Over 6 years have now passed?

Over 6 years have now passed since I graduated with a bachelors in degree in history and I find myself applying for the same low wage positions as I did 6 years earlier. I applied for McDonald's and a records clerk position today and McDonalds pays 7.50 an hour and the records clerk position pays 10 dollars an hour. Can I conclude with all honesty the degree was a waste of time and money?



-I live in the Dallas area

-I have a good resume in which I tailor it to different employers I apply to

-I do cover letters for jobs I apply for

-I've gone back to my university's career center. They're a waste of timeOver 6 years have now passed?
You took a personal enrichment degree that was never meant to lead to a job unless you get a PhD.



Before the early 20th Century, a four-year college degree wasn’t meant to lead to a specific job but for personal enrichment, intended to turn you into a critical thinker for a career in public administration, the clergy or business where you would learn on the job



The following are considered “personal enrichment degrees”:

Anthropology

Archeology

Art

Art History

Creative Writing

Classics

English

Film

General Studies

History

Humanities

Interdisciplinary Studies

Journalism

Language %26amp; Culture

Liberal Arts

Literature

Political Science

A language

Media

Music History

Paleontology

Photography

Philosophy

Sociology

“Anything” Studies %26amp; basically anything you get a “bachelor’s of arts” in



There are far more grads than jobs in these. You can have a good life with one of these degrees but the job market does not value them highly:



http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/pf/1…



This is not to say you will not get a job but odds are that your job will not be related to your degree %26amp; may not pay as well as some other majors.



I’m not saying we should all be engineers, economists or doctors. But society is voting that way with its money



With a degree in the above %26amp; a GPA over 3.0 you can:



1. Get into law school. However law schools today graduate far more lawyers than needed, thus depressing wages.



2. Pursue a master’s in a field with a defined career path, for example business administration, social work. Hopefully such a program will not require many prerequisites you do not have. A graduate degree is more valuable than a second bachelor’s degree.



3. Go to grad school in the same field %26amp; earn a PhD so you can become a college professor. However, there are far more PhD grads in some fields like Philosophy than there ever will be any kind of faculty positions



Or with a lower GPA



4. Take a K-12 teaching qualification, which is usually 2 more years, so you can teach your subject at a public school



5. Look for a job in fields where they want you to have a degree, any degree. Where they want the degree because they want people who have proven they can stick with something difficult. There are more jobs like this than you may think



6. If you join the military you are more likely to enter as an officer instead of enlisted personnel



What is an English major supposed to do after college?



http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prair…





Information on every major:

http://www.mymajors.com/







This link considers certain degrees useless as the number of jobs that will be created in the field up to 2018 is less than the number of graduates in one year in that major



http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2…



Here is a listing of the average starting %26amp; mid-career salaries for most 4 year majors. Note that these stats only apply to people who actually got a job in their field. Many graduates in the lower half of the list never get a job in their field %26amp; are not counted.



The higher they pay, the harder the major %26amp; generally the more math they require. Just be aware that high pay does not mean high demand.



http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/08/pf/colle…



The Highest Starting Salaries of 2011:

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/pf/j…



Most in demand degrees:

http://www.acinet.org/acinet/oview2.asp?…



Hot Jobs 2011

http://career-advice.monster.ca/job-hunt…





Look here to find the job prospects for most all occupations in the USA.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco2003.htm



http://www.time.com/time/business/articl…





But on the bright side, if you have a genuine interest in the field you are pursuing %26amp; are willing to throw yourself in it %26amp; do anything for it, you will fare better than someone doing something because they can’t think of anything better to do. Those with a real passion for something can move mountains to become successful, but if you don’t have that fire in you, you are at a disadvantage.Over 6 years have now passed?
I have a B.A. in History as well. Did you not get a teaching certificate to go with it?



Here's your options:



1. Get certified to teach (Go back to school for 1.5 years plus student teaching)

2. Get a substitute teaching certificate through the state (You'll make more than McDonald's)

3. Get a certificate in paralegal studies, which would go nice with your B.A. in history (about a year of school but job market openings are in demand BIG time.)