college major, advice?
 

So as everyone knows im in college :noon

Anyways, so far ive been a business major(integrated supply management). The plan has always been to use my previous military experience and training to get a job on the civilian side of government or rejoin (army). My dad is trying to push me to get a political science degree instead. Saying I would do better on the intelligence side of things than in logistics.

So, What can be done with a bachelors or masters in political science? Opinions about this in general also :sh

Re: college major, advice?
 

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Poli Sci, Devan. Can't do chit with it, that's why I'm a cop. ;) :r

Re: college major, advice?
 

Law School Or Teaching. GL, Brother!:tu

Re: college major, advice?
 

If you are thinking about re-upping, get in touch with someone inside who is in that area and ask them the question. I'm betting that they'd be more than willing to give you detailed advice.

Re: college major, advice?
 

I double majored in Poli Sci and history in undergrad. Poli sci will prepare you well for law, government job, politics as a profession, teaching and I would think would be well served in the military.

Like any major, you can specialize on what you want to do, ie whether you focus on US government, international relations, or political theory

Not to mention that poli sci chicks are better looking than business girls :D

Re: college major, advice?
 

I've often been amazed at the number of majors out there that people will go to college and rack up lots of debt to pay for meaningless degrees. My advice would be to figure out exactly what it is that you want to do and see if those jobs hire people with those degrees.

Also take into consideration today's economy and structure of outsourcing/contracting to determine who secure a job in that field is. Having worked in logistics previously, it's a department that some companies may very well dump to "cut heads" and have someone else do. I've seen it happen. I've worked in procurement for a few years and in my last position, we were deemed an expense, regardless of how many millions we saved the company. A department of 13 people when I hired in 2 years previously was dismantled to just 4 in less than 2.5 years.

For example, someone interested in psychology may go pursue a B.S. in psychology, only to realize you'll need a masters if not a PhD to do anything within the field of psychology.

Just be sure you know what you're getting yourself into knowing what expectations employers have with regards to education.

Re: college major, advice?
 

How many people know "exactly what they want to do" for the rest of their life at age 21? :confused:

Re: college major, advice?
 

Devmac, if you want to learn politics join the student senate, it helped me imensley in my day to day dealing with general politics you see everywhere. Business degree is great, but maybe add a minor in science, engineering, or economics. Any of those will show prospective employers that you have good problem solving skills.
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Re: college major, advice?
 

Devan, I typed in "careers with a political science degree" and you may want to do the same. Here are just the first three worthwhile hits.
http://www.apsanet.org/content_6457.cfmhttp://www.payscale.com/best-college...nce-majors.asphttp://education-portal.com/careers_...ce_degree.html
There has been some good advise in this thread about asking folks in the field what is necessary for the job. You may also want to see a counselor at you school and ask for them to administer an interest inventory or take a class that gives similar results about your interests and comparability to particular careers. Just don't let anyone administer the Myers-Briggs test to you; it is not a valid test, no matter how many people put misplaced faith in it, it's still squat.

Good luck, my friend. You still have time to figure out what you want to do, but coming up with a general plan would be helpful for you in the long run.

Re: college major, advice?
 

i do know that i wanna make money and not be poor. :tu

Re: college major, advice?
 

True-I guess at least he should think of a range of occupations he could see himself doing. Of course, I say this at 37 years of age going back to school for a career change as I spent 10 years doing stuff I didn't like at all. I guess if anything, I'm all for advising someone to not follow my footsteps in getting a B.S. and M.S. in a field and 10 years later changing careers. It's pretty pricey that way.

A lot of this is all due to circumstances in my life that changed my perception of things though. Had I not lost 4 of my closest family members in an 18 month window, I never would have given nursing much thought. I couldn't save any of them, but maybe I could help save someone else.

Re: college major, advice?
 

Which is why Devan should take a valid interest inventory. An aptitude test would surely help as well.

Re: college major, advice?
 

Very hard for me to believe that the demand is greater for intelligence than it is for logistics Devan. :2

Re: college major, advice?
 

I guess my history & poli sci degree is worthless

My advice: like cigars, do/study/smoke what you like and let the rest fall in place

Re: college major, advice?
 

Mac is right. Logistics does have a good demand. Especially if you go to UT Knox or any other top 3 school for logistics.

Re: college major, advice?
 

:lr
That's funny right there.

Re: college major, advice?
 

Didn't say your degrees are worthless at all. What I'm saying is there are a lot of degrees out there that really won't get you into a position in the field at all or they're in a field where there's no money to be made.

If your history/poli sci degrees allowed you to be in a position that's provided for you and your family and you've enjoyed them, there's not a whole lot more you can ask for.

Re: college major, advice?
 

It wasn't meant to be funny. I'm just aware of the reality that many students go into a major only to graduate and find out they're unable to get a job they were hoping for actually.

Re: college major, advice?
 

Devan, with a poli sci degree I know of one place for sure you can get into and with your prior military experience it would be a plus...State Department.

Check out their career fields they have. I've worked breifly at many embassies and the Regional Security Officer (RSO) is one who needs a degree in whatever field but play along the border of politics and national security and the embassy. Good pay and benefits.

But again like many others stated, besides making money, think of something you would have fun working at/in. If not then a job is just a job and you'll find yourself switching careers for something else.

:2

Re: college major, advice?
 

I would do something that directly translates either into a masters degree or a job right out of college. Accounting, nursing, business administration, or human resources. With all of those it gives you a good foundation to either get a advanced degree or get a job.

Re: college major, advice?
 

Good info to share... something not everyone knows about.

Along the same lines, I know someone who is a US Gov't Courier with the State Dept... I believe it's the State Dept. If you like to travel, it's a great job. But if you want to stay "home" close to family, stay far away. Basically it's the courier's job to deliver/monitor sensitive packages around the world. Could be shipments too in cargo planes etc. The guy I know got the job a few years ago and started being based in Germany, now lives just north of Bangkok.

Re: college major, advice?
 

was actually looking into this career for awhile. Its hard to dig up info on.

Re: college major, advice?
 

It's also a pretty competitive job to get as there's not that many positions available, with a good amount of people wanting them.

Re: college major, advice?
 

State Dept Careers

Though couriers and RSO are COMPLETELY different.

Couriers are literally ALWAYS on the go. RSO has dealings with the Ambassador on a daily basis.

Re: college major, advice?
 

Re: college major, advice?
 

Its looking more like I am going to switch to Poli Sci.

Re: college major, advice?
 

No Lifetime Career In The Military? I Would Talk To A College Counselor, Brother, At Some Point. :2

Re: college major, advice?
 

i still want a degree, i can join the military with anything.

Re: college major, advice?
 

True, Definitely Get A Degree. College Guidance Counselors Are Available To You At No Charge. :tu

Re: college major, advice?
 

Hello. I am with you that you can focus on studying international relations, as well as politics. You can understand a lot about the government of the United States, as well as how everything is arranged. But do not forget that you will have to write a lot of essays, in which I help the professionals writing the essay - read more, who always write the essay for a delinquent evaluation and I can not worry. Thank you for your attention.

Re: college major, advice?
 

Oh Maria...
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Re: college major, advice?
 

I'm late to the party but let me offer my wisdom as a career federal civil servant in 3 different departments, working law enforcement, science and general administration as an employee and supervisor/hiring official.

PoliSci will get you somewhere with a three letter LEO agency, maybe, and possibly with State. Mostly it isn't going to matter for the following.

If a degree is required, it flat out is and an announcement will say what degree and to what specifics. (Announcements for all jobs (excepted service aside, think CIA/NSA) are all on USAJobs.gov If it's a requirement it's a pass/fail bar. A hiring official won't know you exist if you fail, HR kicks you out of the pool. Otherwise a degree is a couple extra points on your total. Federal Hiring officials by and large and HR before they even get to that point are going to assign a point score based on your resume and supporting documents. Points are assigned for meeting job criteria, that the hiring official has some control over but HR has some too in how the position was classified.

What does that mean in a nut shell - Degrees mean little, but something.

What perhaps means more? Military service. There are several hiring authorities for vets only. And vets preferrence will almost ALWAYS get you more points than a degree. And military service will get you more experience. Caveat if you write your resume like **** and don't credit your own experience no one can give you points to get you to the top of the list.

What do I mean by that? Well I've scored HS only vets higher than MS holding college grads. I've also graded vets that I knew managed 40 or more people because their application was written for ****. And even though I knew the position and what they did in the military it didn't mean I could give them credit during the hiring process.

The federal hiring process is all about what can be proven before, during and after the process. If it isn't in the application package or gleaned from the interview (if you make it that far), it doesn't exist or matter. The result is no job offer.

So my advice is go for a degree in a field you like that might get you a job. I know many federal LEO's with Biology/Chemistry/ etc degree's. I would never advise anyone to seek a degree for a job unless they are looking into Medicine or Legal. Those in my experience are the only fields were its an absolute.

As for my best advice. Seek out a nearby Federal Employee or in agency interested as a mentor to help with hiring process or career paths in said agency. Seek out internships and alternate hiring programs. Seek out career fairs where target agencies are attending to talk to people from that agency.

Good luck.

Re: college major, advice?
 

"late to the party", Jason? He could have a Master's by now! :D :D :D

Re: college major, advice?
 

lol didn't even notice . ;s

Re: college major, advice?
 

I have a Bachelors... Double major in Pol Sci and Philosophy. 2 Worthless majors IMO. If I were you, I would do computer science, cyber security, finance, or Asian language studies...

If you are looking for your college degree to open doors, Pol Sci is likely to open none. ;s

Re: college major, advice?
 

I have a Poli Sci degree, and I'm not on welfare. ;) :lr

Re: college major, advice?
 

...and that Pol Sci degree was the single deciding factor in your employers' decisions to hire you.

Sadly, college today is a scam industry. Colleges and primary school teachers think nothing of the vocational intentions most are going to college for. They fail to mention if someone cares to learn about anything taught in college; every lecture and curriculum is available free online. The exclusive content and atmosphere they offer is no longer the case.

Encouraging young people to resolve themselves into a crappy financial position & assume debt so they'll have an illusion of degree that will open doors is a fraud. Most will drop out of school and get worst hand. Those that graduate get a job for pennies on the dollar on what they owe for the degree that had no direct impact on the employer's decision.

How many college grads are working the counter at Starbucks nationwide?

Re: college major, advice?
 

Nope. They want a 4 year degree, they don't care what field it's in. They're more concerned with character, communication skills and problem solving/decision making/conflict resolution skills than a college major.

That being said, I tried a couple other majors before Poli Sci, and was on academic probation and facing flunking out of college. Though Poli Sci is probably only relevant if your intention is to teach, it gave me something I was interested in and allowed me to excel rather than flunking out in business or computer courses. Graduated Cum Laude (phrasing!) after having a C/D average entering my third semester.

Re: college major, advice?
 

College is what you make of it. In a liberal arts college, the idea is to teach you how to think, which is a defined skill in itself. Generally, I think these people benefit most from further education that focuses into specialized fields (graduate school).

For those who do not wish to spend extra years/$ for further education, my advice would be to attend a university instead, and major in a field of study through one of the colleges.

Re: college major, advice?
 

The top rated Liberal Arts school in the US is Reed College in Portland. This school has produced more than its share of millionaire / billionaire venture capitalists and counts people like Steven Jobs among their former students. Their placement rate is almost 100%. Those who go on to computer science at my institution (Portland State University) are among the best prepared for graduate school. Some go on to the Sloan School at Harvard, etc. but not even one-third get a second degree as they are highly sought out with their undergraduate liberal arts degrees.

To some degree, it is the institution, but mostly it is the person who determines success.

Many millionaires are engineers and computer scientists but many more are not.

If you plan to get a degree, get it in an area you truly enjoy. Getting a CS degree just to make money is a sure way to unhappiness and also flunking out of school.

Re: college major, advice?
 

I have very solid advice to offer, but I'm going to wait seven years to post it.

;s

:D :D

Re: college major, advice?
 

Ideally, yes, love what you do. I know so many people who just work to make money - and they are extremely successful - but the most wholesome people truly love their occupations.

As for my liberal arts comment, in case it was not understood...idea of liberal arts colleges is to teach you how to think differently/independently, and graduate schools are to focus in your field of specialty. Therefore, graduate schooling is even more appreciated to those with lib arts background, because by the time they decide to acquire more schooling, they truly understand why they are in school (again).

Re: college major, advice?
 

No worries. I think that we all understood you.

Re: college major, advice?
 

Loving the responses to a SEVEN YEAR OLD thread. :r :r :r :r

Re: college major, advice?
 

If you don't have anything sarcastic to add, bugger off! :banger :noon

Re: college major, advice?
 

omg this thread is 7 yrs old LOL!!!

Re: college major, advice?
 

I just met a girl named Maria!

Re: college major, advice?
 

I wonder what our friend IS up to!

Re: college major, advice?
 

Funny, when this thread was started, my son was a sophomore in high school and had no idea. When he graduated HS, was thinking biotech. Ended up in IT. Works for the University now, pushing out product/doing presentations for the hospital and will graduate with his masters in the Fall. His current employer is grooming him for his eventual position, which at this point, he assumes he’ll take/continue working for.

Not that this input means much....just funny.

Re: college major, advice?
 

The ebst advice for students is to lnow how to study, not just learning smth by heart. I know how make your life easier, here is the website spam where you can purchase the best academic work! I tried and now I feel free from all this boring essays.