If your major is philosophy, art, music, history, English, communication, or anything that isn't business or science related, you've probably heard the phrases “you aren’t going to make money with that” or “that degree is useless” at least once in the four or so years you are in college. Your family and friends just can’t see how you can make a living with the specific field you are going into and will do everything in their power to try to get you into a more “suitable” degree. It can be really frustrating to hear that you won’t go anywhere with your major. So next time someone decides to tell you your major is useless here are five answers that you can give to prove them wrong:
1. You don’t necessarily need to get a job in the exact field you are going to school for.
Employers are looking for someone who is best suited to do the job at hand, not someone who went to school for the exact field, but has no sort of work ethic to even do the job they were educated for. I know multiple people who went to school for a specific degree and ended up in a job that has nothing to do with the education they got. If someone tells you that you won’t get a job in your field of study, just tell them it is just a start of where you want to go and you could end up in many different fields.
2. You aren't in it for the money, but to find something you love.
Many people these days are focused on one thing: money. They don’t think about the fact that they may end up doing the same thing for the rest of their life. Sure, they may be making a lot of money in their field, but they may dread going to work every morning and will be miserable in a job they don’t love. You, on the other hand, may not be making as much money as some people, but at least you are passionate enough to do what you want to do and will enjoy every second of it.
3. They don’t know enough about your major; educate them about all of the different jobs you can get and what exactly you want to do with it.
There is no better way to shut someone up than to prove them wrong. When someone says you won’t find a job in your field, tell them exactly what kind of jobs you could find. Even better, tell them exactly what you are looking to do with your major. As soon as they realize you have a solid plan and that there is in fact many jobs you could find they will shut right up and never bring it up again.
4. A broad major gives you wiggle room.
For those of you who have a broad major like English, art, or communications, you are gaining many different skills that can be useful in the workplace and everyday life. English and communication majors naturally tend to have better written and verbal communication skills which many millennials do not have. Art students tend to be more creative and think outside of the box and philosophy students tend to problem solve from many different directions and can see multiple different angles to one problem. These majors that are said to be useless can actually give us the upper hand in many different aspects of the day.
5. Why do they care?
Finally, if none of the above answers work, simply ask yourself why their opinion matters to you. You are going to school to better yourself for the workplace, hopefully in a field you enjoy and can see yourself in for the rest of your life. If you are happy with where you are and where you’re going, their opinion shouldn’t matter to you.
