they just want to be a better writer/communicator. </p>
<p>I’d like to know more about that conversation. Here’s one version that I imagine:</p>
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<p>So not exactly a ringing endorsement, but I can see how a determined listener could hear it that way.</p>
<p>Anyway, a lot of English programs have courses in editing and/or technical writing that could give this guy more cred. A couple speech classes and a 1-2 marketing classes would help too.</p>
<p>Just so you know, I’m a tenured English professor. After I got my BA, I took a year off before grad school. I didn’t have any of the stuff I mention above, and I had no cred at all, and I was also perceived as “overqualified” for entry-level management-training positions. I ended up selling men’s clothing for 6 months.</p>
<p>I heard of being overqualified law major overqualified graduate degree holder but a BA in English is overqualified for entry level positions. wow </p>