The most useless majors - what's your trade?

[pmaitra]

I came across this exemplary list of majors that are deemed useless because no one wants to hire these talents. Personally, I have respect and affinity with some of the trades in the list, but I largely agree with the list. There could be other trades as well that are hopeless in the current economy.

Please share with us the trades you admire the most or you want to be in, the trades that you are in, the trades that you tried to be in but failed, trades that command respect but also sympathy because they do not look attractive from an employment perspective, and the trades that command contempt in your eyes.

Anecdotes are also welcome, but will need to be convincing to be taken as evidence.

Here is the news multimedia:

[HR][/HR]

THE 13 MOST USELESS MAJORS

1. Fine Arts
Unemployment, recent grad: 12.6 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 7.3 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $30,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $45,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +5 percent
Related occupation: Craft and fine artist

2. Drama and Theater Arts
Unemployment, recent grad: 7.8 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 8.8 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $26,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $45,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +4 percent
Related occupation: Actor

3. Film, Video, and Photographic Arts
Unemployment, recent grad: 12.9 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 6.7 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $30,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $50,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +9 percent
Related occupations: Film and video editor; photographer

4. Commercial Art and Graphic Design
Unemployment, recent grad: 11.8 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 7.5 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $32,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $49,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +13 percent
Related occupation: Graphic designer

5. Architecture
Unemployment, recent grad: 13.9 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 9.2 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $36,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $64,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +24 percent
Related occupation: Architect

6. Philosophy and Religious Studies
Unemployment, recent grad: 10.8 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 6.8 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $30,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $48,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +17 percent
Related occupation: Postsecondary teacher

7. English Literature and Language
Unemployment, recent grad: 9.2 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 6.2 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $32,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $52,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +6 percent
Related occupation: Writer and author

8. Journalism
Unemployment, recent grad: 7.7 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 6.0 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $32,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $58,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: -6 percent
Related occupations: Reporter, correspondent, broadcast news analyst

9. Anthropology and Archeology
Unemployment, recent grad: 10.5 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 6.2 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $28,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $47,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +21 percent
Related occupations: Anthropologist and archeologist

10. Hospitality Management
Unemployment, recent grad: 9.1 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 5.7 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $32,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $53,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +8 percent
Related occupation: Lodging manager

11. Music
Unemployment, recent grad: 9.2 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 4.5 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $30,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $45,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +10 percent
Related occupations: Musician and singer

12. History
Unemployment, recent grad: 10.2 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 5.8 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $32,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $54,000
Projected growth, 2010-2020: +18 percent
Related occupation: Historian

13. Political Science and Government
Unemployment, recent grad: 9.1 percent
Unemployment, experienced grad: 6.0 percent
Earnings, recent grad: $35,000
Earnings, experienced grad: $65,000
Projected growth, 2010–2020: +8 percent
Related occupation: Political scientist

Source: The 13 Most Useless Majors, From Philosophy to Journalism - The Daily Beast

 

[The Messiah]

None of those

 

[Bangalorean]

Architecture useless? Certainly not in the Indian context!! Architects are doing very well, and will continue to do well as long as the real estate and construction boom continues this decade.

 

[pmaitra]

^^

I hold architecture in great respect, but then, the architect should be good with designing bridges and flyovers. Said that, a civil engineer has a better chance of bagging a job than an architect in these construction projects.

Architecture should be a specialization, but should come only after basic instruction in civil engineering.

 

[Bangalorean]

^^

I hold architecture in great respect, but then, the architect should be good with designing bridges and flyovers. Said that, a civil engineer has a better chance of bagging a job than an architect in these construction projects.

Architecture should be a specialization, but should come only after basic instruction in civil engineering.

Leave alone bridges and flyovers, most middle-class and upper-middle-class people in Bangalore who build a house get it designed by an architect. Architects with a private practice get most of their income through this route. Many architects take up turnkey projects where they have teams of civil engineers, structural engineers, electricians, carpenters, and so on. The architect handles the project from start to finish and provides a finished product to the customer at the end of it.

With the amount of construction and real-estate development in Indian cities, this will keep increasing, and architecture is going to be among the more lucrative professions going forward!

 

[The Messiah]

Leave alone bridges and flyovers, most middle-class and upper-middle-class people in Bangalore who build a house get it designed by an architect. Architects with a private practice get most of their income through this route. Many architects take up turnkey projects where they have teams of civil engineers, structural engineers, electricians, carpenters, and so on. The architect handles the project from start to finish and provides a finished product to the customer at the end of it.

With the amount of construction and real-estate development in Indian cities, this will keep increasing, and architecture is going to be among the more lucrative professions going forward!

Its the same in delhi.

 

[sesha_maruthi27]

I am doing my M.E. in C.S.E. and my stream is COMPUTER NETWORKING AND NETWORK SECURITY.............

 

[Apollyon]

where's B.Tech ?

 

[pmaitra]

Leave alone bridges and flyovers, most middle-class and upper-middle-class people in Bangalore who build a house get it designed by an architect. Architects with a private practice get most of their income through this route. Many architects take up turnkey projects where they have teams of civil engineers, structural engineers, electricians, carpenters, and so on. The architect handles the project from start to finish and provides a finished product to the customer at the end of it.

With the amount of construction and real-estate development in Indian cities, this will keep increasing, and architecture is going to be among the more lucrative professions going forward!

My dad's house was designed by a civil engineer who works for the Indian Railways, and later certified by the civil engineer of the town municipality.

My dad did all the drawing of the general architecture of the house and gave it to the civil engineer.

 

[Nagraj]

where's B.Tech ?

and MBA!
Frankly i think MBA is the most useless degree!

 

[Known_Unknown]

M.B.A is almost a requirement if you have a primary degree that is technical, such as B.E, and you wish to get into more strategic consulting or management positions quickly. An MBA puts you on the fast track to the upper echelons of power and prestige within society....I'm definitely in favour of getting one.

 

[pmaitra]

M.B.A is almost a requirement if you have a primary degree that is technical, such as B.E, and you wish to get into more strategic consulting or management positions quickly. An MBA puts you on the fast track to the upper echelons of power and prestige within society....I'm definitely in favour of getting one.

MBA after a BE yes. MBA after BBA is worth zilch. Similarly, Master of Architecture after BE Civil Engineering is worth more than Bachelor and Master in Architecture.

 

[Known_Unknown]

MBA after a BE yes. MBA after BBA is worth zilch. Similarly, Master of Architecture after BE Civil Engineering is worth more than Bachelor and Master in Architecture.

I have friends who did a BBA, then a CA and are now preparing for MBA. Regardless of whether you have BBA or not, MBA is a "stamp" that automatically qualifies you for very-well paid positions in global firms in everything from international development, marketing, strategic consulting, M&A consulting etc.

It is imperative if you want to move from a $70k job to a $100-120k+ job within a year, and also suddenly vault from junior or mid-level engineer to senior executive.

 

[pmaitra]

I have friends who did a BBA, then a CA and are now preparing for MBA. Regardless of whether you have BBA or not, MBA is a "stamp" that automatically qualifies you for very-well paid positions in global firms in everything from international development, marketing, strategic consulting, M&A consulting etc.

It is imperative if you want to move from a $70k job to a $100-120k+ job within a year, and also suddenly vault from junior or mid-level engineer to senior executive.

Who would want to hire an MBA who has no trade related knowledge, leave alone experience? An MBA with no work experience is worth nothing in the US. You get your Bachelor's Degree in some trade, like Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Law, etc., and then you work for few years, and then get an MBA - now that is called an MBA. Some good business schools will only admit people who have at least 2 years of relevant work experience in a particular field.

You cannot administer a business if you don't know the trade,

 

[Known_Unknown]

Who would want to hire an MBA who has no trade related knowledge, leave alone experience? An MBA with no work experience is worth nothing in the US. You get your Bachelor's Degree in some trade, like Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Law, etc., and then you work for few years, and then get an MBA - now that is called an MBA. Some good business schools will only admit people who have at least 2 years of relevant work experience in a particular field.

You cannot administer a business if you don't know the trade,

Of course, I never said one should do an MBA right after B.E. Good schools generally require you to have 3-4 years of experience to admit you into their MBA programs. All I was saying is that MBA is not at all useless.....in fact if anyone has the choice between M.S and M.B.A, they should definitely choose MBA, as it is far more versatile, useful and pays way better.

 

[p2prada]

^^

I hold architecture in great respect, but then, the architect should be good with designing bridges and flyovers. Said that, a civil engineer has a better chance of bagging a job than an architect in these construction projects.

Architecture should be a specialization, but should come only after basic instruction in civil engineering.

Architecture is a 5 year Engineering level course in India.
That's why the high requirement for this field.

I don't know if people give more importance to Civil Engineering or Architecture though. But I suppose Civil Engineering is a 4 year course like a regular BE course and will logically be in greater demand.

Anyway, I don't understand why Journalism is included. It is very important, especially if you want your first job in that field.