<p>I did not see it as an attack--just wrong. I know one guy that made good $$ and moved into film. I really can't think of anyone who is out of the business and into something else. We have a reunion ever two years and about half of the grads attend so we stay in touch pretty well. We also have a semi-annual newsletter so I see pretty much what everyone is doing. The only ones I know out of the business are married women not working and being moms.</p>
<p>When the stock market tanked we got lots of resumes from former analysts and brokers. Round file.</p>
<p>Thanks. I would think that at the MS level, one would need to narrow one's focus, whether it be anthropology, English, or Real Estate. Your UG degree, econ, is one of the most popular social sciences majors right now, partly because those who go into econ are concerned about employability. In fact, I think that econ has benefitted from the dot.com bust as some of the strengths needed to succeed in econ are the same as for comp sci (math, in particular).</p>
<p>I found econ very interesting and enjoyed it. Our version of RE at the MS level was firmly grounded in land economics which was a major area of expertise at UW where the Journal of Land Economics was based for many years. We also had the pleasure of taking land econ classes from Richard Andrews, one of the giants in the field.</p>
<p>This thread looks like it's drying up; it seems to be a debate between liberal arts and vocational (business, engineering, etc). It inspired me to ponder what made me decide to major in business when my true love was fine arts. I'm a musician-performer/teacher- but my major was in finance. I needed and wanted a reliable 9 to 5 job that paid well, and it did for many years. During those years I continued to study music with some of the finest teachers in the area. Fast forward 20-something years- what am I doing now? Music- which I'm able to do only because I'm not a single income family. Fact is, I could, and did, continue to pursue my passions during and after college in spite of my "vocational" degree. I know an engineer who plays in a band and teaches guitar in his off time, another who is a history buff and teaches at a local college, another who has published several novels (fiction). I don't think the music/history/literature major would be able to crossover into engineering but the obverse seems to be possible. As for my son, he loves math, physics, building things, and all things mechanical, as well as music and reading. Engineering seems to be the best route for him, hopefully he'll continue with his music and reading as well.</p>
<p>there was a passing comment back in the thread about studies and the fact that they need to have there eyes open as to what exists after the degree. I agree with this no matter your view on employability </p>
<p>I fall more on the 'practical side a 7/8 .. I appreicate ( I think) the arts and other 'liberal arts' degrees</p>
<p>With that the key I think is that one understands that if you major in for example aerospace engineering or petroleum engineering because it is 'hot' at a particular time that down the road it might cool off --even before you get out of school</p>
<p>And likewise that if you major in English and are an accomplished writer know that many opportunities may exist but you ahe to use your ( well developed) creativity to find the good spot to work</p>
<p>Land Econ deals with how land uses are decided both economically and politically, the impacts of various policies on land use such as highway construction, mass transit, public utilities, natural resources, etc.</p>
<p>Wow - just got back from Memorial Day weekend, saw the original question, skipped to the end (127 messages later) to answer the question but it seems that the thread has gone off in a totally different direction....</p>
<p>Soooooo, to answer the OQ: about a 2 - He is pursuing his passion (but not too worried as he has some very employable skills outside that passion - as in very strong computer science skills - to fall back on). But my feeling is that if anyone will make it in his field, he will.</p>
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I know an engineer who plays in a band and teaches guitar in his off time, another who is a history buff and teaches at a local college, another who has published several novels (fiction).
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<p>My dh works at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Some of the astronauts there have a rock band. (I'm not saying they're a <em>good</em> band, mind you!) :-)</p>