More on Majors and Careers

Jeff Selingo's "Six Myths about Choosing a College Major" in the New York Times is worth reading when thinking about majors and how they relate to employment.  Check out his chart on lifetime earnings.  Selingo has written a lot about higher education and the future of work.  He has regular articles in the Chronicle of Higher Education plus several books.

"Everything has a history."

James Grossman's op ed, "History isn't a 'useless' major," is worth a read.  He is the executive director the American Historical Association.  From the essay:

"All liberal arts degrees demand that kind of learning, as well as the oft-invoked virtues of critical thinking and clear communication skills. History students, in particular, sift through substantial amounts of information, organize it, and make sense of it. In the process they learn how to infer what drives and motivates human behavior from elections to social movements to board rooms.

Employers interested in recruiting future managers should understand (and many do) that historical thinking prepares one for leadership because history is about change — envisioning it, planning for it, making it last. In an election season we are reminded regularly that success often goes to whoever can articulate the most compelling narrative. History majors learn to do that."

The Earnings Potential of History Majors

Last December, Perspective on History, the newsmagazine of the American Historical Association, published an interesting article on a study of the earnings potential of history majors. As you can see from the graphic, the study provides enlightening information about the gender gap, long-term prospects, and the impact of graduate degrees. Go here to read it!