Spring Break
Ask Eleanor
Pursue your passions and still get a job
Features | 3/11/08
Posted online at 2:25 AM EST on 3/11/08
Dear Eleanor,
I really love my English classes, and I think I want to major in English, but my parents want me to major in something useful, like economics. When I went home over February break, my parents made me worry that I won't get a job when I graduate, and I just want to ignore them. What should I do?
-Minor Academic Juggling Obviously Required
Dear MAJOR,
It is never a good idea to ignore your parents. Instead, try talking it out with them. Explain to them that your major does not determine your profession. When most employers recruit from a liberal arts school like Brandeis, they look for graduates who possess general skills, such as critical thinking and writing ability, rather than specific skill sets in a particular field. These critical thinking and writing skills are abilities you will develop in any major at Brandeis. Employers are willing to train new hires in the technical knowledge they need to perform well as long as they have demonstrated traits such as leadership qualities or the ability to work as part of a team. Again, you can find these in any department.
To demonstrate this fact, or to prove it to your parents, stop by the Hiatt Career Center. They can give you a list of jobs that students from each major have gone on to after they graduated. You can see, for example, that students from disparate majors, such as English, philosophy and fine arts have gone on to medical school after graduating from Brandeis. Sometimes employers or graduate schools even like to see that a student has pursued an interest in an unrelated area. It shows that the individual is well-rounded and will have interests beyond his work.
It is always a good idea to major in a subject that interests you. Potential employers and graduate schools will be interested in your grades, and you will surely do best in the classes about which you are passionate. It is good to explore a number of different fields to find what interests you and to help you decide what you want to do after you graduate, but major in something that really gets you going.
It is very important that you talk with your family about these issues. Your parents' thoughts are an important concern and should not be ignored. However, I am sure that if you sit down and talk out these issues with your parents, you will all reach a satisfactory conclusion. Stop by Hiatt so that you can bring some advice from the professionals to your discussion. And as always, the Roosevelt Fellows are here to talk with you whenever you need us.
Take care,
Eleanor
Ask Eleanor is a service provided by the Roosevelt Fellows, a group of peer academic advisors named after the former first lady to honor her contributions to Brandeis during its foundation. To have your question answered, e-mail askeleanor@brandeis.edu or visit the Roosevelt Fellows office hours in the office of Academic Services in Usdan, Monday through Friday 11 a.m. through 3 p.m.
I really love my English classes, and I think I want to major in English, but my parents want me to major in something useful, like economics. When I went home over February break, my parents made me worry that I won't get a job when I graduate, and I just want to ignore them. What should I do?
-Minor Academic Juggling Obviously Required
Dear MAJOR,
It is never a good idea to ignore your parents. Instead, try talking it out with them. Explain to them that your major does not determine your profession. When most employers recruit from a liberal arts school like Brandeis, they look for graduates who possess general skills, such as critical thinking and writing ability, rather than specific skill sets in a particular field. These critical thinking and writing skills are abilities you will develop in any major at Brandeis. Employers are willing to train new hires in the technical knowledge they need to perform well as long as they have demonstrated traits such as leadership qualities or the ability to work as part of a team. Again, you can find these in any department.
To demonstrate this fact, or to prove it to your parents, stop by the Hiatt Career Center. They can give you a list of jobs that students from each major have gone on to after they graduated. You can see, for example, that students from disparate majors, such as English, philosophy and fine arts have gone on to medical school after graduating from Brandeis. Sometimes employers or graduate schools even like to see that a student has pursued an interest in an unrelated area. It shows that the individual is well-rounded and will have interests beyond his work.
It is always a good idea to major in a subject that interests you. Potential employers and graduate schools will be interested in your grades, and you will surely do best in the classes about which you are passionate. It is good to explore a number of different fields to find what interests you and to help you decide what you want to do after you graduate, but major in something that really gets you going.
It is very important that you talk with your family about these issues. Your parents' thoughts are an important concern and should not be ignored. However, I am sure that if you sit down and talk out these issues with your parents, you will all reach a satisfactory conclusion. Stop by Hiatt so that you can bring some advice from the professionals to your discussion. And as always, the Roosevelt Fellows are here to talk with you whenever you need us.
Take care,
Eleanor
Ask Eleanor is a service provided by the Roosevelt Fellows, a group of peer academic advisors named after the former first lady to honor her contributions to Brandeis during its foundation. To have your question answered, e-mail askeleanor@brandeis.edu or visit the Roosevelt Fellows office hours in the office of Academic Services in Usdan, Monday through Friday 11 a.m. through 3 p.m.
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