CHAPTER 1 //

I Got A Useless Degree…Now What?

I Got A Useless Degree…Now What?//
How to Turn Your Miscellaneous
Degree into a Career
How to Turn Your Miscellaneous Degree into a Career 13

“We ask 18-year-olds to make huge decisions about their career

DQGÀQDQFLDOIXWXUHZKHQDPRQWKDJRWKH\KDGWRDVNWRJRWKH
bathroom.” -Adam Kotsko

W hen I started college, I was extremely optimistic about my

future. There was no doubt in my mind that college would be
WKHEHVWLQYHVWPHQWRIP\OLIH7KUHH\HDUVODWHULWWXUQHGLQWRRQHRI
my biggest regrets. During the third year of my psychology and social
EHKDYLRUSURJUDP,UHDOL]HGWKDW,KDGOHDUQHGDOPRVWQRSUDFWLFDO
VNLOOVDQGSUREDEO\ZRXOGQ·WOHDUQDQ\E\WKHWLPH,JUDGXDWHG<RX
could say I went senile earlier than most students about their career.
When I was about to graduate, I felt cheated and lied to. To me,
FROOHJHZDVDKXJHSURSDJDQGDVFDPEHFDXVHPRVWGHJUHHVGRQ·W
teach any practical skills.

0RVW JUDGXDWLQJ FROOHJH VWXGHQWV DUH RYHUO\ RSWLPLVWLF DERXW KRZ

SUHSDUHG WKH\ DUH IRU WKH ZRUNLQJ ZRUOG ,Q D VXUYH\ E\ +DUW·V
Research Associates, only 26% of college students said that their
FROOHJHQHHGHGWRLPSURYHRQSUHSDULQJVWXGHQWVIRUHQWU\OHYHOMREV
8QIRUWXQDWHO\ HPSOR\HUV GRQ·W DJUHH  RI HPSOR\HUV VDLG WKDW
FROOHJHVQHHGHGWRGRPRUHWRSUHSDUHVWXGHQWVIRUHQWU\OHYHOMREV

College is a confusing place. Most students graduate extremely

RSWLPLVWLFDERXWWKHLUIXWXUHRIFROOHJHVWXGHQWVVD\WKDWFROOHJH
LV DGHTXDWHO\ SUHSDULQJ WKHP IRU UHDO OLIH <HW  RI ZRUNHUV LQ
WKHLUVVD\WKH\ZDQWWRFKDQJHFDUHHUVDQGVD\WKH\QHYHU
ODQGHGWKHMREWKH\ZDQWHGKWWSZZZKXIÀQJWRQSRVWFRP
ZRUNHUVFKDQJHFDUHHUVBQBKWPO1HDUO\DUHMREOHVVDQG
DVWDJJHULQJDUHXQGHUHPSOR\HGKDYHMREVWKDWGRQ·WUHTXLUH
a degree).

,W·V1RW$OO$ERXW7KH'HJUHH

There are a lot of transitions in life to be excited for. Going off to

FROOHJHPRYLQJRXWRI\RXUSDUHQWV·KRXVHJHWWLQJPDUULHGKDYLQJ
NLGV 7KHQ WKHUH·V JHWWLQJ \RXU ÀUVW UHDO MRE *HWWLQJ \RXU ÀUVW UHDO
MRE LV D ORW OLNH JHWWLQJ VL[ SDFN DEV 3HRSOH WKDW KDYH WKHP PDNH
14

it look easy, you think you can do it in just 90 day, and it takes 10x
PRUHHIIRUWWKDQ\RXWKRXJKWLWZRXOG,W·VWKHRQHURXJKWUDQVLWLRQLQ
OLIHWKDWVRPHSHRSOHQHYHUUHFRYHUIURP,W·VIDLUO\FRPPRQIRUPH
WRPHHWSHRSOHZKRDUHLQWKHLUVZKRVWLOOGRQ·WKDYHDMREWKDW
WKH\ÀQGIXOÀOOLQJ0\SULPDU\JRDOZLWKWKLVERRNLVWRQRWKDYHWKDW
happen to you.

8QOHVV\RX·UHJUDGXDWLQJZLWKRQHRIWKHIHZXVHIXOFROOHJHGHJUHHV
(engineering, nursing, accounting, etc.), you probably feel the same
ZD\,GLGZKHQ,JUDGXDWHGZLWKDSV\FKRORJ\DQGVRFLDOEHKDYLRU
GHJUHH,VWXGLHGP\EXWWRIIZURWHDORWRIHVVD\VWKDW,QHYHUFDUHG
for, and still graduated with no practical skills. I thought about going
to grad school until I found out that the only schools that had a
FOLQLFDO SV\FKRORJ\ SURJUDP ZHUH SULYDWH VFKRROV ZLWK D 
SULFHWDJ7KHGHFOLQLQJGHPDQGIRUSV\FKRORJLVWVGLGQ·WKHOSHLWKHU
7KHQXPEHUVZHUHQRWLQP\IDYRU

%XWWKLQJVDUHQ·WWKDWEDG7KHUH·VRQHWKLQJ,ZLVKVRPHRQHWROGPH
after I graduated: &ROOHJHV FDQ·W NHHS XSZLWKKRZIDVW WKH MRE
PDUNHWLVFKDQJLQJ6RQRZFRPSDQLHVDUHORRNLQJIRUVSHFLÀF
VNLOOVLQVWHDGRIVSHFLÀFGHJUHHV7KHUHDUHDQXPEHURIMREV
WKDW RQO\ FDPH DERXW ZLWKLQ WKH SDVW ÀYH \HDUV DQG EHFDXVH
WKH\·UH VR QHZ WKHUH DUH QR FROOHJH GHJUHHV WKDW WHDFK WKH
required skills.+HUHDUHWZRQHZFDUHHUVWKDWUHTXLUHQRGHJUHH
15
16
 17

UX/UI Designers are professionals who design how an app or

software looks. They make mockups and wireframes (sketch
drawings) to help software engineers design an app. They also get
IHHGEDFN IURP XVHUV WR VHH KRZ SHRSOH DUH XVLQJ WKHLU DSS YHU\
SV\FKRORJ\EDVHG7KHSRVWDERYHVKRZVDVDODU\UDQJHRIN
NWKLVLVDFRPPRQUDQJHIRUH[SHULHQFHG8;8,SURIHVVLRQDOV
%HVWRIDOO1RGHJUHHQHHGHG
18
 19

$G:RUGVLVDQRQOLQHVHUYLFHWKDW*RRJOHSURYLGHVZKHUHFRPSDQLHV
FDQSD\WREHRQWKHWRSRIVHDUFKUHVXOWV,Q*RRJOH·VWRWDO
DGYHUWLVLQJ UHYHQXHV ZHUH  ELOOLRQ ZKLFK DYHUDJHV WR 
million a day. Companies are spending a lot of money to show up
RQVHDUFKUHVXOWVDQGWKH\ZDQWWRPDNHVXUHWKDWWKH\·UHJHWWLQJ
DUHWXUQRQLQYHVWPHQW7RGRVRWKH\·OOKLUHDGRSHUDWLRQPDQDJHUV
DQGVSHFLDOLVWVWRFUHDWHWKHDGVWUDFNWKHLUVXFFHVVDQGWRÀQGQHZ
ZD\VWRDGYHUWLVHRQOLQH
20
21
22

$G2SHUDWLRQVSRVLWLRQVZLOODOPRVWQHYHUDVNIRUDVSHFLÀFGHJUHH
EHFDXVHWKHUH·VQRFROOHJHWKDWWHDFKHVLW,ZRXOGQ·WHYHQUHFRPPHQG
DEXVLQHVVPDUNHWLQJGHJUHHEHFDXVHPRVWRIWKHFODVVHVZRXOGQ·W
EHUHOHYDQWWRDGRSHUDWLRQV<RX·OOOHDUQPXFKPRUHE\GRLQJWKLV
MREDWDVPDOOFRPSDQ\WKDQ\RXHYHUZLOODWDXQLYHUVLW\*ODVVGRRU
VWDWHVWKDWWKDWQDWLRQDODYHUDJHVDODU\LV
23
24

,JHWDORWRIHPDLOVIURPSHRSOHZKRIHHOOLNHWKH\FDQ·WGRDQ\WKLQJ
with their degree. I usually point them in the direction of a new
DJHFDUHHUOLNHWKHWZR,PHQWLRQHGDERYHIRUWZRUHDVRQ7KH\
GRQ·WKDYHWRJREDFNWRVFKRRODQG7KHVHFDUHHUVDUHVWLOOIDLUO\
XQNQRZQDQGXQVDWXUDWHG8VXDOO\WKH\·UHUHDOO\VNHSWLFDOEHFDXVH
WKH\·YHQHYHUKHDUGRIWKHVHFDUHHUVDQGVRWKH\·UHVHWRQJHWWLQJ
D VHFRQG EDFKHORU·V LQ DFFRXQWLQJ HQJLQHHULQJ RU KHDOWKFDUH ,
respond by showing them graphs that will change their mind.

Getting a Technical Degree is So 2009

Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and pharmacy

KDYH EHHQ WUHQGLQJ GRZQZDUG VLQFH $FFRXQWLQJ MREV KDYH
EHHQ WUHQGLQJ GRZQZDUG VLQFH  (QJLQHHULQJ DQG DFFRXQWLQJ
jobs are slowly declining because 1. People saw that these careers
PDGHDORWRIPRQH\VRDORWRISHRSOHZHQWLQWRWKRVHÀHOGVDQG
saturated the job market. 2. Many mechanical engineering, electrical
HQJLQHHULQJ DQG DFFRXQWLQJ SUREOHPV DUH QRZ VROYHG RU EHLQJ
VROYHG E\ VRIWZDUH SURJUDPV $V IRU SKDUPDF\ WKHUH·V RQO\ VR
much demand for pharmacist. Pharmacy school enrollment is still
skyrocketing because many people are unaware of how saturated
WKH SKDUPDF\ ÀHOG LV ,·P DOVR IDLUO\ FHUWDLQ WKDW SKDUPDFLVW ZLOO
HYHQWXDOO\EHUHSODFHGE\SKDUPDF\URERWVChoosing a career is
OLNHFKRRVLQJDVWRFN2QFHHYHU\RQHNQRZVLW·VDJRRGLGHD
LW·VSUREDEO\QRWDJRRGLGHD
25
26
 27

&ROOHJH$LQ·W$OO7KDW%DG

(YHQ WKRXJK ,·YH PRVWO\ EHHQ EDVKLQJ FROOHJH XS XQWLO QRZ WKHUH
are still a few good reasons to go to college that are hard to pass up:

&ROOHJHLVVHYHUDO\HDUVRIVRFLDOVNLOOVFRQGHQVHGLQWRIRXU\HDUV
7KHUH DUH D ORW RI FROOHJH VWXGHQWV ZKR EHOLHYH WKDW
socializing is a waste of time, and their only goal is to get
good grades and graduate quickly. I shake my head when
VWXGHQWVGRWKLV7KH\·UHPLVVLQJRQHRIWKHPRVWLPSRUWDQW
things college can teach: some damn good social skills.
College is a place that makes socializing easy. You can say
LQDSSURSULDWH VWXII ZLWKRXW VHYHUH FRQVHTXHQFHV  XQOLNH D
workplace where a compliment (”hey those pants make your
legs look good”) can easily be taken as harassment. When I
was young, I underestimated the importance of social skills.
7KHUHDUHDQXPEHURIMREVHYHQHQJLQHHULQJMREVWKDW,JRW
because of my social skills.

College is a bridge to real life.

A high school student going straight into the working world
LV OLNH SXVKLQJ VRPHRQH LQWR DQ LFH FROG SRRO :RUNLQJ 
KRXUVDZHHNDWDQHQWU\OHYHOMRELVQRWJODPRURXVDQGLV
usually a rude awakening to the fact that they know nothing.
College is a way for people to prepare for real life in a much
more gentle way. Internships are a great way for people to
WU\ RXW D ÀHOG ZLWKRXW KDYLQJ WR FRPPLW ,QWHUQVKLSV DOVR
tend to be easier to get because the agreement is short
term and companies can let go of interns a lot easier than
IXOOWLPH HPSOR\HHV 0RVW FRPSDQLHV VHH LQWHUQVKLSV DV D
ZD\WRWHVWIRUSRWHQWLDOIXOOWLPHSRVLWLRQVZKLFKLVDPXFK
better process than trying to assess if someone is a good
ÀWIURPMXVWLQWHUYLHZV&ROOHJHLVDEULGJHWRUHDOOLIH6RPH
SHRSOH HQMR\ WKH H[SHULHQFH DQG KDYH D IXQ WLPH FURVVLQJ
WKH EULGJH 6RPH SHRSOH FDQ·W KDQGOH LW DQG MXPS RII$QG
VRPHSHRSOHQHYHUZDQWWRFURVV