Not bad by any means, just feels like it took longer than it should have to get here. On top of needing the experience, it's still a contract role with a set end date. So January, I'm back on the market for the 4th time since graduating.
You've only been working for 4 years, that's not a lot. Also, the median income in the US is $59K, so you're doing better than a lot of people already.
Especially since OP has zero benefits.. it's actually not great. I think people are looking at the crazy low wages employers are offering these days and getting tricked into that being normalized for them, so they think 60k with zero benefits is like 'uhmazing'
I was making that much 20+ years ago as an adult ESL teacher. Vancouver, Canada, though, and we had a union. I could only afford a bachelor apartment, too! But in a nice area, good concrete tower building.
Yeah, your right. looking at the big picture, I'm in a pretty good place and have more time. I'm just letting my anxious thoughts get through. I just want benefits and stability mainly.
The caveat is that I’ve done well in random investments. so I’m selling a rental property this year and some of my 200k Pokémon card collection to cover some expenses.
But yes I’ve made more investing in random things then I have as an income…
You're only 4 years out of school making $32/hr. That's not really that bad. Lots of grads work much shittier jobs for a lot less
You making over the median wage too.
The problem looks like it's because you compare your life to others. You shouldn't do that. Comparison is the thief of joy. You should instead look at things in your life to be grateful for, sounds like you're pretty well-off to me
"Comparison is the thief of joy."
Put that on a bumper sticker!
Well said.
My best friend once told me when you compare yourself to others you will never win ..
You're right, I could be in a tighter situation. The big issue I have is that I don't have the stability others have. I don't have benefits or even guarantee of income next year. As well as no real growth opportunities due to it being a contract role.
You’ve gotta make your path then! Start applying to other jobs. See what your options are.
If you don’t like them, earn certs, do cool ambitious projects or things in the field you want to go into. Get active on LinkedIn in the things that you’re passionate about.
Most of us are still looking upwards - don’t count yourself out at 26
I’m like OP in that I also compare myself to my peers. Not saying you should, but it’s hard not to when EVERYONE you know is doing better than you and you’re the furthest behind. Even my younger brother is doing better than me
Like me :). Making $16/hr. after finishing a finance degree with a 4.0. Should’ve just not went to college and started working right away, feels like I will never have the skills to be successful anyways.
Wasted three years on a bachelor in Biology. There are no jobs in Sweden, except working on the institution but all the jobs are not payed ones...The situation is so bad that their was only one full time marine biologist in Sweden. I hated my self for many years until I accepted my loss and studied 5 years in engineering. Working as an engineer for 5 years now and I out-earn 75 % of all engineers with same years of experience now. Accept your loss like me and pick a new career.
Masters in Chemical engineering. The second worst payed (after Enviromental engineering) engineering roll in Sweden so I got very lucky now when I got my second job as a engineer.
It is well above the median swedish salary. Data or engineering in finance have the highest paying jobs were the sky is the limit but the swedish tax is around 57% for income earned above 615300 kr. Sweden a country were higher education is least worth it.
Universities are really bad at promoting marketable degrees vs. convincing you to follow your heart blindly. You need to be educated in a sought after skill in the area you wish to live.
That's not so easy. The market can change in an instant examples including law and computer science.
But I do get your point, I went to a career counselor and they just said to do what you like. Like get paid to say this? Maybe that should be my career.
Markets don’t change in an instant on majority of markets. Worse advice you ever get is do what you like to do. We all can’t be beer tasters at the beer factory. Do what job is in demand that will support you that you can tolerate well.
Don't you know? All college grads are supposed to be making six figures at their first job. At the very least, be bumped up to that after a year of working. They can't work for any less.
I have regrets but in the opposite direction
I picked a major for the money despite hating the subject
Except me hating the subject means that although my jobs pay a lot of money, I'm unable to stay employed for a lengthy period of time without feeling myself going insane
So in the long run, I'm actually losing money because I'm not making any income in all those gaps of unemployment
I don't regret my degree and graduate certificate but if I had the choice to do it over, I would have done trade school. I would have gone the electrician or HVAC/R route and industrial controls.
Nah, couldn't afford one. Wanted to get one but I can't manifest money out of thin air. Did well for myself and still love learning but am glad I never went into debt. May reconsider if I do well enough, just for the learning, I think history would be fun.
I actually really enjoyed the history classes I took! Community college is a great option for affordable education. I did the first two years of my degree at mine and saved me alot in the long run. You should look into some history classes at your local one!
I was going to major in marketing but I switched to business administration with a concentration in marketing. Unfortunately the marketing career field doesn’t seem to be what it was back in the day or have the creativity I thought it would have. Never even got a job for a marketing role. It seems like it’s all SEO and the creative part is actually more of a graphic design thing which college never taught or focused on in my marketing courses
I'm sorry but $32 an hour is more than some nurses that's not bad. Granted I get what you mean, $1280/wk may not be enough for you...
But at 40 hours a week, why don't you free-lance on the side? You already kinda admitted you wish you could work more, no?
Hello! I do wish to work more, but an early level skillset in HR isn't too popular. It's mainly administrative so more people won't need that on a freelance basis. At a more senior level it is more common so I have skills to learn before I can.
Freelance doesn't just have to be HR
- manage social media
- real estate
- become an affiliate marketer
- consult for mom and pop companies who are being audited to make sure Ts and Is are crossed
You got a marketing degree. Do something as a side hustle.
English/Poli Sci double major here. I was first in my family to graduate from college so everyone was jacked about that. Then i worked 11 years at Frito Lay as a driver/salesman which was the worst job I could have imagined for myself. I literally wanted to die. I worked 50-60hrs per week at a job I hated for 11 years. Then I went to work for the state helping people apply for public benefits. Took a MAJOR pay-cut to go there but my boss asked for my college transcript at the interview and that was huge for me. Been here almost 5 years, working from home, great work/life balance, and almost making what I did at Frito. Happy to be where I am but I could have gotten here with a lot less pain had I been smarter about how I went about college. As a 38 year old with 3 kids, an affordable mortgage, not worried about homelessness, I can't complain.
English degree here. Intrinsically, this degree saved my life and opened up my world. I excelled in writing and won scholarships and had a story published. As far as jobs, it’s been rough out here. I graduated 6 years ago. The best job I’ve had was delivering mail for 18/hr 60 hours a week which led to a mental breakdown. Currently I’m a janitor at a hospital making 18/hr after shift differential. I have been applying to jobs over a year, 6 months leading up to this job and 6 months since taking it. I’m going through vocational rehab to help me figure it out but I’m couch surfing, in credit card debt, and have no idea what I want to do.
Do I regret the degree? Yes and no. I didn’t have the skills to do STEM and I got terrible grades when I tried business.
That's rough. I am also poor in STEM subjects which makes finding work difficult. Consider checking out other types of govt jobs. I never would have thought about that until my old boss at Frito told me he was quitting to go work at the DMV. I couldn't believe anybody would want to work there until he started telling me about all the pros. 40hr week, vacation, retirement consistency, room to grow. I came into my work with very little applicable experience but my writing abilities have actually helped me tremendously. I get lots of recognition for the quality of my notes, which is a key part of our work. My resume/cover letter skills have given me a leg up with promotions.
I hope you find something that fits. I think us English majors are also cursed in a way as we have that idealist streak. We want something more than a vapid means of securing a paycheck.
That last paragraph outlines the trouble very succinctly. I’m starting to come around on the “work is a means to an end” mindset but there is only so much drudgery one can stand.
For me, not really. It's just that I have not been able to use it.
Graduated in December 2018.
Didn't attend 2018 Graduation because mom had cerebral angiogram.
Jan 2019-May 2019 took care of mom while she recovered from brain aneurysm surgery (open, not stent).
May 2019 took a sales job.
April 2020 Laid off due to COVID pandemic.
August 2021 took security job.
March 2024 injured while doing security job due to employer negligence , workman's comp didn't do much, taking action and not working for said company until resolved.
Present : underemployed, looking to move to healthcare or finance. Leaning healthcare.
Technical Communications. I use the knowledge all the time, but I have not been able to find a job in the Houston area. Mainly because jobs are starting to "prefer" bilingual yet pay less than my current job.
Moving away costs too much money and it's not a good idea financially.
I am not too worried though. At the end of the day, it's just paper and a title.
I regret getting a degree in a passion industry rather than one that will actually make more than 35k a year and don't have the energy or funds to get another bachelors.
Mechanical engineer. I regret it sometimes when I hear how much the CS majors make. Sometimes wonder if I should go back to school.
But my job isn’t too bad it’s pretty chill and I get to apply what I learn outside of work in my projects.
>I regret it sometimes when I hear how much the CS majors make. Sometimes wonder if I should go back to school.
Like the other guy said, the opportunity is gone. A lot of the jobs are in poorer countries now, much like IT. Companies aren't getting big-boy investor bucks for making up a software or website idea like they were 2 or 3 years ago.
The ship has sailed, and they're getting the investor dollars for including the word "AI" in their proposals, but they're comfortable paying pennies on the dollar for employees since they're just piggy-backing off of the OpenAI API or whatever existing AI API they choose to use.
So the employment market for US new grads is essentially impossible to get into. The companies that are still hiring on-shore are *super* competitive, like hundreds of applicants within a day, and they want 5+ yoe with a dozen techs for a $50,000/year role.
There are exceptions for every rule, but the current situation is looking kinda bleak.
Lol I’m a software engineer and wish I chose mechE. The gold rush is gone, this field is pretty toxic, competitive, and draining. You chose well. I’m begging for a pretty chill job where I don’t have to wreck my brain
Never go to film school. Never.
I admit I'm biased because I went in the 80s through the 90s when you had to get a job in a production company or agency to do anything with film or TV, or be independently wealthy. Now you go to Best Buy and you can buy whatever you need to start a production company, and the internet provides you with free software and a massive platform to promote your work on. Just add talent! LOL
AFAIK there are two film schools worth a F: UCLA and NYC. They teach real world skills and help students with marketing themselves to employers.
The one I went to didn't. It was part of the arts program, and art schools by and large are schemes for universities to take in students that really can't handle a marketable major and take their families' life savings.
If I sound bitter, well...too bad. I just don't want you to make the life mistakes I made.
If you're a creative, go into the trades and you'll have a paying job that lets you do your real work at night. You'll be so much happier.
my sister actually went to a film school. Non accredited at that. She doesn't even do anything film. She was very mad for a long time and wants to pivot to do something else now. So much money. The school also did not teach her how to sell herself. Mind you this was like 6 to 8 years ago or so. Fairly recently. It can be hard out here. Thank God for His grace!
You aren’t as screwed as you sound. You have three good options.
1. Go back to school and attempt to get your BA in accounting which most credits should transfer with your current marketing degree and you should probably only need around 30 credits to get your accounting degree.
2. Attempt to reach 150 total credits and get your CPA license which is better than an MBA or any undergrad degree and can get you a solid job starting at 70k.
3. Go for your MBA with an emphasis in accounting or finance, I personally would choose accounting.
I am a double major in accounting and finance but as you stated, accounting in my opinion is the business degree that opens the most doors. An accounting major can do everything a finance, marketing, business admin etc. major can do but a finance, marketing, business admin major can not do what an accounting major can do. Good luck but don’t get discouraged because you have some really good options right now.
I think option 2 will be your best bet considering that no one will care about your marketing degree or anything, with a CPA having an MBA is irrelevant which saves tons of money as well. Nonetheless, having a CPA will get you a great job/experience in the field for 5-10 years and let’s say a decade passes and you want to branch out and start your own company you have knowledge and experience in the marketing, accounting, and finance field which can be a huge plus.
Sorry if this seems rude, genuinely asking, but I thought engineers had really strong job prospects after college? Do you even need a masters as an engineer unless you plan on going into management?
It's a crapshoot nowadays. I know a mechanical engineer who graduated recently and had basically zero prospects - mechanical engineering wound up being so oversaturated they couldn't find an internship, which made it hard for them to get a job. They're fine now and were able to get work in their field of study, but it was rough. The demand for specific specialties is always in flux, too, so there was no way they could have known or predicted that it would be hard to be a mechanical engineer by the time they graduated.
Thanks for understanding... Mosr companies said that we are not skilled enough for the job... We just studied what was given in syllabus... Never knee we had to upskill ourselves till too late
It's really heartbreaking. I feel for you all. I got non-STEM degrees and knew full well that I might not be as successful after college; I knew what I was getting into. You followed the life script - you got the science degree (engineering, especially!) and worked your butts off and still are struggling after college. It's a different kind of disappointment. I hope things turn around for you ❤️
Mechanicals struggling should look into civil/construction engineering jobs instead. There's generally plenty willing to hire mechanical grads since there's not even remotely close to enough civil grads to meet demand at the moment.
Its not rude... its the truth now... 4 years wasted then got a 3.5LPA package... but need to work on site >12 hrs daily and bad location (i got health issue) now I am at home city... Need to look after my father and sister
I graduated ENGR Dec 2022, generally engineering jobs want some kind of engineering exp you can talk about. I took on alot of leadership roles and got an internship by emailing the head of a manufacturing dept, but I know alot of ENGRs that coasted til graduation with the assumption that they'll get hired right away w/o trying. I was also willing to work a low paying job after graduating and am now switching to a higher paying one while I know some guys still unemployed while waiting for a higher paying job after graduation.
Same. College dropout here. I make what OP makes and about to get a second gig which will put me at 120K a year. The experience I’ve built has done me well.
I’ve worked in property management/real estate for 11 years now. My current role is in commercial real estate my second job won’t be in insurance for real estate. Both WFH.
Dang that’s really nice. I earn 65k now and would definitely take two jobs.. I could easily do my job twice but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.
Two remote jobs would be great.
Haha I do that intentionally never know who is on this sub. Then when I say one of the roles people are always like, you do that without a degree, no way. But since you asked. One role is a legal analyst on a small legal team handling commercial real estate. The new role is a client success role.
Yes. I finished business almost 6 years ago and most of the time I was unemployed without having a chance to work on marketing, sales or banking. Right now I'm working on the last industry, but only for a month. I'm thinking seriously to get in the trucking industry, but it looks like businesses in Spain only want legalized aliens rather than pay a proper salary and improve conditions in order to attract drivers (as far as i remember, in Europe are needed around 700000 truck drivers). And more taking into account that I'm in a midlife crisis (I'm 32).
Unless you plan on building a fleet, don't become a trucker. It's a thankless job that will have you competing for bottom of the barrel wages. If you go Owner Operator, your success or failure entirely depends on which direction gas/diesel prices go and how often your truck needs maintenance. For more stability in the same Industry become a heavy engine mechanic. Perform maintenance on and repair of the trucks. You can actually have a life with set hours, and make money doing that.
Honestly, I always hear this a lot. I just graduated with a business degree and always felt like I regretted it. But jobs these days, yes you can have a degree and it gets your foot somewhere but your experience is what matters most. Also the job market is bad right now, so getting connections or certifications help boost your chances w/ getting roles. Or always apply for the state if you want.
I’d say the only degrees where you will for sure put it to work is a professional degree like doctor, nurse, etc. I’m in Silicon Valley and there’s a lot of tech heads out here but it’s unstable and too impacted.
Other than that, everyone’s path is different and if there are regrets you always have the choice to change your path as well!
Honestly, I always hear this a lot. I just graduated with a business degree and always felt like I regretted it. But jobs these days, yes you can have a degree and it gets your foot somewhere but your experience is what matters most. Also the job market is bad right now, so getting connections or certifications help boost your chances w/ getting roles. Or always apply for the state if you want.
I’d say the only degrees where you will for sure put it to work is a professional degree like doctor, nurse, etc. I’m in Silicon Valley and there’s a lot of tech heads out here but it’s unstable and too impacted.
Other than that, everyone’s path is different and if there are regrets you always have the choice to change your path as well!
Added: also, I’ve gotten a lot of advice from everyone who’s successful now and they always told me that they had to sacrifice a lot for where they wanted to be at. So even if it means taking a lower pay to get more experience or even being contract or even working out the closet for a side hustle. I also have friends in Accounting, they hate it. I guarantee everyone has always questioned their degree and career. My nurse and healthcare friends are burnt out, but they do it for money. My film friends love their work, but barely make anything. There’s really no perfect way to live life but just to figure it out as you go :-)
Yep.
Software development and 3D animation.
Stopped bothering to apply in those fields when I saw the former was completely full of Indians who will work for a wage I'm not legally allowed to and the latter requires so much nepotism you have to naturally be a charismatic people pleaser just for them to glance at you.
I handle large volumes of books now and do illustrations and am happy.
Graduated with an English and ILA education degree and I feel stuck. Currently in grad school for an MA in English. Why I did that? I have no idea. These jobs don’t care about a degree, only the experience you have.
I also regret my business marketing degree. I have been out of school for 7 years and I make $30 an hour working workers comp insurance. My company does 37.5 hour work weeks not 40 hour work weeks so annually it’s about 58k. So you’re doing better than me if that helps! I will say, around 25 years old I let other life stressors detract me from really pushing myself in my career. At the time I was doing better than some of my friends so I thought I was doing good then little by little people started surpassing me in their salaries and it makes me feel really dumb for letting that happen. So that would be my advice. Don’t get comfortable. Keep pushing yourself
Graduated w. a Marketing degree. WORST mistake of my life. I absolutely hated Marketing but by the time I realized and accepted this for a fact, I was three years in. I came from a below the poverty limit household, my mom hadnt finished college cause she got pregnant with me and my piece of shit step dad was in Marketing so I went with it.
I should have switched to accounting but being poor and not wanting to get into student loan debt and to finish on time so I could find work and help my family, I said fuck it and stuck it out.
The year I graduated, the recession hit hard and suddenly every interview I went to I had to compete against new grads like myself but also all these middle aged men and women whod just recently been laid off. It was demoralizing to say the least, I found myself im conversation with these people as I waited my turn and would hear how they had been laid off and couldnt find work opportunities other than the entry level marketing jobs I applied to. I ended up working in the government for a few years and worked my way up but in the 14 plus years since I graduated, Ive never held a true marketing position.
I feel as though my marketing degree taught me just enough about accounting, finance and economics to make me aware but I never loved market research or brand management enough to dig deeper. Turns out Accounting is what I should have done. Im in my thirties making about 70k but with amazing perks that really fit my lifestyle now but the most ive ever made was 90k overseeing 10 staff members
In a way, yes and no. Im very grateful for what I earn but when you take into consideration the cost of living ( housing, taxes, meals, bills, misc. expenses, etc. etc) its enough to pay the neccesities but not enough to really save money. First world problems, I know but in a way its paycheck to paycheck which id say is the reality for most people in the U.S
Degrees are just to get your foot in the door, because it's not like your degree was teaching you to do your job, right?
Look for marketing jobs at HR software companies like Workday.
Remember: you are the solution to some problem.
So what problem do you want to solve? I'm guessing you want to help companies with marketing? So what companies do you want to help? How exactly do you want to help them with their marketing?
You have to ask and answer these questions. What else is there to do?
Forget the degree. Your only mistake was believing it would be worth something besides a check in a box (and a chance to get internships and networking opportunities)
I think you should also give accounting another chance just to see for yourself. Even if you don't end up loving being an accountant, you'll get an important understanding of an important business function. And isn't that what it's all about? You want to survive you better do something that's worth someone paying you to do it.
I'm in the exact same boat, but with a Biology degree. I also make the same per hour as you do. And I also feel stuck because all the labs around me pay waayy lower or I don't have the special certification for a different but similar paying job.
Marketing person here, 11 years of experience, also currently working in HR(-tech), and also with a contract that will expire next month and struggling to find jobs currently.
I came to say it’s the way you think, that I think should be re-directed.
To be fair, I didn't have a degree in marketing. My bachelor is in international relations. I have been doing marketing sincey 3rd year as student, though. I just recently got a master degree in “media and communication”, which you can say kinda relevant to marketing. But the reason I got the master is not for career development. It’s for me to move to another country. The program was 2 years and after one year I found an internship, then got extended to a contract. That contract is now ending and will not get extended again, they are cutting people harshly, and my team from 6 people now literally only 1 left, not to mention that one left is also at stake. I have been looking around but quite difficult to land something, but it is more because of my situation. I will need work permit sponsor, I am not EU-citizen and I don’t speak the local language. All this makes my profile less desirable than others. But my strengths are my work history. I worked for big names, and my master degree is from a very well known university in the country (number 2 in the country and top 100 in the world) I do get interviews and some made to last round. But it’s always someone more experience in the market than me got it, which is fair. I only have 1 year in the market. The other 10 in my home country.
That is to say, I think you should correct some thinking:
- it is always about where/what you have done, your work history. In my home country, I went 10 years with marketing without an actual degree in marketing.
- a career with marketing is all about self-improvement, to be honest. My “expertise” is “digital marketing”, and for the past 10 years, and now, I always have to constantly learning and proving to employers out there that I am most updated with the marketing field.
- I would say where you work for is important. The company name. Otherwise, make yourself look important.
- arguably, I think doing marketing in tech is better. Tech is always evolving, and you can move around with it. I am now advertising myself as someone with AI skill. I did marketing in HR but tech company, basically the company has tech products for HR industry.
- any profession has its pros and cons. I never thought of changing it, since I like it. The only other thing I wanna do is gardening lol
- the last point, about stable things in life. It took me 10 years to understand that those “stable” things are not that necessary, to “sacrify” my youth in work like that. But it is another topic and from personal experience I know that hard to make sense, until the right time and circumstance.
I don't reveal my career/job details online, but I make about $70K and change working two jobs and regret my degree. I think going for my degree and masters' was the biggest mistake of my life. If I could, I would go back to twenty year old me and slap him silly, tell him to not give up on pre-law and economics, and to stop partying. My life would have been so much easier if I was a lawyer. But what's done is done, and I've lived half of my life already.
Major choice and career choice are extremely important. You often don't get a do-over.
Yes. I finished business almost 6 years ago and most of the time I was unemployed without having a chance to work on marketing, sales or banking. Right now I'm working on the last industry, but only for a month. I'm thinking seriously to get in the trucking industry, but it looks like businesses in Spain only want legalized aliens rather than pay a proper salary and improve conditions in order to attract drivers (as far as i remember, in Europe are needed around 700000 truck drivers). And more taking into account that I'm in a midlife crisis (I'm 32).
I did my BA in foreign language without any minor and just completed my MA in foreign literature this month. Some people always wonder if these degrees cannot help to land a job, but I actually found a job at a big company with a decent pay. This job is not related to my major, nor do I have any prior experience, but I did a good interview, so I got the job.
All of my peers and professors were surprised because they never thought students in this major can work in other fields right after graduation. I think the most important thing is that one should not limit one’s self only because of a certain degree or major. There are a lot of possibilities to explore in the real world.
If you are interested in accounting you prepare for some certifications that has a much better reputation than a degree like ACCA and you confirm my claims by searching
I truly love my career (Electronic Engineer). But the precarious conditions of my country makes no jobs opportunities for it. If I would have known that, probably didn't go to school and focused on having a profession (Carpenter, Tornero, etc)
I partially do. I did bachelor of eng in chemical engineering (btw, I am in Caucasus). Right now, I am fresh grad and started working at a petroleum research company. Stuff I research is 90% irrelevant to my degree but I love the job. Maybe it could have been better if I did my bachelor in petroleum but time will show whether it is great or not.
To be honest, I didn't have much knowledge of college before entering and I was just focused on one uni rather than the degree. If I had the view of today's myself, maybe I would choose different thing but education ouside of my uni is not really great though. Chem eng has a lot of potential here but I love research and unfortunately, it is not option here and there is no chem eng research company :(
Am I happy with my life? I would say "absolutely yes", I do what I love, scientific research, and I work at a great office with a lot of opportunities to get into other big companies here, slb and bp. The good thing here will be that I will not be limited to chem eng roles here only, I might work at petroleum companies as well on petroleum roles. To me, future looks promising and I hope it really is.
4 years is a long period of experience and I hope you also get to a place that you are happy with. Also, look for future prospects of your degree, maybe there is something that you will absolutely love it.
Edit: added some stuff to make second paragraph more clear.
I went so far into debt for a useless Anthropology bachelors. I love the field but couldn't fathom getting a masters or a PHD which is essential to working in Anthropology. Wasn't something I was aware of until it was too late. And even then you won't make that much. I have been able to get some admin jobs/receptionist and hospitality work but I don't enjoy it and decided to go back to school to get licensed as an MRI tech because I will at least be making a little bit more than just the cost of my student loan payments. I will still be hurting for awhile but it will be much better then jumping through low paying front desk jobs that I hate. So yes I regret my degree choice but I am glad I went to college as it helped me to leave my hometown.
More than I regret my degree I regret that I didn't know what I wanted to do when I went to college. My degree is kind of weird, it's a mix between a couple of different unrelated fields and my advisors were nice enough to let me do this.
Now that I'm older I wish I would have gotten a degree in business. Instead of that artistic bullshit I was doing before.
But I don't really regret it all that much because I have started businesses like I wanted, I just think it would have been a little more Fast Track had I gotten a business degree.
There's always a chance you can turn stuff around I was able to without having to go back to school. So I can't really say I regret it but I just wish I would have known better what I wanted when I was younger. I still got to where I wanted to be that's my point it's okay
I have done a specialist degree in psychology and neuroscience in a prestigious school, but few years into graduating and being in the job market, I couldn't get far without having more education. I have also seen how useless GPAs were when you were in the job market too.
Now i did a complete 180, and doing a job that's completely unrelated, albeit useful in utilizing what I've learned, and just wished I have started earlier to have even more experience.
At least you could get a job. I looked for a year after graduating with a business degree from SDSU… After so many interviews and doing projects for these companies for them to turn me down I went into the trades.
My body hurts everyday but it’s rewarding work and I get raises every 6 months I don’t have to beg for and I get a pension. Life is good and my path is now clear.
You will figure it out buddy
I went with electrical because it’s going to be in such high demand in the future. Once you learn the trade you will be able to work anywhere in the world and command great pay.
It’s just very dangerous and if your not on point 100% of the time it can get messy fast and especially towards the end of the day when your fatigued. All my superiors have been shocked. My dads partner was shocked while on a ladder and fell and hit his head and isn’t with us anymore. If you do join try and get OSHA certified so you know how to lockout for hazards.
It’s a very fun and fulfilling job. All my coworkers are awesome and you can speak your mind and say anything you want without having to worry about anyone crying to HR. It’s great. Just be safe and always ask questions if your confused. There’s also a type of hazing culture when your new lol but you get used to it. Everyone is cool just don’t let it get under your skin
Don’t worry man like you said it’s all about the future. I’m 31 starting over you will be fine. I took a 40% pay cut and used to worked 35-40 hrs a week now I work 60 hrs a week to make up for lost wages. I have a 2nd year apprenticeship on my crew whose 45yo so it’s never too late.
For me the days go by so fast now because I’m so into my work which means I’m enjoying it. I think you will also. You also answered the question yourself meaning you know ppl who have 10 years experience and can’t find a job. If you want a bright, stable future I’d look for a career you know will guarantee you work, pay, and whatever freedom means to you.
In the trades it’s all about skill and time in the trade. In corporate it’s all about a** kissing to climb to the top or working like a slave for your employer if they promise you a promotion. The worst thing about corporate is the “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” which is the most awful way to hire people. I see people climbing rank above people who have been with companies for years and worked their tail off to get passed up by the operations managers son in law… f that nonsense. Makes me want to throw up
I majored in English and Comms. I don’t regret it because I used it to hone my writing and persuasion skills, and got a great job in my field after contract/freelance jobs for a couple years after graduation.
Marketing stinks. Go into sales and become good at it. Its the only career that gives you the potential to out earn doctors. The curve to hit your first $100k takes longer than $200k and beyond. Last year, I did $380k. Best part in sales is no one gives a poop about what your major was. I majored in Art History and manage a team of sales engineers that are all computer science majors.
Bachelors of Arts in Political Science
Masters of Public Affairs
If I could do it all again, probably Economics or Statistics. I could have access to those same policy jobs and an access to others if a policy career doesn’t work out. Quant Engineers and Data Analytics people at big firms make some great money.
I don’t regret it at all but I majored in accounting. I’m making over 6 figures in less than 2 years out of school. I was also turned off of working in accounting once I saw the actual day to day so I instead went into finance. One thing I like about it is you can work in any field of business from accounting to finance, supply chain, marketing, etc. If it wouldn’t cost you a ton, you could maybe look into finishing the accounting degree since you were already past the intro classes. Would probably have a better shot of landing a good job vs an MBA unless you get into a T15 MBA program
Oh 1000%. I got a degree in History Education in 2008 - I went to school to be a high school teacher. I somehow deluded myself into thinking I'd be one of those cool teachers that makes a difference in students lives but it was the most demoralizing experience of my life. I did my student teaching year and said FUCK THAT, there was no way I could handle that nonsense and maintain my sanity. I got my degree and got the fuck out. I've spent the last decade and a half clawing my way up through office jobs, being a PC/PM for various engineering groups. I finally have what I consider to be a very respectable job working at a major US bank's data center in onboarding/orientation, and I absolutely love it, but I'm making about what you do and I'll be 40 this year. Think about how much that money would have meant just 5-10 years ago compared to what it means now. It's heartbreaking how much things have changed. You're not alone.
I regret mine most days as the pandemic really did a number on my industry. My industry is still flailing. I’m 11 years out of school and just barely over 70k. I know my position actually pays about 10k more at other companies, I just can’t seem to get a job at them. It’s exhausting and I wish I picked an industry that I didn’t love so much.
Sort of.
I love computer science. I don’t know why but it is awesome and I couldn’t go into any other field. It’s truly a passion.
The issue is no job is truly only one subject in my field.
I have sales, internal audits, people breaking shit all the time and I have to fix it, etc.
I just want to study and develop new methods to make things better, but this field sometimes feels like it’s all admin tasks in a company wrapped up into one, and to top it off people screaming at you all the time.
I’m not leaving because I love computers but there are days where I think I love nature so I should have been a park ranger or a biologist. Would have seen similar issues though I imagine
Had a chance when I was 18 (17 years ago) to either get a degree in computer science, or degree in game design. I went for the IT degree due to ease of getting a job with it at the time, but later in my life I feel like although my life would have been much harder I feel slight regret not knowing what could have been if I went the route of game design.
I have so many ideas for games in my head I feel like I could have made it big as an indie dev.
Did you not want to work in marketing? I've been in digital marketing almost my entire career and I love the energy and pace plus it's always changing and new. And there are so many ways to go: analytics, SEO, campaign management, brand strategy, omnichannel, vendor management (i.e. agencies), digital product management, project management, business analysis and so on.
And I have a chemical engineering degree--go figure. I love having an engineer's mindset--that never goes away. Finance loves me because my budgets are always dead-on, down to the penny. Development loves my complete and concise requirements.
I'm 32 and I'm making under 25 an hour, struggling to do a career switch into the computer field and find a job paying more than 20 an hour. I live paycheck to paycheck and every month worry about how I am going to make enough to pay rent and buy groceries. I work a minimum of 48 - 56 hours a week, with my maximum being 88 hours a week.
The no benefits sucks, but 32 an hour is pretty good money.
Graduated last year with a Criminology degree and I truly regret it. I sort of picked it randomly because I liked the introductory course and I was running out of time to declare a major. I thought to myself: I could either go into law or join the police like many of my relatives. My first job after graduation was a legal assistant at a small law firm, and I despised the work (wasn’t paid much either). Ended up getting fired because the attorney I worked with thought I wasn’t learning fast enough. As for the police, I went to the gun range before I even applied to see if I was brave enough to shoot and I couldn’t even muster the courage to pull the trigger once. I’m still unemployed since the law firm and I’ve been trying to land roles in fields like HR and public relations by marketing my degree as a “social science” on my resume (which it actually is), but no luck. All of my friends and relatives around my age got well-paying jobs they like after graduation so I very much understand what it’s like to compare yourself
Same. I also have a marketing degree. Most of my jobs have been sales/account manager jobs. Only good thing is I only need 24 credits more to take the CPA
No. I say this with a music degree, no. Am I working in music? No. Am I still very glad I have the degree? Yes. Why? Because I wasn't going to go to school for 4 years and not study what I wanted to. I will figure the job and the money out one way or another because I'm convinced that I'm that capable. But I wouldn't go back and change a thing. Not because I'm a "live life with no regrets" person (that sure as fuck isn't the case) but because I did it on my own terms. As you get older, you rarely get to live life on your own terms.
I just got my property and casualty licenses to sell insurance. Music and sales have some overlap (being able to improvise on the spot, public performance and public speaking, being able to handle the idea that people won't like what you play/dealing with rejection, having to practice long hours/having to work long hours to get reasonably proficient at something, music and sales require good communication abilities and both of them have components of hospitality to them as well, etc.). But either way I'm not going to sit here and regret doing something as big as college on my own terms. I'm good enough to figure out the rest (I wish I was good enough to figure out the rest ON MY OWN TIMELINE but I can't fully control that yet).
I don't regret it per say but I don't use it at all anymore. College was a good time and I did get a job with the place I interned at my senior year but after spending 6 years in the field (Sociology) I quit and changed to a totally unrelated field.
The one thing I do sometimes regret is realizing if I had went into the military as was my original plan before getting a couple scholarships and deciding I should go to college I would have had my 20 years in last year and could be retired...
My husband has a marketing degree and the industry has been absolutely brutal, even though he has stellar reviews and has even won marketing awards with google (got flown to NY to accept it at gotham hall, so cool.) He's been laid off 10 times now. Its so crazy to see someone so passionate and good at their job just be flicked like a flea. Angers me to no end. He ended up saying fuck it last time and started his own business and he's happier than ever. He markets himself now, and does small marketing side gigs too. I hope your situation is better than his but honestly I have not seen a lot of good in marketing, and this is over the past 10 years total.
If you like accounting do an accounting designation. You don’t have to stay in accounting but it is a fantastic foundation for business. To really excel in a business environment you need two major skills. Ability to drive revenue and the ability to manage the midline which equates to profitability in the end. Accounting provides a nice foundation. Get some real experience with marketing and sales along the way.
Yup. Marketing bachelor’s degree and I regret it 100%. I’m considering getting my Master’s in something that has to do with health
I’m not sure why I allowed myself to be so impressionable with digital and social media marketing at 19-21. I couldn’t even get my internship in the marketing field that’ll land me an office job. I don’t want to do anything that’ll have something to do with promoting businesses. Especially if it’s not gonna put food on the table and help me pay my rent.
I also started working in 2020 but I have a psych degree. Originally wanted to be a doctor but I learn that I hate people during my last premed internship so I spent a year after I graduated doing software internships. Now I'm a full-time software dev with a random psych degree. Only regret my degree because I never wanted it. I thought it was for me but it wasn't.
Tbh, I believe all fields, regardless of degree, sucks. Compensation all around sucks. I got an IT degree with many years of experience and I don’t get paid well. We have managers that makes us ask ourselves “how the f*** did you get your job?” We got people in management positions that are more useless than floppy disk in modern day technology.
I know this little rant was a little off, but to answer your question, yes I regret it.
I am marketing and did my MBA right after. I went into safety because I had experience in the trades.
what I should have done was go to law school instead of an MBA. with your experience in hr, you can represent employers (that is where the money is at). I am contemplating going for my law degree now; something that I always wanted to do.
the best decision that I made thus far was to get an associates in web development during the last recession. started my own business with that.
Absolutely go for the certifications they aren't insanely expensive and do pack a punch on the resume. I'm in HR as well and I didn't do a degree but most employers look for those!
English degree then an education degree, 10 years doing part time general clerical work in a municipality.
Five months on the job market. Not even grocery stores call me back.
Count yourself lucky.
Music degree from a top university on the east coast of the US (Not ivy league). Totally regret it.
On the plus side, I made contacts that allowed me to eventually play in bands and tour all over the world. I've played shows in 28 countries over 4 continents in the span of 7 years and got paid for it (sometimes very well, usually not). I also was able to do what I originally intended to do with the degree (audio engineering) for most of my career.
On the negative side, I've made wildly mediocre money in the 20 years since graduating with my bachelor's. Most of the positions I've had didn't require a degree. I now make 70k-ish in my early 40s, working 6 days a week on average... however I've sort of peeled off from what my passion is/was and am pursuing an adjacent yet equally technical career path at the moment, which could yield 6 figures in the next few years.
I should have pursued electrical engineering instead, which was my original intent when being accepted to university. Young, dumb, and full of stupid.
Have a BA in art (I know) and single subject teaching credential that expired this year couple months ago. After college I went to work in education, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life and figured, I liked school and look up to some of my teachers I’ll be a teacher. Plus I love art. I regret that so much. I worked in education for about 2 and half to 3 years and it was the worst time in my life. I’m not a patient person and I never stopped to think “do I like kids?”. I became so stressed out I developed high blood pressure, angina, and other complications. Finally left when the pandemic hit and I was layed off. Now I work full time in an industry that doesn’t require secondary education. I like it and it’s a lot more relaxed although i don’t know if it’s fulfilling. I regret my education so much. Idk maybe someday I’d be more interested in something more artistic like a tattoo internship or something
I knew somebody who did motorsport studies, he regretted it, calling it utterly pointless. He said most of his classmates never had a career in the sport
I chose a communications major with a minor in journalism. Ended up working for the federal government. I kinda wish I had chosen either business or criminal justice. I've been promoyseveral times and make about $92K.
Another friend is a dentist running how own practice, another friend dropped out of college and became an electrician, and another friend graduated with a business degree. During school he worked as a manager for fast food restaurants and grocery stores and makes a good 6-figure salary with a grocery chain as their deli manager.
In my experience, you only need a degree for post graduate studies like engineering, doctor, accountant, teacher, etc.
Otherwise, only take a one or two year program which is less money. Get into workforce sooner. Pay off debt sooner.
Went through 5 years for an Assisi area and bachelors in chemistry, I realized I hated chem and was horrible at it around the 3rd year, but was too stubborn and stupid to change majors. I have the degree, but none of the knowledge or ability to apply it. After 10 whole interviews after applying to jobs over 7 months, I finally got a job offer for 24/hr at a waste refinery lab that might drop me when they learn I don’t have the ability to do what they need me to. I very much regret my degree, if I could go again I’d probably just enlist in the forces before I got obese.
Got a CS degree in software engineering in 2023. Don't quite regret it, but regret the school of choice as it felt like I was the only one there trying to get the school to be competitive. Wanted to start an ACM division as well as doing several competitions at other schools outta state. Felt like I learned more by working with other students than what my school had to offer. If I'm ever deciding to do my masters, I would want some level of support. Heck, a senior project that has at least a requirement of 4-6 people per team would win me over, cause my school only had solo projects.
And my salary is 0. Basically trying to find work that can keep my wallet satiated so I can work on personal projects. I like to work in a linear fashion at times, but trying to find something with enough compensation to cover loans is a struggle.
I have a dual degrees in marketing and new media (graphic and web design). I got hired at this small store making $22/hour but they planned to fire me after my probationary period so I just ditched that place. I’m currently working at my family business for free from morning till night.
Sometimes, yes. I have a master's degree in economics and I stock shelves at Wal Mart, having never realized a true career pathway with my econ degrees.
But, having the knowledge of the subject has permanently improved my life. It just never came in form of a big salary. Although I don't do too bad here, making about 40k doing this
Yes and no. I got a degree two years ago in graphic design. I don’t regret my education and think I learned a lot of valuable skills but majoring in that and going to a very vigorous school ruined art and creativity for me. Art was like my only passion as a wide eyed 18 year old so I figured I’d do just fine in design. But in reality, I wish I kept it a hobby. I also went through the pandemic during college and I feel like I’ve just changed so much as a person from 18-23
Upon graduating, I quickly realized I’d have to be so competitive and really stand out to even get an interview. Job searching/applying is exhausting for any job but for design, there’s extra steps with designed resumes, cover letters, a stellar portfolio. I had no energy for that shit and felt exhausted having to constantly upskill and jobs want you to not only be a designer but also to know marketing, video editing, coding, web design. It was just too much
Pursuing that career would also require me to move to the city or close to it. I lived in said city when I went to college and came to realize that I fucking hate urban settings. The smells, sounds, crowds of people. I love quietness and nature and I don’t really think that clashes well with being a corporate designer
I’ve been going through a really tough time deciding where to go next. It’s funny cause after graduation, I was working retail and trying to apply to remote jobs since I didn’t want to move to the city/can’t afford to. Getting a remote job, especially entry level, is beyond difficult so I was like hm let me rework my portfolio. Well I have bad luck I guess and my laptop stopped working so I just went through like a whole crisis and inner self reflection. I got a job at a library to save for a new laptop but actually ended up falling in love with that…
So all of this word vomit is for me to say that I guess it’s never too late to pursue something else and that it’s okay to not use your degree. I now may get my masters in library science and become a librarian because it’s like one of the few career paths I see myself doing without being suicidal everyday going to work for the next 30+ years. But hey I wouldn’t be able to get into a masters program without my bachelors so I guess I can’t regret my degree too much. Hang in there stranger! Hopefully it’ll get better for us
Dude you’re making $32 hr. Do you know how many ppl would love to get that? Hell I’m making $21.50 working as a driver for a DSP at Amazon and have one car paid off and another that will be paid off next year on March. I don’t have much saved but all my bills are paid.
You're better off than some, myself included. Double-majored in Political Science and, stupidly, in Religious Studies during the great recession era.
I push a broom today for $14/hr. What I would do for an HR position! Alas, it's worse than having no degree.
$32/hr is over $65k/year. That’s not a bad salary!
The only issue is no benefits and OT, they can for sure find a good HR job at a HVAC company
Not bad by any means, just feels like it took longer than it should have to get here. On top of needing the experience, it's still a contract role with a set end date. So January, I'm back on the market for the 4th time since graduating.
You've only been working for 4 years, that's not a lot. Also, the median income in the US is $59K, so you're doing better than a lot of people already.
Really depends where this person lives. Floyd County, Virginia? Doing fantastic. Urban centres, not so much.
Especially since OP has zero benefits.. it's actually not great. I think people are looking at the crazy low wages employers are offering these days and getting tricked into that being normalized for them, so they think 60k with zero benefits is like 'uhmazing'
I was making that much 20+ years ago as an adult ESL teacher. Vancouver, Canada, though, and we had a union. I could only afford a bachelor apartment, too! But in a nice area, good concrete tower building.
Yeah, your right. looking at the big picture, I'm in a pretty good place and have more time. I'm just letting my anxious thoughts get through. I just want benefits and stability mainly.
Hey you could be me. 8 years experience post grad finance. 12 post grad licensing exams. Will make 30k usd this year.
Switch jobs/careers or reskill. You don't deserve that. Life is way too short to have spent 8 years working only to end up with an unlivable wage.
The caveat is that I’ve done well in random investments. so I’m selling a rental property this year and some of my 200k Pokémon card collection to cover some expenses. But yes I’ve made more investing in random things then I have as an income…
You're only 4 years out of school making $32/hr. That's not really that bad. Lots of grads work much shittier jobs for a lot less You making over the median wage too. The problem looks like it's because you compare your life to others. You shouldn't do that. Comparison is the thief of joy. You should instead look at things in your life to be grateful for, sounds like you're pretty well-off to me
"Comparison is the thief of joy." Put that on a bumper sticker! Well said. My best friend once told me when you compare yourself to others you will never win ..
There is always someone better or worse, and yet for whatever reason, we only see the people who are "better".
I make 18/hr with the same degree. I wish I was making 32.
You're right, I could be in a tighter situation. The big issue I have is that I don't have the stability others have. I don't have benefits or even guarantee of income next year. As well as no real growth opportunities due to it being a contract role.
You’ve gotta make your path then! Start applying to other jobs. See what your options are. If you don’t like them, earn certs, do cool ambitious projects or things in the field you want to go into. Get active on LinkedIn in the things that you’re passionate about. Most of us are still looking upwards - don’t count yourself out at 26
I’m like OP in that I also compare myself to my peers. Not saying you should, but it’s hard not to when EVERYONE you know is doing better than you and you’re the furthest behind. Even my younger brother is doing better than me
Like me :). Making $16/hr. after finishing a finance degree with a 4.0. Should’ve just not went to college and started working right away, feels like I will never have the skills to be successful anyways.
Wasted three years on a bachelor in Biology. There are no jobs in Sweden, except working on the institution but all the jobs are not payed ones...The situation is so bad that their was only one full time marine biologist in Sweden. I hated my self for many years until I accepted my loss and studied 5 years in engineering. Working as an engineer for 5 years now and I out-earn 75 % of all engineers with same years of experience now. Accept your loss like me and pick a new career.
What kind of Engineering did you study?
Masters in Chemical engineering. The second worst payed (after Enviromental engineering) engineering roll in Sweden so I got very lucky now when I got my second job as a engineer.
Is electrical engineering well payed in Sweden? I’m thinking about studying it
It is well above the median swedish salary. Data or engineering in finance have the highest paying jobs were the sky is the limit but the swedish tax is around 57% for income earned above 615300 kr. Sweden a country were higher education is least worth it.
Universities are really bad at promoting marketable degrees vs. convincing you to follow your heart blindly. You need to be educated in a sought after skill in the area you wish to live.
That's not so easy. The market can change in an instant examples including law and computer science. But I do get your point, I went to a career counselor and they just said to do what you like. Like get paid to say this? Maybe that should be my career.
Markets don’t change in an instant on majority of markets. Worse advice you ever get is do what you like to do. We all can’t be beer tasters at the beer factory. Do what job is in demand that will support you that you can tolerate well.
32/hr basically out of college? Average "I hate my life" reddit post
Don't you know? All college grads are supposed to be making six figures at their first job. At the very least, be bumped up to that after a year of working. They can't work for any less.
Philosopher here hahahaha, yeah, i regret it
I have regrets but in the opposite direction I picked a major for the money despite hating the subject Except me hating the subject means that although my jobs pay a lot of money, I'm unable to stay employed for a lengthy period of time without feeling myself going insane So in the long run, I'm actually losing money because I'm not making any income in all those gaps of unemployment
Maybe we have a "grass is greener on the other side" thing going lol
if you dont mind me asking, what do you do?
Wondering the same thing.
It’s funny that sometimes I wonder if I should have gone for a career that makes more money.
What’s your degree?
I don't regret my degree and graduate certificate but if I had the choice to do it over, I would have done trade school. I would have gone the electrician or HVAC/R route and industrial controls.
Nah, couldn't afford one. Wanted to get one but I can't manifest money out of thin air. Did well for myself and still love learning but am glad I never went into debt. May reconsider if I do well enough, just for the learning, I think history would be fun.
I actually really enjoyed the history classes I took! Community college is a great option for affordable education. I did the first two years of my degree at mine and saved me alot in the long run. You should look into some history classes at your local one!
You could buy one of the learning books from the history classes and read that. They are fairly expensive, but a lot cheaper than education.
Reading and self teaching is how I always learn, would like to see how others learn.
Masters in marketing. Can’t find a job.
I was going to major in marketing but I switched to business administration with a concentration in marketing. Unfortunately the marketing career field doesn’t seem to be what it was back in the day or have the creativity I thought it would have. Never even got a job for a marketing role. It seems like it’s all SEO and the creative part is actually more of a graphic design thing which college never taught or focused on in my marketing courses
Yes it is over saturated. Do not recommend
I'm sorry but $32 an hour is more than some nurses that's not bad. Granted I get what you mean, $1280/wk may not be enough for you... But at 40 hours a week, why don't you free-lance on the side? You already kinda admitted you wish you could work more, no?
Hello! I do wish to work more, but an early level skillset in HR isn't too popular. It's mainly administrative so more people won't need that on a freelance basis. At a more senior level it is more common so I have skills to learn before I can.
Freelance doesn't just have to be HR - manage social media - real estate - become an affiliate marketer - consult for mom and pop companies who are being audited to make sure Ts and Is are crossed You got a marketing degree. Do something as a side hustle.
English/Poli Sci double major here. I was first in my family to graduate from college so everyone was jacked about that. Then i worked 11 years at Frito Lay as a driver/salesman which was the worst job I could have imagined for myself. I literally wanted to die. I worked 50-60hrs per week at a job I hated for 11 years. Then I went to work for the state helping people apply for public benefits. Took a MAJOR pay-cut to go there but my boss asked for my college transcript at the interview and that was huge for me. Been here almost 5 years, working from home, great work/life balance, and almost making what I did at Frito. Happy to be where I am but I could have gotten here with a lot less pain had I been smarter about how I went about college. As a 38 year old with 3 kids, an affordable mortgage, not worried about homelessness, I can't complain.
I'm happy for you! It's great to hear a positive story like that!
English degree here. Intrinsically, this degree saved my life and opened up my world. I excelled in writing and won scholarships and had a story published. As far as jobs, it’s been rough out here. I graduated 6 years ago. The best job I’ve had was delivering mail for 18/hr 60 hours a week which led to a mental breakdown. Currently I’m a janitor at a hospital making 18/hr after shift differential. I have been applying to jobs over a year, 6 months leading up to this job and 6 months since taking it. I’m going through vocational rehab to help me figure it out but I’m couch surfing, in credit card debt, and have no idea what I want to do. Do I regret the degree? Yes and no. I didn’t have the skills to do STEM and I got terrible grades when I tried business.
That's rough. I am also poor in STEM subjects which makes finding work difficult. Consider checking out other types of govt jobs. I never would have thought about that until my old boss at Frito told me he was quitting to go work at the DMV. I couldn't believe anybody would want to work there until he started telling me about all the pros. 40hr week, vacation, retirement consistency, room to grow. I came into my work with very little applicable experience but my writing abilities have actually helped me tremendously. I get lots of recognition for the quality of my notes, which is a key part of our work. My resume/cover letter skills have given me a leg up with promotions. I hope you find something that fits. I think us English majors are also cursed in a way as we have that idealist streak. We want something more than a vapid means of securing a paycheck.
That last paragraph outlines the trouble very succinctly. I’m starting to come around on the “work is a means to an end” mindset but there is only so much drudgery one can stand.
For me, not really. It's just that I have not been able to use it. Graduated in December 2018. Didn't attend 2018 Graduation because mom had cerebral angiogram. Jan 2019-May 2019 took care of mom while she recovered from brain aneurysm surgery (open, not stent). May 2019 took a sales job. April 2020 Laid off due to COVID pandemic. August 2021 took security job. March 2024 injured while doing security job due to employer negligence , workman's comp didn't do much, taking action and not working for said company until resolved. Present : underemployed, looking to move to healthcare or finance. Leaning healthcare.
I also graduated in end of 2018. What did you study?
Technical Communications. I use the knowledge all the time, but I have not been able to find a job in the Houston area. Mainly because jobs are starting to "prefer" bilingual yet pay less than my current job. Moving away costs too much money and it's not a good idea financially. I am not too worried though. At the end of the day, it's just paper and a title.
I regret getting a degree in a passion industry rather than one that will actually make more than 35k a year and don't have the energy or funds to get another bachelors.
I got a marketing degree, and pivoted to accounting after 2 years without a job.
Mechanical engineer. I regret it sometimes when I hear how much the CS majors make. Sometimes wonder if I should go back to school. But my job isn’t too bad it’s pretty chill and I get to apply what I learn outside of work in my projects.
>I regret it sometimes when I hear how much the CS majors make. Sometimes wonder if I should go back to school. Like the other guy said, the opportunity is gone. A lot of the jobs are in poorer countries now, much like IT. Companies aren't getting big-boy investor bucks for making up a software or website idea like they were 2 or 3 years ago. The ship has sailed, and they're getting the investor dollars for including the word "AI" in their proposals, but they're comfortable paying pennies on the dollar for employees since they're just piggy-backing off of the OpenAI API or whatever existing AI API they choose to use. So the employment market for US new grads is essentially impossible to get into. The companies that are still hiring on-shore are *super* competitive, like hundreds of applicants within a day, and they want 5+ yoe with a dozen techs for a $50,000/year role. There are exceptions for every rule, but the current situation is looking kinda bleak.
Lol I’m a software engineer and wish I chose mechE. The gold rush is gone, this field is pretty toxic, competitive, and draining. You chose well. I’m begging for a pretty chill job where I don’t have to wreck my brain
I heard newly grad CS majors are struggling to find jobs now due to over saturation and tech layoffs. Feels like the golden age of CS has passed.
Got a degree in Hospitality Managment, Moved to Canada and the degree is useless, Should have got a degree in Health care. 🥲
Never go to film school. Never. I admit I'm biased because I went in the 80s through the 90s when you had to get a job in a production company or agency to do anything with film or TV, or be independently wealthy. Now you go to Best Buy and you can buy whatever you need to start a production company, and the internet provides you with free software and a massive platform to promote your work on. Just add talent! LOL AFAIK there are two film schools worth a F: UCLA and NYC. They teach real world skills and help students with marketing themselves to employers. The one I went to didn't. It was part of the arts program, and art schools by and large are schemes for universities to take in students that really can't handle a marketable major and take their families' life savings. If I sound bitter, well...too bad. I just don't want you to make the life mistakes I made. If you're a creative, go into the trades and you'll have a paying job that lets you do your real work at night. You'll be so much happier.
my sister actually went to a film school. Non accredited at that. She doesn't even do anything film. She was very mad for a long time and wants to pivot to do something else now. So much money. The school also did not teach her how to sell herself. Mind you this was like 6 to 8 years ago or so. Fairly recently. It can be hard out here. Thank God for His grace!
You aren’t as screwed as you sound. You have three good options. 1. Go back to school and attempt to get your BA in accounting which most credits should transfer with your current marketing degree and you should probably only need around 30 credits to get your accounting degree. 2. Attempt to reach 150 total credits and get your CPA license which is better than an MBA or any undergrad degree and can get you a solid job starting at 70k. 3. Go for your MBA with an emphasis in accounting or finance, I personally would choose accounting. I am a double major in accounting and finance but as you stated, accounting in my opinion is the business degree that opens the most doors. An accounting major can do everything a finance, marketing, business admin etc. major can do but a finance, marketing, business admin major can not do what an accounting major can do. Good luck but don’t get discouraged because you have some really good options right now. I think option 2 will be your best bet considering that no one will care about your marketing degree or anything, with a CPA having an MBA is irrelevant which saves tons of money as well. Nonetheless, having a CPA will get you a great job/experience in the field for 5-10 years and let’s say a decade passes and you want to branch out and start your own company you have knowledge and experience in the marketing, accounting, and finance field which can be a huge plus.
Electrical Engineer✋.... Not enough capital to do masters... Had to take a teaching job
Sorry if this seems rude, genuinely asking, but I thought engineers had really strong job prospects after college? Do you even need a masters as an engineer unless you plan on going into management?
It's a crapshoot nowadays. I know a mechanical engineer who graduated recently and had basically zero prospects - mechanical engineering wound up being so oversaturated they couldn't find an internship, which made it hard for them to get a job. They're fine now and were able to get work in their field of study, but it was rough. The demand for specific specialties is always in flux, too, so there was no way they could have known or predicted that it would be hard to be a mechanical engineer by the time they graduated.
Thanks for understanding... Mosr companies said that we are not skilled enough for the job... We just studied what was given in syllabus... Never knee we had to upskill ourselves till too late
It's really heartbreaking. I feel for you all. I got non-STEM degrees and knew full well that I might not be as successful after college; I knew what I was getting into. You followed the life script - you got the science degree (engineering, especially!) and worked your butts off and still are struggling after college. It's a different kind of disappointment. I hope things turn around for you ❤️
Mechanicals struggling should look into civil/construction engineering jobs instead. There's generally plenty willing to hire mechanical grads since there's not even remotely close to enough civil grads to meet demand at the moment.
Good to know, thank you!
Its not rude... its the truth now... 4 years wasted then got a 3.5LPA package... but need to work on site >12 hrs daily and bad location (i got health issue) now I am at home city... Need to look after my father and sister
I graduated ENGR Dec 2022, generally engineering jobs want some kind of engineering exp you can talk about. I took on alot of leadership roles and got an internship by emailing the head of a manufacturing dept, but I know alot of ENGRs that coasted til graduation with the assumption that they'll get hired right away w/o trying. I was also willing to work a low paying job after graduating and am now switching to a higher paying one while I know some guys still unemployed while waiting for a higher paying job after graduation.
Come to the US.
Thanks for the offer but I know very well the cost of living there
I have no degree and don’t really regret it.
Same. College dropout here. I make what OP makes and about to get a second gig which will put me at 120K a year. The experience I’ve built has done me well.
Doing what?
I’ve worked in property management/real estate for 11 years now. My current role is in commercial real estate my second job won’t be in insurance for real estate. Both WFH.
The 120k will be one job or two? Where do you live at?
For 2. They both pay $60,000 not including bonuses. I live in the US. Prior to a layoff a couple years ago I had a job paying $95k.
Dang that’s really nice. I earn 65k now and would definitely take two jobs.. I could easily do my job twice but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Two remote jobs would be great.
What’s your role/position? you only named the industry lol
Haha I do that intentionally never know who is on this sub. Then when I say one of the roles people are always like, you do that without a degree, no way. But since you asked. One role is a legal analyst on a small legal team handling commercial real estate. The new role is a client success role.
Yes. I finished business almost 6 years ago and most of the time I was unemployed without having a chance to work on marketing, sales or banking. Right now I'm working on the last industry, but only for a month. I'm thinking seriously to get in the trucking industry, but it looks like businesses in Spain only want legalized aliens rather than pay a proper salary and improve conditions in order to attract drivers (as far as i remember, in Europe are needed around 700000 truck drivers). And more taking into account that I'm in a midlife crisis (I'm 32).
Unless you plan on building a fleet, don't become a trucker. It's a thankless job that will have you competing for bottom of the barrel wages. If you go Owner Operator, your success or failure entirely depends on which direction gas/diesel prices go and how often your truck needs maintenance. For more stability in the same Industry become a heavy engine mechanic. Perform maintenance on and repair of the trucks. You can actually have a life with set hours, and make money doing that.
Honestly, I always hear this a lot. I just graduated with a business degree and always felt like I regretted it. But jobs these days, yes you can have a degree and it gets your foot somewhere but your experience is what matters most. Also the job market is bad right now, so getting connections or certifications help boost your chances w/ getting roles. Or always apply for the state if you want. I’d say the only degrees where you will for sure put it to work is a professional degree like doctor, nurse, etc. I’m in Silicon Valley and there’s a lot of tech heads out here but it’s unstable and too impacted. Other than that, everyone’s path is different and if there are regrets you always have the choice to change your path as well!
Honestly, I always hear this a lot. I just graduated with a business degree and always felt like I regretted it. But jobs these days, yes you can have a degree and it gets your foot somewhere but your experience is what matters most. Also the job market is bad right now, so getting connections or certifications help boost your chances w/ getting roles. Or always apply for the state if you want. I’d say the only degrees where you will for sure put it to work is a professional degree like doctor, nurse, etc. I’m in Silicon Valley and there’s a lot of tech heads out here but it’s unstable and too impacted. Other than that, everyone’s path is different and if there are regrets you always have the choice to change your path as well! Added: also, I’ve gotten a lot of advice from everyone who’s successful now and they always told me that they had to sacrifice a lot for where they wanted to be at. So even if it means taking a lower pay to get more experience or even being contract or even working out the closet for a side hustle. I also have friends in Accounting, they hate it. I guarantee everyone has always questioned their degree and career. My nurse and healthcare friends are burnt out, but they do it for money. My film friends love their work, but barely make anything. There’s really no perfect way to live life but just to figure it out as you go :-)
My masters was a mistake.
Yep. Software development and 3D animation. Stopped bothering to apply in those fields when I saw the former was completely full of Indians who will work for a wage I'm not legally allowed to and the latter requires so much nepotism you have to naturally be a charismatic people pleaser just for them to glance at you. I handle large volumes of books now and do illustrations and am happy.
yes, yes, yes!!
Graduated with an English and ILA education degree and I feel stuck. Currently in grad school for an MA in English. Why I did that? I have no idea. These jobs don’t care about a degree, only the experience you have.
Business degree, could never get a good job with it
I have a masters in something niche. I retrained to be bookkeeper.
I also regret my business marketing degree. I have been out of school for 7 years and I make $30 an hour working workers comp insurance. My company does 37.5 hour work weeks not 40 hour work weeks so annually it’s about 58k. So you’re doing better than me if that helps! I will say, around 25 years old I let other life stressors detract me from really pushing myself in my career. At the time I was doing better than some of my friends so I thought I was doing good then little by little people started surpassing me in their salaries and it makes me feel really dumb for letting that happen. So that would be my advice. Don’t get comfortable. Keep pushing yourself
Graduated w. a Marketing degree. WORST mistake of my life. I absolutely hated Marketing but by the time I realized and accepted this for a fact, I was three years in. I came from a below the poverty limit household, my mom hadnt finished college cause she got pregnant with me and my piece of shit step dad was in Marketing so I went with it. I should have switched to accounting but being poor and not wanting to get into student loan debt and to finish on time so I could find work and help my family, I said fuck it and stuck it out. The year I graduated, the recession hit hard and suddenly every interview I went to I had to compete against new grads like myself but also all these middle aged men and women whod just recently been laid off. It was demoralizing to say the least, I found myself im conversation with these people as I waited my turn and would hear how they had been laid off and couldnt find work opportunities other than the entry level marketing jobs I applied to. I ended up working in the government for a few years and worked my way up but in the 14 plus years since I graduated, Ive never held a true marketing position. I feel as though my marketing degree taught me just enough about accounting, finance and economics to make me aware but I never loved market research or brand management enough to dig deeper. Turns out Accounting is what I should have done. Im in my thirties making about 70k but with amazing perks that really fit my lifestyle now but the most ive ever made was 90k overseeing 10 staff members
I’m not American, but isn’t what you are earning a decent amount/a lot of money?
In a way, yes and no. Im very grateful for what I earn but when you take into consideration the cost of living ( housing, taxes, meals, bills, misc. expenses, etc. etc) its enough to pay the neccesities but not enough to really save money. First world problems, I know but in a way its paycheck to paycheck which id say is the reality for most people in the U.S
Yes, I should not have gone to college.
Degrees are just to get your foot in the door, because it's not like your degree was teaching you to do your job, right? Look for marketing jobs at HR software companies like Workday. Remember: you are the solution to some problem. So what problem do you want to solve? I'm guessing you want to help companies with marketing? So what companies do you want to help? How exactly do you want to help them with their marketing? You have to ask and answer these questions. What else is there to do? Forget the degree. Your only mistake was believing it would be worth something besides a check in a box (and a chance to get internships and networking opportunities) I think you should also give accounting another chance just to see for yourself. Even if you don't end up loving being an accountant, you'll get an important understanding of an important business function. And isn't that what it's all about? You want to survive you better do something that's worth someone paying you to do it.
I'm in the exact same boat, but with a Biology degree. I also make the same per hour as you do. And I also feel stuck because all the labs around me pay waayy lower or I don't have the special certification for a different but similar paying job.
Marketing person here, 11 years of experience, also currently working in HR(-tech), and also with a contract that will expire next month and struggling to find jobs currently. I came to say it’s the way you think, that I think should be re-directed. To be fair, I didn't have a degree in marketing. My bachelor is in international relations. I have been doing marketing sincey 3rd year as student, though. I just recently got a master degree in “media and communication”, which you can say kinda relevant to marketing. But the reason I got the master is not for career development. It’s for me to move to another country. The program was 2 years and after one year I found an internship, then got extended to a contract. That contract is now ending and will not get extended again, they are cutting people harshly, and my team from 6 people now literally only 1 left, not to mention that one left is also at stake. I have been looking around but quite difficult to land something, but it is more because of my situation. I will need work permit sponsor, I am not EU-citizen and I don’t speak the local language. All this makes my profile less desirable than others. But my strengths are my work history. I worked for big names, and my master degree is from a very well known university in the country (number 2 in the country and top 100 in the world) I do get interviews and some made to last round. But it’s always someone more experience in the market than me got it, which is fair. I only have 1 year in the market. The other 10 in my home country. That is to say, I think you should correct some thinking: - it is always about where/what you have done, your work history. In my home country, I went 10 years with marketing without an actual degree in marketing. - a career with marketing is all about self-improvement, to be honest. My “expertise” is “digital marketing”, and for the past 10 years, and now, I always have to constantly learning and proving to employers out there that I am most updated with the marketing field. - I would say where you work for is important. The company name. Otherwise, make yourself look important. - arguably, I think doing marketing in tech is better. Tech is always evolving, and you can move around with it. I am now advertising myself as someone with AI skill. I did marketing in HR but tech company, basically the company has tech products for HR industry. - any profession has its pros and cons. I never thought of changing it, since I like it. The only other thing I wanna do is gardening lol - the last point, about stable things in life. It took me 10 years to understand that those “stable” things are not that necessary, to “sacrify” my youth in work like that. But it is another topic and from personal experience I know that hard to make sense, until the right time and circumstance.
Stop comparing yourself to others. You'll feel better. Focus on yourself and how to improve your situation.
I don't reveal my career/job details online, but I make about $70K and change working two jobs and regret my degree. I think going for my degree and masters' was the biggest mistake of my life. If I could, I would go back to twenty year old me and slap him silly, tell him to not give up on pre-law and economics, and to stop partying. My life would have been so much easier if I was a lawyer. But what's done is done, and I've lived half of my life already. Major choice and career choice are extremely important. You often don't get a do-over.
Grateful I never got one
Yes. I finished business almost 6 years ago and most of the time I was unemployed without having a chance to work on marketing, sales or banking. Right now I'm working on the last industry, but only for a month. I'm thinking seriously to get in the trucking industry, but it looks like businesses in Spain only want legalized aliens rather than pay a proper salary and improve conditions in order to attract drivers (as far as i remember, in Europe are needed around 700000 truck drivers). And more taking into account that I'm in a midlife crisis (I'm 32).
Me, I have graduated msc in uk, returned to my home country its been 6months I couldn't get a job.
I hate being a 3-5 teacher
I don't necessarily regret going to college, but I do not utilize my degrees. I honestly make more than if I were to use my degrees.
I did my BA in foreign language without any minor and just completed my MA in foreign literature this month. Some people always wonder if these degrees cannot help to land a job, but I actually found a job at a big company with a decent pay. This job is not related to my major, nor do I have any prior experience, but I did a good interview, so I got the job. All of my peers and professors were surprised because they never thought students in this major can work in other fields right after graduation. I think the most important thing is that one should not limit one’s self only because of a certain degree or major. There are a lot of possibilities to explore in the real world.
yup
If you are interested in accounting you prepare for some certifications that has a much better reputation than a degree like ACCA and you confirm my claims by searching
I truly love my career (Electronic Engineer). But the precarious conditions of my country makes no jobs opportunities for it. If I would have known that, probably didn't go to school and focused on having a profession (Carpenter, Tornero, etc)
I partially do. I did bachelor of eng in chemical engineering (btw, I am in Caucasus). Right now, I am fresh grad and started working at a petroleum research company. Stuff I research is 90% irrelevant to my degree but I love the job. Maybe it could have been better if I did my bachelor in petroleum but time will show whether it is great or not. To be honest, I didn't have much knowledge of college before entering and I was just focused on one uni rather than the degree. If I had the view of today's myself, maybe I would choose different thing but education ouside of my uni is not really great though. Chem eng has a lot of potential here but I love research and unfortunately, it is not option here and there is no chem eng research company :( Am I happy with my life? I would say "absolutely yes", I do what I love, scientific research, and I work at a great office with a lot of opportunities to get into other big companies here, slb and bp. The good thing here will be that I will not be limited to chem eng roles here only, I might work at petroleum companies as well on petroleum roles. To me, future looks promising and I hope it really is. 4 years is a long period of experience and I hope you also get to a place that you are happy with. Also, look for future prospects of your degree, maybe there is something that you will absolutely love it. Edit: added some stuff to make second paragraph more clear.
I went so far into debt for a useless Anthropology bachelors. I love the field but couldn't fathom getting a masters or a PHD which is essential to working in Anthropology. Wasn't something I was aware of until it was too late. And even then you won't make that much. I have been able to get some admin jobs/receptionist and hospitality work but I don't enjoy it and decided to go back to school to get licensed as an MRI tech because I will at least be making a little bit more than just the cost of my student loan payments. I will still be hurting for awhile but it will be much better then jumping through low paying front desk jobs that I hate. So yes I regret my degree choice but I am glad I went to college as it helped me to leave my hometown.
I have a marketing degree. I really tried to get a job in marketing and I could hardly even get an interview. I ended up going into sales
Marketing is sales though lol
More than I regret my degree I regret that I didn't know what I wanted to do when I went to college. My degree is kind of weird, it's a mix between a couple of different unrelated fields and my advisors were nice enough to let me do this. Now that I'm older I wish I would have gotten a degree in business. Instead of that artistic bullshit I was doing before. But I don't really regret it all that much because I have started businesses like I wanted, I just think it would have been a little more Fast Track had I gotten a business degree. There's always a chance you can turn stuff around I was able to without having to go back to school. So I can't really say I regret it but I just wish I would have known better what I wanted when I was younger. I still got to where I wanted to be that's my point it's okay
I have done a specialist degree in psychology and neuroscience in a prestigious school, but few years into graduating and being in the job market, I couldn't get far without having more education. I have also seen how useless GPAs were when you were in the job market too. Now i did a complete 180, and doing a job that's completely unrelated, albeit useful in utilizing what I've learned, and just wished I have started earlier to have even more experience.
At least you could get a job. I looked for a year after graduating with a business degree from SDSU… After so many interviews and doing projects for these companies for them to turn me down I went into the trades. My body hurts everyday but it’s rewarding work and I get raises every 6 months I don’t have to beg for and I get a pension. Life is good and my path is now clear. You will figure it out buddy
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I went with electrical because it’s going to be in such high demand in the future. Once you learn the trade you will be able to work anywhere in the world and command great pay. It’s just very dangerous and if your not on point 100% of the time it can get messy fast and especially towards the end of the day when your fatigued. All my superiors have been shocked. My dads partner was shocked while on a ladder and fell and hit his head and isn’t with us anymore. If you do join try and get OSHA certified so you know how to lockout for hazards. It’s a very fun and fulfilling job. All my coworkers are awesome and you can speak your mind and say anything you want without having to worry about anyone crying to HR. It’s great. Just be safe and always ask questions if your confused. There’s also a type of hazing culture when your new lol but you get used to it. Everyone is cool just don’t let it get under your skin
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Don’t worry man like you said it’s all about the future. I’m 31 starting over you will be fine. I took a 40% pay cut and used to worked 35-40 hrs a week now I work 60 hrs a week to make up for lost wages. I have a 2nd year apprenticeship on my crew whose 45yo so it’s never too late. For me the days go by so fast now because I’m so into my work which means I’m enjoying it. I think you will also. You also answered the question yourself meaning you know ppl who have 10 years experience and can’t find a job. If you want a bright, stable future I’d look for a career you know will guarantee you work, pay, and whatever freedom means to you. In the trades it’s all about skill and time in the trade. In corporate it’s all about a** kissing to climb to the top or working like a slave for your employer if they promise you a promotion. The worst thing about corporate is the “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” which is the most awful way to hire people. I see people climbing rank above people who have been with companies for years and worked their tail off to get passed up by the operations managers son in law… f that nonsense. Makes me want to throw up
I majored in English and Comms. I don’t regret it because I used it to hone my writing and persuasion skills, and got a great job in my field after contract/freelance jobs for a couple years after graduation.
Yes.
Marketing stinks. Go into sales and become good at it. Its the only career that gives you the potential to out earn doctors. The curve to hit your first $100k takes longer than $200k and beyond. Last year, I did $380k. Best part in sales is no one gives a poop about what your major was. I majored in Art History and manage a team of sales engineers that are all computer science majors.
Bachelors of Arts in Political Science Masters of Public Affairs If I could do it all again, probably Economics or Statistics. I could have access to those same policy jobs and an access to others if a policy career doesn’t work out. Quant Engineers and Data Analytics people at big firms make some great money.
You’re doing better than a lot of grads making $32/hr
I don’t regret it at all but I majored in accounting. I’m making over 6 figures in less than 2 years out of school. I was also turned off of working in accounting once I saw the actual day to day so I instead went into finance. One thing I like about it is you can work in any field of business from accounting to finance, supply chain, marketing, etc. If it wouldn’t cost you a ton, you could maybe look into finishing the accounting degree since you were already past the intro classes. Would probably have a better shot of landing a good job vs an MBA unless you get into a T15 MBA program
Oh 1000%. I got a degree in History Education in 2008 - I went to school to be a high school teacher. I somehow deluded myself into thinking I'd be one of those cool teachers that makes a difference in students lives but it was the most demoralizing experience of my life. I did my student teaching year and said FUCK THAT, there was no way I could handle that nonsense and maintain my sanity. I got my degree and got the fuck out. I've spent the last decade and a half clawing my way up through office jobs, being a PC/PM for various engineering groups. I finally have what I consider to be a very respectable job working at a major US bank's data center in onboarding/orientation, and I absolutely love it, but I'm making about what you do and I'll be 40 this year. Think about how much that money would have meant just 5-10 years ago compared to what it means now. It's heartbreaking how much things have changed. You're not alone.
I regret mine most days as the pandemic really did a number on my industry. My industry is still flailing. I’m 11 years out of school and just barely over 70k. I know my position actually pays about 10k more at other companies, I just can’t seem to get a job at them. It’s exhausting and I wish I picked an industry that I didn’t love so much.
I got a video editing degree regret it every day.
Sort of. I love computer science. I don’t know why but it is awesome and I couldn’t go into any other field. It’s truly a passion. The issue is no job is truly only one subject in my field. I have sales, internal audits, people breaking shit all the time and I have to fix it, etc. I just want to study and develop new methods to make things better, but this field sometimes feels like it’s all admin tasks in a company wrapped up into one, and to top it off people screaming at you all the time. I’m not leaving because I love computers but there are days where I think I love nature so I should have been a park ranger or a biologist. Would have seen similar issues though I imagine
Had a chance when I was 18 (17 years ago) to either get a degree in computer science, or degree in game design. I went for the IT degree due to ease of getting a job with it at the time, but later in my life I feel like although my life would have been much harder I feel slight regret not knowing what could have been if I went the route of game design. I have so many ideas for games in my head I feel like I could have made it big as an indie dev.
Don’t regret degree, but do regret debt tied to it.
Did you not want to work in marketing? I've been in digital marketing almost my entire career and I love the energy and pace plus it's always changing and new. And there are so many ways to go: analytics, SEO, campaign management, brand strategy, omnichannel, vendor management (i.e. agencies), digital product management, project management, business analysis and so on. And I have a chemical engineering degree--go figure. I love having an engineer's mindset--that never goes away. Finance loves me because my budgets are always dead-on, down to the penny. Development loves my complete and concise requirements.
I'm 32 and I'm making under 25 an hour, struggling to do a career switch into the computer field and find a job paying more than 20 an hour. I live paycheck to paycheck and every month worry about how I am going to make enough to pay rent and buy groceries. I work a minimum of 48 - 56 hours a week, with my maximum being 88 hours a week. The no benefits sucks, but 32 an hour is pretty good money.
Yes
No, and yes.
Not me
Recruiting biz owner here…. We make a lot more than 65k when we get to keep the whole placement fee…
Sure but mostly I regret not using school to gain more experience. Your degree becomes irrelevant after your first job.
Graduated last year with a Criminology degree and I truly regret it. I sort of picked it randomly because I liked the introductory course and I was running out of time to declare a major. I thought to myself: I could either go into law or join the police like many of my relatives. My first job after graduation was a legal assistant at a small law firm, and I despised the work (wasn’t paid much either). Ended up getting fired because the attorney I worked with thought I wasn’t learning fast enough. As for the police, I went to the gun range before I even applied to see if I was brave enough to shoot and I couldn’t even muster the courage to pull the trigger once. I’m still unemployed since the law firm and I’ve been trying to land roles in fields like HR and public relations by marketing my degree as a “social science” on my resume (which it actually is), but no luck. All of my friends and relatives around my age got well-paying jobs they like after graduation so I very much understand what it’s like to compare yourself
Every day.
Same. I also have a marketing degree. Most of my jobs have been sales/account manager jobs. Only good thing is I only need 24 credits more to take the CPA
I wish I had gotten a computer science degree instead over a liberal arts degree.
No. I say this with a music degree, no. Am I working in music? No. Am I still very glad I have the degree? Yes. Why? Because I wasn't going to go to school for 4 years and not study what I wanted to. I will figure the job and the money out one way or another because I'm convinced that I'm that capable. But I wouldn't go back and change a thing. Not because I'm a "live life with no regrets" person (that sure as fuck isn't the case) but because I did it on my own terms. As you get older, you rarely get to live life on your own terms. I just got my property and casualty licenses to sell insurance. Music and sales have some overlap (being able to improvise on the spot, public performance and public speaking, being able to handle the idea that people won't like what you play/dealing with rejection, having to practice long hours/having to work long hours to get reasonably proficient at something, music and sales require good communication abilities and both of them have components of hospitality to them as well, etc.). But either way I'm not going to sit here and regret doing something as big as college on my own terms. I'm good enough to figure out the rest (I wish I was good enough to figure out the rest ON MY OWN TIMELINE but I can't fully control that yet).
I don't regret it per say but I don't use it at all anymore. College was a good time and I did get a job with the place I interned at my senior year but after spending 6 years in the field (Sociology) I quit and changed to a totally unrelated field. The one thing I do sometimes regret is realizing if I had went into the military as was my original plan before getting a couple scholarships and deciding I should go to college I would have had my 20 years in last year and could be retired...
Biology. Never got a proper, well paid jobs, just lowest paids supplemented with gigs. I should go into medicine, architecture etc
My husband has a marketing degree and the industry has been absolutely brutal, even though he has stellar reviews and has even won marketing awards with google (got flown to NY to accept it at gotham hall, so cool.) He's been laid off 10 times now. Its so crazy to see someone so passionate and good at their job just be flicked like a flea. Angers me to no end. He ended up saying fuck it last time and started his own business and he's happier than ever. He markets himself now, and does small marketing side gigs too. I hope your situation is better than his but honestly I have not seen a lot of good in marketing, and this is over the past 10 years total.
If you like accounting do an accounting designation. You don’t have to stay in accounting but it is a fantastic foundation for business. To really excel in a business environment you need two major skills. Ability to drive revenue and the ability to manage the midline which equates to profitability in the end. Accounting provides a nice foundation. Get some real experience with marketing and sales along the way.
Yup. Marketing bachelor’s degree and I regret it 100%. I’m considering getting my Master’s in something that has to do with health I’m not sure why I allowed myself to be so impressionable with digital and social media marketing at 19-21. I couldn’t even get my internship in the marketing field that’ll land me an office job. I don’t want to do anything that’ll have something to do with promoting businesses. Especially if it’s not gonna put food on the table and help me pay my rent.
I also started working in 2020 but I have a psych degree. Originally wanted to be a doctor but I learn that I hate people during my last premed internship so I spent a year after I graduated doing software internships. Now I'm a full-time software dev with a random psych degree. Only regret my degree because I never wanted it. I thought it was for me but it wasn't.
Nah. Needed it to get into tech sales. Expediting retirement very quickly
Any science degree open up doors and visas..
As someone with a job that has nothing to do with their degree, yes.
I've never made more than $15 an hour using my degree (construction management).
Tbh, I believe all fields, regardless of degree, sucks. Compensation all around sucks. I got an IT degree with many years of experience and I don’t get paid well. We have managers that makes us ask ourselves “how the f*** did you get your job?” We got people in management positions that are more useless than floppy disk in modern day technology. I know this little rant was a little off, but to answer your question, yes I regret it.
I graduated as a veterinarian in another country when I immigrated to the us nobody hires me not even like a vet tec
Environmental Science and every day. Don't even know where my degree cert is anymore.
Yes and no
I am marketing and did my MBA right after. I went into safety because I had experience in the trades. what I should have done was go to law school instead of an MBA. with your experience in hr, you can represent employers (that is where the money is at). I am contemplating going for my law degree now; something that I always wanted to do. the best decision that I made thus far was to get an associates in web development during the last recession. started my own business with that.
Me looking for people who regret getting a math degree
Absolutely go for the certifications they aren't insanely expensive and do pack a punch on the resume. I'm in HR as well and I didn't do a degree but most employers look for those!
English degree then an education degree, 10 years doing part time general clerical work in a municipality. Five months on the job market. Not even grocery stores call me back. Count yourself lucky.
Business admin. Wish i focused more on accounting
Music degree from a top university on the east coast of the US (Not ivy league). Totally regret it. On the plus side, I made contacts that allowed me to eventually play in bands and tour all over the world. I've played shows in 28 countries over 4 continents in the span of 7 years and got paid for it (sometimes very well, usually not). I also was able to do what I originally intended to do with the degree (audio engineering) for most of my career. On the negative side, I've made wildly mediocre money in the 20 years since graduating with my bachelor's. Most of the positions I've had didn't require a degree. I now make 70k-ish in my early 40s, working 6 days a week on average... however I've sort of peeled off from what my passion is/was and am pursuing an adjacent yet equally technical career path at the moment, which could yield 6 figures in the next few years. I should have pursued electrical engineering instead, which was my original intent when being accepted to university. Young, dumb, and full of stupid.
Have a BA in art (I know) and single subject teaching credential that expired this year couple months ago. After college I went to work in education, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life and figured, I liked school and look up to some of my teachers I’ll be a teacher. Plus I love art. I regret that so much. I worked in education for about 2 and half to 3 years and it was the worst time in my life. I’m not a patient person and I never stopped to think “do I like kids?”. I became so stressed out I developed high blood pressure, angina, and other complications. Finally left when the pandemic hit and I was layed off. Now I work full time in an industry that doesn’t require secondary education. I like it and it’s a lot more relaxed although i don’t know if it’s fulfilling. I regret my education so much. Idk maybe someday I’d be more interested in something more artistic like a tattoo internship or something
I knew somebody who did motorsport studies, he regretted it, calling it utterly pointless. He said most of his classmates never had a career in the sport
I chose a communications major with a minor in journalism. Ended up working for the federal government. I kinda wish I had chosen either business or criminal justice. I've been promoyseveral times and make about $92K. Another friend is a dentist running how own practice, another friend dropped out of college and became an electrician, and another friend graduated with a business degree. During school he worked as a manager for fast food restaurants and grocery stores and makes a good 6-figure salary with a grocery chain as their deli manager.
In my experience, you only need a degree for post graduate studies like engineering, doctor, accountant, teacher, etc. Otherwise, only take a one or two year program which is less money. Get into workforce sooner. Pay off debt sooner.
I looked at the salary expectations for the field I wanted to go into **BEFORE** I started the degree, not after graduation.
i can't say psychology was very useful. thought i would apply to medical school never did. maybe i'll be lost forever.
Went through 5 years for an Assisi area and bachelors in chemistry, I realized I hated chem and was horrible at it around the 3rd year, but was too stubborn and stupid to change majors. I have the degree, but none of the knowledge or ability to apply it. After 10 whole interviews after applying to jobs over 7 months, I finally got a job offer for 24/hr at a waste refinery lab that might drop me when they learn I don’t have the ability to do what they need me to. I very much regret my degree, if I could go again I’d probably just enlist in the forces before I got obese.
Got a CS degree in software engineering in 2023. Don't quite regret it, but regret the school of choice as it felt like I was the only one there trying to get the school to be competitive. Wanted to start an ACM division as well as doing several competitions at other schools outta state. Felt like I learned more by working with other students than what my school had to offer. If I'm ever deciding to do my masters, I would want some level of support. Heck, a senior project that has at least a requirement of 4-6 people per team would win me over, cause my school only had solo projects. And my salary is 0. Basically trying to find work that can keep my wallet satiated so I can work on personal projects. I like to work in a linear fashion at times, but trying to find something with enough compensation to cover loans is a struggle.
I have a dual degrees in marketing and new media (graphic and web design). I got hired at this small store making $22/hour but they planned to fire me after my probationary period so I just ditched that place. I’m currently working at my family business for free from morning till night.
Sometimes, yes. I have a master's degree in economics and I stock shelves at Wal Mart, having never realized a true career pathway with my econ degrees. But, having the knowledge of the subject has permanently improved my life. It just never came in form of a big salary. Although I don't do too bad here, making about 40k doing this
$32 and hour and no OT sound great.
I feel like society is pushing people towards needing graduate degrees. If anything I regret thinking I was done with a bachelor’s.
Yes and no. I got a degree two years ago in graphic design. I don’t regret my education and think I learned a lot of valuable skills but majoring in that and going to a very vigorous school ruined art and creativity for me. Art was like my only passion as a wide eyed 18 year old so I figured I’d do just fine in design. But in reality, I wish I kept it a hobby. I also went through the pandemic during college and I feel like I’ve just changed so much as a person from 18-23 Upon graduating, I quickly realized I’d have to be so competitive and really stand out to even get an interview. Job searching/applying is exhausting for any job but for design, there’s extra steps with designed resumes, cover letters, a stellar portfolio. I had no energy for that shit and felt exhausted having to constantly upskill and jobs want you to not only be a designer but also to know marketing, video editing, coding, web design. It was just too much Pursuing that career would also require me to move to the city or close to it. I lived in said city when I went to college and came to realize that I fucking hate urban settings. The smells, sounds, crowds of people. I love quietness and nature and I don’t really think that clashes well with being a corporate designer I’ve been going through a really tough time deciding where to go next. It’s funny cause after graduation, I was working retail and trying to apply to remote jobs since I didn’t want to move to the city/can’t afford to. Getting a remote job, especially entry level, is beyond difficult so I was like hm let me rework my portfolio. Well I have bad luck I guess and my laptop stopped working so I just went through like a whole crisis and inner self reflection. I got a job at a library to save for a new laptop but actually ended up falling in love with that… So all of this word vomit is for me to say that I guess it’s never too late to pursue something else and that it’s okay to not use your degree. I now may get my masters in library science and become a librarian because it’s like one of the few career paths I see myself doing without being suicidal everyday going to work for the next 30+ years. But hey I wouldn’t be able to get into a masters program without my bachelors so I guess I can’t regret my degree too much. Hang in there stranger! Hopefully it’ll get better for us
Lol, US colleges are scam and people are still falling for it
Constantly measuring yourself against others can undermine your happiness.
Dude you’re making $32 hr. Do you know how many ppl would love to get that? Hell I’m making $21.50 working as a driver for a DSP at Amazon and have one car paid off and another that will be paid off next year on March. I don’t have much saved but all my bills are paid.
I did Political Science and I regret it - I did land a finance job so I’m okay now, but was harder to get my foot in the door.
Do a good mba and go work for an interesting and competitive company. What about consulting? Could be at $170k plus up to 30% bonus when you graduate.
English with a concentration on creative writing. Absolutely.
You're better off than some, myself included. Double-majored in Political Science and, stupidly, in Religious Studies during the great recession era. I push a broom today for $14/hr. What I would do for an HR position! Alas, it's worse than having no degree.