<p>So it seems FasterWords is a guy. Teaching little children English in Korea or Japan is for females. Go back to school and learn something useful.</p>
<p>
In a free speech society, o0racle would be free to criticize you as well… That being said, o0racle is not being very constructive.</p>
<p>I think it’s not very useful to dwell on the past. All of us, even the EECS major making six figures, have regrets and things that would have made our life better and more enjoyable if we had done them. I, for example, wish I was more open to different experiences in high school, but whatever.</p>
<p>So we should really be focusing on your options for the future, not your nonexistent options for the past (unless you invent a time machine).</p>
<p>Have you considered law school? (the market is not so great right now, but in three years when you graduate things will probably be better)
Have you considered a master’s in some other professional field?</p>
<p>If those options are off the table…
This is constructive criticism, not anything personal, but in my opinion, some of your past work experience doesn’t exactly strike me as particularly “unique” or “valuable.” Things like: department assistant who filed expense reports, summer aquatic manager, substitute teacher, temp worker at law firm. Unfortunately, what people are saying about a 3.68 in sociology is not too far off the mark. I think you should start considering (if you haven’t already started considering) unpaid or paid internships where there is a clear path for you to grow and “climb the ladder” into full-time positions and beyond. Unfortunately, temp work and teaching don’t really qualify. Yes, you might take a pay cut, but you have to take a longer-term view of things.</p>
<p>The same applies for cold-contacting people at firms you want to work for. Cold-contact these people and ask about getting a job. You’d be surprised at how much people are impressed by initiative. Don’t let them decline. Offer to work as an intern, etc… I know someone who didn’t just cold-contact people, but he literally walked into the office without an appointment and had the initiative to leave his resume and ask about getting a position (this was an advertising agency in NY), and he eventually got a position there. I would never have the courage/initiative to do this (and I don’t expect you to have this), but this is just an example of how far initiative can take you.</p>
<p>I think that you’d made the right choice went to CAL and studied hard compared to a less rigorous school. You did the right thing. Landing a middle class job successfully would depend many factors.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, don’t go to law school (unless you end up at a T14…). The market is already over saturated with lawyers. Don’t make that mistake and end up in the exact same position w/ no job and huge student loans.</p>
<p>First, thank you for all of the replies, and advice which I would like to clairify and seek more info for future endeavors. What should someone be successful in, in order for employers to make him/her valuable, i.e. accounting? consulting? marketing? </p>
<p>Also, none of the replies takes into account the information I posted from the Cal Career Center which indicates graduates with a Sociology degree were able to land marketing, administrative and human resource position. So, basically I am asking what differentiates them from me-as far as skills/knowledge since I was in classes with those people and believed if anything I was as if not more competent than them. </p>
<p>Finally, the networking advice is appreciated and I have tried the coldcalling and resume handing approach and will continue to do so. </p>
<p>“OP’s problem is that OP didn’t consider how s/he would bring value to a company. We have a long list of random activities but nothing indicates how this person would be useful to a company. Also, 3.68 in sociology is not very impressive.”
-I listed those accomplishment, but have and will quantify them. In a leadership position in on0campus department organization I increased regular membership by 30%.
Interning at the lawfirm I increased donations to the company by 20% from the previous year.
-When I completed my internship with Head Start I was able to accurately portray where potential growth sites, using data and statistics, would be and where they should consider opening new ones in the future.
-When I completed the temp assignment with the law school, I handled administrative tasks over a three month period with 99% accuracy ensuring efficiency and saving time and resources. </p>
<p>So, if those types of accomplishments don’t demonstrate value, please tell me what does?</p>
<p>Hmm. Maybe it’s your soft skills? How are you at interviewing? Do you come off as awkward? Soft skills are just as important as hard skills. You should look into Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. I’m just starting it and it comes highly recommended.</p>
<p>GPA is “low” in the sense that OP is excluded from top grad schools and employers, but regardless OP should still be able to land something. To OP: Don’t give up. You’ll get something eventually. </p>
<p>Do keep in mind that the Cal network is not as effective because of how many people are in that network. The numbers essentially dilute the effectiveness of alumni support…just my $0.02.</p>
<p>@FasterWords: To be blunt, those accomplishments, even though you’ve quantified them, are extremely cookie-cutter generic and don’t stand out at all. You had a leadership position in an organization where you increased membership - this hardly matters, especially since it has been 2 years since you graduated (it’s better than nothing, I will concede). Doing a temp assignment with 99% accuracy is also cookie cutter administrative tasks. </p>
<p>That’s why most of my suggestions are aimed towards making you stand out. Consider further education. Consider taking jobs that don’t pay as well or are actually unpaid, only if the jobs/internships are at brand-name firms, you get your foot in the door in a role that has high potential for career growth, or you otherwise are involved in “high-level” tasks with lots of exposure to things that are not generic administrative work.</p>
<p>Berkeley needs to give up its “access for everyone” rhetoric and get smart. Admit fewer students, make sure those students are happy and are placed well, and generate a stronger alumni connection that will pay dividends for the long haul.</p>
<p>To terenc, </p>
<p>Thanks for your advice, I was told those were the type of accomplishments to go for from the career center and I know people who I graduated with “cookie cutter” accomplishments and were still able to get something as The Banker akin to what I am looking for. </p>
<p>However, I appreciate your advice and intend to follow it. However, what would you consider “high level” tasks with lots of exposure and what exactly is non-generic administrative work in your opinion?</p>
<p>Also, the reply button is functional for this site.</p>
<p>Economic downturn would be the leading issue in my opinion. I wouldn’t ‘blame’ Cal for it.</p>
<p>It’s not you nor Berkeley nor the economy is to blame for your lack of employemnt. It’s your major. My uncle graduated from UCB with a PhD in Sociology and was underemployed for years. He was a go getter period. He finally found his own company and became rich.</p>
<p>I really can’t answer that; it depends on the specific path you want (marketing/hr/management is too broad).</p>
<p>If it is such a useless major why has no one addressed the Career Center information and data which shows that it is of value and in fact that the median salary for graduates last year was $55,864 and apparently Google and Morgan Stanley thought it was a valuable major which is why I don’t understand my current difficulty also I’ve tried the softskills analysis and haven’t received an adequate explanation from the Career Center.</p>
<p><a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Soc.stm[/url]”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Soc.stm</a>
From the career center, only 24% percent responded and the $55K is only for a few graduates. Not all respondents report salary.</p>
<p>@prypiat: Learning quantitative analytical skills is not a panacea like you make it out to be. And it’s not for everyone. Not everyone will “get” it, and not everyone is amenable to self-teaching themselves statistical analysis techniques. There’s a reason it is a valuable skill - it’s not necessarily a common one.
@fasterwords: That being said, it never hurts to learn new skills. What prypiat proposes is one option out of many options. It is certainly a plausible option, and if you find it interesting you may wish to pursue it.</p>