What was your non-STEM major and what is your job?

[elphaba91]

Tertiary education is quite different in Australia. I have a undergraduate double degree in Arts (majoring in linguistics) and Law. I'm a lawyer. Most of my friends at university were from the law side of my degree as that took up most of my time. People who did Arts went in academia, teaching, translating, publishing & editing, journalism, government jobs and fiction writing (not sure how that's working out). My aunt is a travel agent and loves it. Maybe that's something your DD would be interested in?

 

[Praying Colonel]

DD16 is all into looking at colleges and majors. Currently her first choice of major would be theater, but I am iffy on that and she knows it. She is a good student and gets A's in math and science but has NO interest in majoring/working in those areas. English is a strong suit. She doesn't think she would like to be a teacher, or have a job sitting at a computer all day. Flight attendant interests her, as well as travel blogger

So, tell me if you have similar interests what your major was and what job you ended up in.

DS's 1st major choice was theater. I told him to go for it, but if I were paying his tuition he needs to double major in something that might actually get him a job. He chose broadcasting--not much better, but his thinking was behind-the-camera work like video editing, so we said OK.

He dropped the theater major about halfway through college, and has not been able to get anything where he can use his broadcasting degree. So he's now down at WDW working full-time in transportation. Take that FWIW.

Me, I majored in Government and I'm an attorney. If I had it to do over again I wouldn't have majored in Government--I now hate politics or anything that's political.

 

[Parker Clan]

My major was in Education & I work for an insurance company.

 

[PigletsPal2]

I only have a few college credits, but I planned to major in English with a minor in Business Administration. But as a PP said, life got in the way. I spent my career as an Executive Assistant at a travel agency, at a community college, and with the State Dept. My current (third) career makes use of my love of English and my business skills. I have my own editing service. Granted, I'm the only employee, but I still have to run the business end - taxes, etc. As much as I loved my work with State, I love editing even more.

If your daughter loves to travel, the State Dept. is a good choice. I lived in ten different countries and have visited about 40 more. If she has a talent for languages, even better. The pay and benefits are pretty good, and there's nothing like the Federal Government for job security!

Queen Colleen

 

[awalker1015]

BS in Nursing. Went back for an MBA in Healthcare Admin and now work in operations for a large physicians practice.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

I think 4 year degrees are overrated. I had 1 year community college and ended up in banking. Make 6 figures and love what I do. College isn't for everyone. There are great jobs out there that don't require it.

 

[AllisonK]

I have a BA in print journalism with a minor in theater. I am in the middle of a career change to teach English, currently a long-term substitute/student teaching for a 9th/10th grade English teacher who is out on maternity leave. I’m thinking I’d like to eventually teach 7th or 8th grade, though, but I’m enjoying high school.

I did work in journalism for a few years after college as a newspaper copy editor, but we all know the direction that’s eventually heading. I also do community theater whenever I get the chance, either performing (not as often as I’d like) or working backstage, so I suppose my degree is still useful. I’ll be getting my Masters in Teaching sometime in the next few years (hopefully I’ll be working in a district that partners with one of the state schools for a tuition break).

 

[bjscheel]

I think 4 year degrees are overrated. I had 1 year community college and ended up in banking. Make 6 figures and love what I do. College isn't for everyone. There are great jobs out there that don't require it.

That's true, although your salary is probably not typical for a lot of non-college graduates. When she was younger, DD wanted to be a cosmetologist and I was all for it- reasonable cost for education and jobs anywhere she wanted to be. Then her grandma said "You are too smart for that" and DD immediately took it off her list. She is still obsessed with makeup, at least for herself.

My older DD is a very good artist but she didn't want an $80,000 "art" degree. She is doing a graphic design program at a community college in which she takes just as many graphic design credits as a bachelor degree. She will graduate debt free and most of her savings intact since her job at Target covers the rent. DD19 got some flack for choosing community college but it works for her.

DD16 is pretty set on the full college experience.

 

[MrsDuck]

She sounds like me when I was in high school! My mom wouldn't let me major in theatre so I majored in secondary social studies education - now I teach high school history and the classroom is my stage! Seriously though, teaching can be a whole lot like performing.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I majored first in Chemistry and then went on to do Magazine Journalism. I wrote for magazines (mostly) and newspapers (a little) for many years, and also had a bunch of non-fiction books published. Currently I work full-time as Senior Writer for Family and Children's Services (doing things like newsletters, brochures, videos, etc.) and I'm working on another book. But if she loves theatre - major in theatre!

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

She sounds like me when I was in high school! My mom wouldn't let me major in theatre so I majored in secondary social studies education - now I teach high school history and the classroom is my stage! Seriously though, teaching can be a whole lot like performing.

Not far from the truth when I am in the class volunteering they prefer I am Animated with the little ones

 

[DawnM]

I am a counselor. I was a teacher before that. Non-STEM.
DH majored in business and got his MA in Accounting. He is an Accountant.
Oldest son is going to ART SCHOOL! Yup!

No STEM stuff in our immediate household. We are getting along just fine.

 

[Arkansan]

My sister has a BA in Theatre and went back to school several years after graduating. She is now a highly-regarded ASL interpreter. It makes GREAT use of her theatre training. Think how animated interpreters are during disasters and presidential speeches. She has also interpreted Broadway shows and shows at the Papermill Playhouse. Her "main" job is interpreting classes at a college in NYC for deaf students, she does the other things on a free-lance basis.

I have a History degree and had plans to go to Law School. I will still go someday. I worked in customer service and logistics for a major manufacturing company for years, but then stayed home when I had my children (18 yrs.). The last two years, I've returned to the workforce part time in retail and now I work for a school in their kitchen doing ordering of snacks and cashiering during lunches. (I love the hours as I still have two kids in a different HS and I'm off during weekends, holidays, and summer!)

DH has a Philosophy degree and works in logistics/ manufacturing for a major US candy manufacturer. He is very successful and has progressed pretty far up the ranks. We have been transferred over six times for his career.

DD is considering a Theatre major. She is a Sophomore in college now and wants to go to NYC and do Broadway. She is at a Liberal Arts school, so will take many other classes as well. She also speaks Mandarin and is going to China and Japan in January. I'm sure she'll find her path like the rest of us.

Good luck to your DD!

 

[bjscheel]

I'm back...the latest idea DD has floated is Parks & Rec/Tourism. I like this idea for one reason- not that many colleges offer it in our area but one of them is the college I'm rooting for because it's not too far away and it is affordable. So that might make her look more favorably on it. She could add a theater minor. Throw in some voice lessons for her and we've got vocal music too.

She would LOVE to run some community children's theater type stuff or plan events for communities. She would be good at a Chamber of Commerce/Parks Department job. She is pretty savvy at social media and could do marketing and PR. She's great at writing, so she could handle grant applications. Probably this stuff doesn't pay big bucks, but if I can get her to choose this college, her student debt will be small so that helps.

 

[prprincess]

I started out as a Biology major, with a plan to join a 2-year med-tech program after graduation. Unfortunately, I'm horrible at math so I didn't do well in Biology and Chemistry. It was rough deciding on what major to switch to, but I chose what I loved and had a passion for, and that was writing and reading.

Therefore, I majored in English and to appease my mother's worries, I double minored in Journalism and Education, thinking I'd be a reporter/editor or a teacher. Well come my third year in college, I hated my student practicum and the wait list for student teaching placement was 2-3 years, so I decided to forego obtaining my certification and just graduated with a BA in English. I did well in my Journalism classes, but had friends who began working for news outlets after college, and I honestly didn't feel like "chasing" stories like they always did.

I got a job immediately after graduation as an editor for a government contractor, so I consider myself very lucky. I have since then had several editor jobs, but then went back to school for a web design certification, so my positions have been a bit more techy and web-related/based. Besides editorial work, I have been a Communications Manager, a Director of Communications, and right now I am a Program Administrator which is great because it meshes my communications experience with my web experience, and my project management skills. My major has oftentimes been "poo-pooed" in conversation, but once people see how well I've done for myself and how well-rounded my career has been, they are impressed. I think the key for me was to cultivate any and every interest that I had in the workplace. If ever new projects/software programs/training came up, I always jumped on the opportunities to enhance my experience and resumes...and I still do!

So I'm proof that she'd be able to do a ton with that English degree! Good luck to her!

 

[RangerPooh]

I started community college as a Forestry and Wildand Fire major, and have Associates degrees in both Forestry and Natural Resources. I then transferred to a 4 year to complete my Bachelors degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Environmental Education. Since I was married at the time I needed to find something more stable and completed a Masters degree in Teaching with K-8 certification. Since then I have taught in the Pk-6 classroom as well as spent 6 years in higher education, which I prefer.

Prior to completing my Bachelors degree I did work for both the US Forest Service and CA State Parks as an interpretive guide and in fire for many years and loved it. Alas, life got in the way.