<p>Hi, I am very intersted in getting into business, speciifically investment banking. However, the majors I am most interested in are Sociology, American Studies, American government/political science, and economics. With any two of these four majors, what jobs could I go into. I am willing to get a further degree and do not want to be a teacher/professor. Can I get a job in business with a background like this out of undergrad? Is there something that would better suit me? Thanks for reading this and I look forward to your responses!</p>
<p>Why do you want to get into business if it does not interest you? I'd suggest looking into other careers</p>
<p>It does interest me. I just want a more liberal arts background.</p>
<p>Anyone????</p>
<p>You can get into business grad school with any of those majors. You can also get jobs at all sorts of businesses directly out of undergrad. Many businesses don't want to hire "business majors" who come out of undergrad thinking they know it all - they want to train their employees in they way they do business. They also like employees with "people skills", which any of those majors can enhance.</p>
<p>Major in what you want to major in. You have time to determine what to do with the rest of your life. (And remember that even that isn't carved in stone. I have a master's and a professional degree and I'm working now on my 3rd career.)</p>
<p>There are 2 types of post-secondary education available, and since both are offered at colleges (indeed usually at the same college) it can blur the distinction. The first is the vocational-type degree (engineering, accounting, nursing, etc). The other type falls into the umbrella of the liberal arts, and sociology or poli-sci are some of these majors.</p>
<p>The reason the distinction is worth keeping in mind is that without it we can in effect mix metaphors. Asking "what do I do with a major in sociology" is applying a vocational-education measure to a liberal-arts pursuit. None of the liberal-arts majors lead directly to a career path (except perhaps as a professor in that subject) nor are they intended to. The reason to pick a liberal-arts major or minor is because of a strong interest in the subject. It may also be applicable to some career fields. But that is not the main goal; if you want a degree that prepares you for a job, pick a vocational major.</p>
<p>Jobs are always a concern for liberal-arts majors, but the way to look at this is that preparing for a career is something that is done in addition to the major rather than being the result of the major. There are plenty of things to do in college to prepare for a career. Learning about careers by talking to alums and thru the career center resources is a first step. The most important thing are internships so that you get actual exposure to the job and can explain to potential employers why you would be a good fit in the career rather than just hoping its right for you.</p>
<p>Almost any career field is open to the liberal-arts grad outside of the ones that require specific training (engineering, nursing, etc), and for almost all of these you could go to grad school anyway if you really wanted. That's why books like "jobs for the english major" are too limiting; you can do almost anything. Take the more general approach; say to yourself "I'm going to graduate with a college degree, and this is a base requirement for many employers. But in addition to that, what steps do I need to take to identify a potential career and make myself an attractive hire to prospective employers in that field?" Pursue this approach and you'll do fine no matter what your major.</p>
<p>BTW the OP asks specifically about investment banking, and should be aware they recruit from a VERY selective list of schools. Major isn't important, but attending one of those schools is crucial.</p>
<p>Agreed with the above poster. </p>
<p>I know a woman who was at UPenn majoring in English, I think, some more liberal artsy major, and was recruited by Credit Suisse to work in banking there. Major is not so important, but if you want to get straight in after undergrad going to a school where the recruit is likely key. That is unless you have contacts on your own.</p>
<p>Would Duke or Georgetown qualify as some of the colleges they hire from?</p>
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Would Duke or Georgetown qualify as some of the colleges they hire from?
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Investment banks are looking for aggressive, hard-working, resourceful people, the kind that "eat nails for breakfast" and here's a golden opportunity to practice those traits. </p>
<p>Figure out the names of the investment banks. Go to their websites and see where they recruit. If you can't find a website or they don't list the info, then call them and work the phone until you get ahold of someone in college recruiting.</p>
<p>I'm serious, BTW. If you're thinking "nah, I'm not going to do that" then it may not be the right fit for you.</p>