Suggestion to all Undergrads: Study a subject that will help you find a job

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>During the 5 years I've been out of college, I've been either unemployed or doing jobs that I hated and that were unrelated to my major. I hated those jobs not only because of the low pay but also because they were tedious, boring, and dead-end.</p>

<p>My major was Mathematics, and I majored in that subject mainly because that's the subject I liked when I was in my late teens.</p>

<p>Obviously I knew that I couldn't do anything with a degree in Math, but I liked that subject so much that I chose not to think when my career advisers told me to "study what you like and the money will follow."</p>

<p>I still remember the look on their faces when I told them that I liked Math but that I wanted to study a subject that would help me find a job. They looked at me as if I were a heretic and an idiot, as if not wanting to be working class was a moral crime.</p>

<p>I listened to them, I studied Math because I was told that the money would follow, that plenty of jobs existed for people with degrees in Math, and what's more, I bought into the belief that if I studied a subject that was likely to help me find a job but wasn't my favorite subject I would be miserable for life.</p>

<p>Having been unemployed for nearly a year, I believe that I made a mistake studying Math. I believe that if I had studied Finance, Accounting or Computer Science, perhaps I would have a satisfying job, perhaps I would not be collecting unemployment benefits, and perhaps I would not live with my parents. Most importantly, perhaps today I would be in a position where I can actually start a family. You know, maybe I could get married, have kids, do those things "normal" people do. But the sad reality is that because of my choices today I'm broke, with nothing under my belt, and sadly, undateable. I'm almost 30 and I wonder how many years I have ahead of me before I miss the boat.</p>

<p>My suggestion to you kids is, don't listen to all the idiots who tell you to study whatever you want because the money will follow. That rarely happens.</p>

2

<p>Well… as a Math major you should know… </p>

<p>1 is a crappy sample size</p>

3

<p>You probably got shafted more by the job market than anything else.</p>

4

<p>Did you minor in anything else? Have you concidered teaching? Good math teachers are hard to find.</p>

5

<p>So can you say for absolute certainty what majors are going to help you find a job? No… I know people who graduated last year with anthro majors that are getting jobs when people with CS degrees are not. It really just depends on what employers are looking for and what kind of work history/experience they have once they graduate.</p>

<p>ETA: I agree with vline. You should look into programs that will allow you to get your teaching certificate. Math and science teachers are usually in demand.</p>

6

<p>It’s not the major, it’s the person. You can’t blame your 5 years of unemployment on being a math major because each person has a different situation. I know two people with math majors who work on Wall St. I honestly think you can cut out the math major and put in any major and you’re problem still wouldn’t be unique. I’ve read stories where Econ majors were unemployed for x years looking for jobs and landing jobs unrelated to their major. Heck, my cousin graduated last year with a econ major and is currently in a job unrelated to her econ major.</p>

<p>I’m a tentative mathematics major and this isn’t going to stop me from majoring in it. Like you, I have the passion, patience, and interest for math and I do think that’s a beautiful thing. I rather land a job unrelated to my major than torture myself by majoring in something I can’t stomach.</p>

7

<p>Career surveys indicate that applied math majors tend to have good job and career prospects in actuarial, finance, and computer software areas.</p>

<p>Because a math major degree program typically does not have heavy course requirements, you can throw in electives in typical applied math fields like statistics, computer science, and economics/finance to help your job and career prospects even if you otherwise do a pure math major.</p>

8

<p>"Did you minor in anything else? Have you concidered teaching? Good math teachers are hard to find. "</p>

<p>No I didn’t. Teaching is not for me.</p>

<p>"Because a math major degree program typically does not have heavy course requirements, you can throw in electives in typical applied math fields like statistics, computer science, and economics/finance to help your job and career prospects even if you otherwise do a pure math major. "</p>

<p>I took all those courses as electives :)</p>

9

<p>No offense, you don’t think you were the porblem? When things go wrong, or not how they hope, people tend to point the finger at everyone else but themselves. I don’t want to assume anything about you, but I’m not buying the whole “mathematics major = fail major.” I know it’s not the mathematics major that is the problem because I know people who recently graduated college with math majors working on wall st, as actuaries, for the government, and etc.</p>

10

<p>the NSA loves math majors</p>

11

<p>Did you know what kind of career you wanted when you were studying that major? You can major in anything and make it work as long as you know what career path you’re going to take. Having a plan B always helps, too.</p>

12

<p>Did you have any experience when you graduated college? And it sounds as though you’re being way too picky. It’s a tough economy for everyone- you might have to bite the bullet and do something you hate. If you have a decent work history there is absolutely no way you should be unemployed for a year- unless you’re being way too picky. Sometimes you have to do things you hate, but it’s better than being unemployed for a year and having a nice size gap in your work history.</p>

<p>ETA: I knew that this post sounded familiar. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1025987-i-have-ba-ill-either-end-up-welfare-working-housekeeper.html#post11422331[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1025987-i-have-ba-ill-either-end-up-welfare-working-housekeeper.html#post11422331&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>So no luck with the housekeeper gig? :rolleyes:</p>

13

<p>“No offense, you don’t think you were the porblem?”</p>

<p>Was I the problem? I was a decent human being. When you ask me if I was the problem, what exactly do you mean? Was I defective? Was I an inferior human being? Did I choose to be born with flaws?</p>

<p>"I know it’s not the mathematics major that is the problem because I know people who recently graduated college with math majors working on wall st, as actuaries, for the government, and etc. "</p>

<p>They probably had other things going on that made them attractive to employers.</p>

<p>"the NSA loves math majors "</p>

<p>that’s what I have heard :)</p>

<p>“Did you know what kind of career you wanted when you were studying that major?”</p>

<p>No. I was told that I could do a lot of things with a degree in math. At one point I contemplated becoming an actuary, but it seemed like too much of a business job for my taste.</p>

<p>" You can major in anything and make it work as long as you know what career path you’re going to take. Having a plan B always helps, too. "</p>

<p>Plan B would have been to major in something else.</p>

<p>“Did you have any experience when you graduated college?”</p>

<p>No.</p>

<p>“And it sounds as though you’re being way too picky. It’s a tough economy for everyone- you might have to bite the bullet and do something you hate.”</p>

<p>If by something you hate you mean a temporary data entry job, $12/hour, no benefits, I can do better collecting unemployment benefits.</p>

14

<p>Good luck adding that to your resume then. I’m sure employers are going to love hearing about your gap collecting unemployment because you thought you were too good for a job.</p>

15

<p>I thought this thread would be about an art history major or something, math should be a pretty marketable degree.</p>

16

<p>As far as I am concerned, the problem is not your degree in math but your lack of experience. I was a math major too - and it seems that all of my math major friends *who planned ahead<a href=“you%20know,%20got%20internships,%20networked,%20etc”>/i</a> did fine on the job market. </p>

<p>Suggestion to all Undergrads: Use your summers to build a resume</p>

17

<p>“As far as I am concerned, the problem is not your degree in math but your lack of experience.”</p>

<p>I think that was true when I graduated from college. But then I found a full time job (which I hated, which made me develop a bunch of psychological problems, which had nothing to do with math), had it for almost 4 years, and lost it.</p>

<p>So I already have 4 years of experience under my belt. How come I can’t find a job?</p>

<p>“I was a math major too - and it seems that all of my math major friends who planned ahead (you know, got internships, networked, etc) did fine on the job market.”</p>

<p>I was too socially crippled to network and I was never able to find an internship that seemed relevant for a math major. I applied for some internships doing things that I thought I could be doing and I was asked why I wanted to do an internship related to X subject given that I was a math major. My best bet would have been some type of teaching internship but since I’m not interested in teaching I don’t see the point of having done a teaching internship.</p>

<p>"Suggestion to all Undergrads: Use your summers to build a resume "</p>

<p>That’s good advice. Also study something that will help you find a job.</p>

18

<p>You still haven’t defined what’s going to “find a job”. I am a humanities/anthro major and I just got a call about an interview for a job that pays $17/hour+ with the state of Michigan (that I just applied for last night). Not too shabby for 20 and without a degree (and studying something “useless” at that). 30 year old math major with a degree and still no job? I’m thinking it’s not the job market at this point… And you definitely don’t deserve a welfare/unemployment check. Those <em>should</em> only be for people who legitimately want to work- and work whatever job comes their way.</p>

19

<p>

Seriously rethink this. It is usually easier to find a job when hou already HAVE a job, even if it is a temp job.</p>

20

<p>Dude, your only flaw is your attitude. The tone I get from your posts is that your “above” all jobs unrelated to your math degree. On top of that, you didn’t even have a damn career path. You just majored in math thinking “oh…some place will hire me simply because I’m a math major.” Life doesn’t work like that. You have to have a set career goal and work towards it. From your posts, it seems like you wanted your career to come to you as opposed to you working hard towards it. </p>

<p>Yeah and the people I know working those jobs had CAREER GOALS, they INTERNED during their time in college, and most of all they had a POSITIVE ATTITUDE despite being reminded that it would be hard to find jobs in this economy.</p>

<p>Not to be mean, I have no sympathy for you. You just seem negative, pompous, and unwilling to put your pride aside to get a job while you look for a better one.</p>