30 People Who Graduated With “Useless Degrees” Came Online To Reveal What They Are Doing Now
Interview With AuthorWe all reach a point in our lives when we have to choose a specific career path, and many of those paths start with getting a certain degree. Unfortunately, not all educational degrees are equally useful when looking for a job in our society.
But is a piece of paper you get early in your life and the public opinion of your education choice something that dictates how the rest of your life goes? Well, as people on this Reddit thread revealed by sharing what they do in life despite getting a ‘useless’ degree, it certainly isn’t. Scroll down to see what they said!
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Not me, but a fair chunk of New Zealand were laughing at "those Idiots" that got "useless degrees in basket weaving" back in the late '80's, early 90's. They are now bringing lost art back to life. They got jobs in movies as master artists, creating those works for things like Lord of the Rings, etc. Our Maori history is being showcased to the world through their work, people pay not just for their amazing baskets but to see them work.
I live in New Zealand and that posts leads you to think there are hundreds of weavers here. That is certainly not the case. I don't know of any.
Well, there are 5 million of us. Maybe you just know some of the 4,999,700 or so people who aren’t weavers.
Load More Replies...But did you really need an expensive College Degree to learn basket weaving. Interning under a master craftsman would be so much better.
How many master craftsmen do you think there were to study under? And who do you think was teaching those university classes??
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Was told as a naturally artistic child that there was no point in pursuing art, I needed to "go to college and get a real job." So, following this practical advice, I got a bachelors degree in botany.
And a minor in art, and then did a one year MA with a focus in metals.
I own over a hundred houseplants, thanks botany! ....and have been a jewelry designer and jeweler for about 25 years, and still paint and draw.
You can't stop the signal.
OP is like me! I’ve always loved architecture (since I was in primary school), always drawing up my own plans for houses and even making very detailed model houses. But because I went on to get top grades in school, my parents pushed me to do medicine saying “you can do architecture later in life”. (I did express an interest in medicine but not as much as for architecture.) I have now graduated with a MD degree but am still at a stage of doing exams and more exams (licensing exams and whatnot) with the end goal of being an actual working doctor still far far away. I have honestly lost most of the passion I had for medicine so it’s actually much harder for me to navigate this challenging field now (went from top student at school to struggling student). But I still absolutely love architecture! I never once lost my passion and love for it. But sadly I don’t think I’ll ever be able to be one cause by being a doctor I wouldn’t have time to go back to university for another degree. :(
Jonny Kim: American Navy SEAL, Doctor, Aviator, Astronaut. Martha Stewart: Model, Mother, Stockbroker, Gourmet Cook. Brian May: member of rock group Queen, Astronomer. Mayim Balik: Actor, Neuroscientist. Bruce Dickinson: Iron Maiden's lead singer, Professional fencer, Captain for a commercial aviation company. Vera W**g: Figure Skater, Journalist, Clothes Designer. Go to dochitect.com and look up Diana C. Anderson, MD, M. Arch. She is a licensed architect and a board- certified healthcare architect with the Order of Architects of Quebec.... What you just read is in her Dochitect Bio.
Load More Replies...Yep! I always enjoyed writing and different forms of physical art and took classical ballet classes for over a decade. I won singing and other artistic competitions. I majored in English and Journalism with a minor in business with a plan to maybe work in publishing because none of my interests seemed safe to focus on as a future. At least I make enough in my cubicle to not need a second job and to indulge all my hobbies.
I have an art degree in glass art. Have been a professional glass artist since 2000, just started on the 2nd largest commission of my career for a $60,000 suspended sculpture.
I love glass art and watching it being created is fascinating. Murano was very twee but the glassworks in Malta were great.
I would LOVE to watch you work. Watching people work with glass has always fascinated me!
There are many career paths that people can choose from, and there are many different reasons why they choose them. It often depends on potential pay, demand, difficulty, and interest. But as many would probably agree, the most essential part is to follow your passion. After all, we spend most of our time working, so it makes sense to do something you like.
However, figuring out what you like and want to do in life is a lengthy process of its own, and unlike getting an education, there are few to no guidelines for it. Even if you find it out early on, there’s no guarantee that your wishes and opinions won’t change with time. But having some idea is better than none at all, and other people’s life experiences are definitely something that can help with that.
I didn't get [a] degree in it, but I did minor in women's studies since I already took a bunch of sociology classes and just needed a few more for the minor. I'm a doctor now, and it's actually been pretty helpful in helping me recognize my own biases and how they might influence my medical decision-making.
I feel every doctor needs to take women studies. Women are less likely to receive pain care than men due to the thought of "women handle pain better". When I was a nurse and worked in the ER I seen a woman come in with a broken arm and the doctor refused to give her more than Tylenol for the pain. A week later a man came in with the same kind of break and same doctor gave him morphine for the pain. Men are more likely to be given the best care while women get blamed for being over weight, told it's their period pain or they are exaggerating their pain. When my appendix ruptured I was told it was my period until I passed out and hit my head they did a CT and then rushed me into emergency surgery. So I think if more doctors took women studies they would change their outlook on their care.
My dad barely graduated a 5+ year college run with an English degree. He wanted a business degree but was declined from the program numerous times. Couldn’t find a job after graduation. Saw a newspaper ad for a concrete gig. Learned how to do the stuff. After a few years on the job, he quit and started his own concrete empire, I don’t know the exact numbers, but from what I know, he pockets at least 2 mil a year. His best advice is: “All you need out of college is a piece of paper, to prove to an employer that you can put in time, effort, and hard work. It doesn’t really matter what’s on the paper.”
You don't need the paper if you're working in the trades. So many will hire you, train you, and pay you all the while. We need to get away from this idea that you MUST have a college degree to be successful.
No college degree but have a skilled trade. Semi-retired and I'm now an adjunct instructor at our community college system in their skilled trades program. Just passing along my hard learned knowledge.
Load More Replies...I have a wildlife biology/conservation science degree and work at a welding/fabrication shop and make double the money.
My ex got an English degree in college. Was "pushed" to work for her dad's company as an accountant, which she hated. On the side, nights, etc., took HTML coding in school, got some certificate, and started working in that field. A lot of much younger kids in it by the time she got into it. Did well, nothing notable, but eventually ( a long time) took her love of animals and social media to work for a shelter - after working for Petco non-profit. English? sure...she kills at Scrabble! :)
I think this would depend on the job. Some positions sure, but if a company is looking to hire, say, a chemist then I think it would matter what was "on the paper".
My dad teaches English, so you can use that degree to teach others about that degree. But most of his students become writers, so it's not a pyramid scheme (even though I pretend it is when talking to him).
We have a saying in Australia 'Ps (passes) get degrees'. It doesn't matter what your individual marks are, you usually just need the overall piece of paper.
Did anyone see concrete gig and think it meant rock solid job?
BFA in studio arts. I am a tattoo artist, co-own a studio, and intend to go back for my masters to teach when my body doesn’t want to tattoo anymore.
I specialized in graphic design and do all the branding/marketing/interior design needed for the studio.
I taught painting classes, worked in graphic design, and sometimes do commission artwork. I prefer to make stuff I enjoy.
I got a degree in photography in the early aughts, when the world was moving to digital. Saw the trend of cellphone photography and photoshop/filtering was going to boom, so switched to computer programming instead of making myself insane trying to do pro photography. Had a friend who went from a PhD in Biology program to photography to selling real estate.
As Bored Panda found out when we contacted the OP, PoisonousChicken, also known as Yusuf Amir, he had a similar idea when making this thread. He loved our interest in his post and was glad to answer a few questions.
Yusuf told us that he is at that stage of life where he will soon have to make that previously mentioned choice about what he wants to do next. In other words, he’s currently a high school student in his senior year.
“The reason I asked about ‘useless majors’ is because I want to study one soon. I personally want to pursue a postgrad degree, but I thought it’d be interesting to read about other people who’ve made similar choices as myself,” said the OP, adding that he plans to study either Political Science or International Relations.
Bachelor's degree in animation. I deliver mail now. **Edit:** Because this is strangely the most popular post I've ever had on Reddit, and I'm still getting blasted with replies, I'm going to clarify some things here rather than replying to so many comments individually. 1- I don't think animation is useless. I love animation. I don't think any degree in any field is useless. There is always use in education. However, I took the quotes around "useless" in the thread title to mean "what other people consider useless." As anyone who has pursued a degree in any kind of art knows, the world at large loves to tell you your degree is useless. 2. That being said, from my experience, *a degree* in animation vs *a diploma* in animation signifies only that you spent more money to receive a less focused education. 3. Please stop making assumptions about me or my career. It is not your business, but yes, I did get some jobs in the industry and no, I don't want to be in the industry anymore. I'm quite happy delivering mail. 4. I made the transition because my mental health was just taking too much of a hit.
Friends tell me both 3D (clips that go into games or movies) and 2D (cartoons) animation is not a good industry to be in. Long hours at a substandard pay, job uncertainty because studios pop up and close down at blistering pace often without paying in full, unsatisfactory job at the lower tiers where it's mostly menial and repetitive tasks. If you are a freelancer you have upfront yearly expenses for the software that are quite significant, the project deadlines are often very short alternating long spells of unpaid time and short burst of 100hs/wk and the value of the work is often underestimated by clients.
It’s a hell hole, I heard stories in art school, an one of the animators from Blinky bill and the movie ‘the magic riddle’ was in class with me, he was the oldest student, he said he quit because Disney made an offer and basicly it inconvenienced his pregnant wife at the time and Disney didn’t care so he told them to fudge themselves 😂 he brought the coolest cells into class from the magic riddle movie, being it was a fave of mine as a kid
He mentioned less focused... If you go to a good school, you will get a general education regardless of your degree. At my college, every major took some core classes. Those aren't a waste of time, your degree may not be what you do for your whole life. Plus many of those help with life in general. I have a BBA and an MBA in law, then I decided I don't want to be a lawyer, so I went into engineering (which I learned through extracurriculars at college). After many years, I'm now a director using my MBA in my job, so that came full circle. College remains the happiest time of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
I knew one of the animators, female animators who left Disney back in the day in the '70s. Because of the discrimination and bias that was found there. It still exists it's probably different than it was then but she was very happy getting at the hell out
BA in medieval studies from an Ivy. I work in VFX. I've wanted to work in the film industry since I was in college, and I get to work on the coolest stuff. Love what I do.
I would have LOVED to take medieval studies! When I retire I'm going to go back to school and take the things I'm interested in.
History degree.
Went to law school and got my JD. Went to work for a private developer doing government and public relations stuff. Now working for a nonprofit as an advocate for indigenous peoples working on social and political issues like human trafficking and climate change policy.
I use the skills I learned my History degree all the time. The ability to consume large amounts of data and create a compelling argument is almost universal. Currently, I do quality assurance for the technical documentation used by a large call center in the medical field.
Anyone working on social or political issues should have a history degree! So much of what goes wrong in each generation is because the people making the decisions don't know that it didn't work last time they tried it.
With people sharing stories of their self-discovery and self-improvement, this thread also became kind of a source of wisdom and courage for Yusuf, who enjoyed reading the answers. “As I also enter that stage of life where I determine what I want to pursue as an adult, it’s intriguing to read about others who’ve passed that stage.”
The author enjoyed reading through all of his thread’s responses and was happy to see so many people join in answering his question and sharing their stories. “I’m just glad to see how much discussion was generated out of something I asked.”
Psychology degree -> bartending
Not that surprising, since to actually get work in the psychology field (at least in Australia) you have to do more study after your undergraduate degree. Since I vowed never to do more study after my own degree (education) I imagine many other people feel the same. One of my friends did a psych degree, then a graduate diploma in teaching (in the last cohort before the stopped dip ed as a qualification) which was only a one year course.
I did a degree in Social and Behavioural Studies. A mixed degree with philosophy, sociology, anthropology, psychology. I loved it Studied part time over 6 years Ended up working in Social Care, retrained as a Social Worker. Could not have been happier with my choice. It all started with my "useless degree"
My liberal arts degree helped me understand how the world works a little better. Turns out that is very useful when applied to investing. I retired at 50.
Independent Researcher* (AKA, unemployed, or at least seriously under-employed, but I spend a few nights a week at the library pretending to be a post-doc, trying to write research papers on my degree subject because I miss doing my PhD.) I studied volcanology, which I -definitely- don't think is useless, but it is niche and hard to stay in. I'm all for people studying what sets their hearts on fire and not letting people devalue their degrees, and I love to see it when people shut the naysayers up and make it work.
Volcanology is not useless. But you have to be willing to work on a planet where the population has no sense of humor and are always annoying you with their talk of "logic".
Ultimately, choosing a career path at a time in your life when you’re just starting to really figure out who you are and what truly appeals to you can feel like it comes out of nowhere and completely catches you off guard. But we can’t really change that, can we? After all, the way life and our world work, most of us don’t have the luxury to simply sit around and wait until we know what we want for certain. And oftentimes, it’s the experiences that help us figure it out.
Theophrastus, a Greek philosopher and Aristotle’s successor, once said, “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” While, on one hand, this can put even more existential dread on this decision, it can also be viewed as an encouragement to follow your dreams. They might change, and it might feel like you wasted some time here and there, but it’s better to admit that to yourself and go in the direction you want to go than to stay in denial and commit to wasting the rest of your life.
Philosophy degree. I think about life a lot. *EDIT:* I was actually a double major in Philosophy (because I wanted to explore the Big Questions of Existence) and Economics (because I figured that many philosophers starve). But I didn’t end up directly using either body of knowledge in my work career. I was an editor for some technical publications, then I made an early-midlife swivel and became a middle school math teacher, which I did for decades. I really do still ponder those life questions a lot, though.
I want to get a philosophy degree, but I'm worried Iḿ not going to be able to find a job :(
I did! Which of course is not a guarantee. But as far as I know, my co-students all got good jobs. While hardcore philosophy jobs are a little scarce, the academic skills( logic, analytic thinking, writing etc) are easily translatable in many jobs.
Load More Replies...The Teaching Company has a great intro to philosophy course that's not very expensive.
Like "Why are Middle School girls so mean?" and "Why do Middle School boy's feet smell like cheese?".
*What do you do / With a BA in English?*
Cloud application manager.
Tech editor, formerly proposal marketing for engineering firms. Not high paying, but I got to spent four years studying my favorite subject. No regrets.
Thing with IT is anyone with a logical brain can do it. If you can follow a flow diagram you can do IT.
I got a BA in sociology. Got accepted to law school but opted out because I was burned out and hated everything. I went to work at a hotel and randomly fell into accounting. It worked for me, and now I have a CPA. Life is a journey.
Film degree. Work in film production. Be careful what you wish for.
That career is early mornings, long hours, unpredictable schedule, mostly freelance work, following orders and jumping all day.
Load More Replies...I had a friend, died of cancer in his 40's but got his daughter a work placement on a Harry Potter films via a friend of his. She went on to intern on various films, last I heard she'd set up her own lesbian porn studio, kudos to her, she found her niche.
BS Kinesiology. MS exercise physiology. Software engineer now.
Did get the typically “useless” psychology B.A. but did go on to get my masters in marriage and family therapy, currently work as a therapist. So it has gotten its use!
I have a degree in accounting, that I used for six months 30 year ago.
My roomate was a flight attendant and was having a blast, I decided to apply got accepted and spent 10 years traveling the world, until I had kids. Once they were older, I got into property management. Getting my degree in accounting was easy for me, and I thought I would be good at it. However, I started hating numbers real quick.
What lots of people don't realize about accounting is that it is a highly repetitive grind
I would have assumed it's a major portion of the work?
Load More Replies...I have a theater degree. I teach theater. Even through several years of [freelancing], I haven't been without work for more than a week since 2011.
Fly planes. Creative writing degree.
Used to work in IT with someone who was previously a commercial pilot. He never told us why he switched but from his behaviour something scared him
Make your way in the world. I have the very definition of a “useless degree“ (a BA from a disreputable public liberal arts college). But I found a career that worked for me. I’m self employed, own a house, have a partner, and I’m doing fine (with less than zero help from my parents).
So fellow English majors, fellow underwater basket weavers, fellow sociologists, take heart. Be professional, charming, and smart. Show up on time and do your f*****g best, even if you’re not 100% into it. Take jobs you’re overqualified for. Take jobs you’re underqualified for. Follow your instincts and seize your opportunities. It won’t work out for everyone (this being capitalism, after all), but it worked out for me. And it can for you, too!
I know this seems like a Boomer comment but I’m 43. I felt absolutely hopeless (economically), in my 20s, but it got better.
I got a Geography degree. I'm an electronics technician at a very large defense contractor.
I love geography. Not sure what a geography degree consists of beyond being able to know where everything is, but man I love learning where everything is, and I’d love to learn the other parts of a geography degree.
Got a psych degree, now im an electrician.
We now know the real answer to the riddle "how many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?"
Bachelor’s: English/Creative Writing
Master’s: Liberal Studies/Peace Education/Educational Theory
Job: Kindergarten teacher
I teach full time on a sub license at a charter, and I’m living the dream.
Edit: I have a sub license, but I was hired in as a full time teacher.
Sales. I do brewery tours for fun and often make fun of my German degree, and then teach them related words.
Psychology degree -> real estate appraisal -> startup founder in gaming industry -> product manager at fintech company. It’s been a weird 20 years since college.
Fine arts degree. Worked my butt off for years. Now in sales, which comes so easy to me, and I make so much more money. Wish I studied business or marketing and figured this out many years ago.
BAs in English and Women’s Studies > f****d around as a copywriter, library clerk (to be a librarian one needs a Library Sciences MS,) managed a home healthcare office, other low-paying endeavors > decided at 30 to go to grad school > At forty, I’ve been a psychotherapist for 7ish years, and I’m now burnt out.
Get the library degree and become a medical librarian. We have more fun than most people think!
The medical librarian at the hospital I work at is a highly respected person, even by the physicians
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Recreation therapy degree, and now I grow [substances] for a living.
BA in Theatre Arts BFA in Stage Performance Now I'm a Systems Administrator at a world-class art museum.
Left school with 90% of a music degree. Became a controls technician for the automation field. Made more than the vast majority of the people I went to school with. Not a brag (I don't make a lot), just a commentary on how undervalued artists and musicians are. Too often, musicians break the cardinal rule: if you're good at something, never do it for free. And that drives down the value of everyone else.
I got a chemistry degree in a country that doesn't value science degrees and pays non post grads minimum wage, if you can even find a relevant job, that is.
I taught myself to code and now work as a software engineer making over 100k by my second year.
Bachelors in English/Creative writing => middle school math teacher => software engineer 🤷🏾♂️
BA in English, thought I was going to be a librarian. Logistics management for a high tech manufacturer.
So what I'm hearing is take risks, find your passions, give it your all, and don't be afraid to work a trade. The future is not as bleak as it seems
And don’t pigeon hole yourself. Sometimes you end up in something that’s loosely related to your original goal, and it ends up being amazing.
Load More Replies...Master in Archeology with a minor in eastern studies. Had a job the minut I graduated. Got disgusted after a few years of the workfield and left, do something totally non relaxed now and I am happy
I want to go in to archeology so badly in my tweens, but started talking to people about the field. I ended up having visions of never-ending grant bids (money talk is bot a great thing for me), and academia. I think I prefer to read about it now.
Load More Replies...My nursing degree had my work cut out for me, especially during the pandemic. Not all degrees are useless.
And what's nursing you have so many choices good for you lap cat and I hope you found a nursing career and a type of nursing that you love. I did home health for 30 plus years and I never looked back
Load More Replies...My brother has a degree with honours in criminology and a masters in politics and policy making. While applying for the police (which he decided wasn't for him) and then doing his masters, he got a job at a Salvation Army op shop. He is now a store manager. He has applied for graduate programs in the politics and policy making field, but so far got nothing. Now he is looking at moving into the training area of the Salvos.
Genuine question for the pandas out there... I'm a new college student and I'm majoring in psychology. I don't know exactly what career to go for in the future when it comes to psychology but besides that, my heart is really in music. So I'm hoping to get a music minor. Any advice?
Music therapy. Look it up and see if it's something that sounds like what you might enjoy doing. There's not a lot of jobs in it but it's really a good thing to do and it's really helpful to people
Load More Replies...I have a master's degree in English Historical Linguistics and had a job as an executive secretary for an international company. No, not typing letters, but organizing, coordinating and making sure that problems are kept to a minimum. Of course, this had little to do with the subject matter of my studies, but it's the skills you've learned that are also important.
BA in Eng Lit...thought I wanted to be a teacher. I do work at the high school now but I'm in the tech department, working with the database and reports...far away from students and I'm totally happy hehe
So what I'm hearing is take risks, find your passions, give it your all, and don't be afraid to work a trade. The future is not as bleak as it seems
And don’t pigeon hole yourself. Sometimes you end up in something that’s loosely related to your original goal, and it ends up being amazing.
Load More Replies...Master in Archeology with a minor in eastern studies. Had a job the minut I graduated. Got disgusted after a few years of the workfield and left, do something totally non relaxed now and I am happy
I want to go in to archeology so badly in my tweens, but started talking to people about the field. I ended up having visions of never-ending grant bids (money talk is bot a great thing for me), and academia. I think I prefer to read about it now.
Load More Replies...My nursing degree had my work cut out for me, especially during the pandemic. Not all degrees are useless.
And what's nursing you have so many choices good for you lap cat and I hope you found a nursing career and a type of nursing that you love. I did home health for 30 plus years and I never looked back
Load More Replies...My brother has a degree with honours in criminology and a masters in politics and policy making. While applying for the police (which he decided wasn't for him) and then doing his masters, he got a job at a Salvation Army op shop. He is now a store manager. He has applied for graduate programs in the politics and policy making field, but so far got nothing. Now he is looking at moving into the training area of the Salvos.
Genuine question for the pandas out there... I'm a new college student and I'm majoring in psychology. I don't know exactly what career to go for in the future when it comes to psychology but besides that, my heart is really in music. So I'm hoping to get a music minor. Any advice?
Music therapy. Look it up and see if it's something that sounds like what you might enjoy doing. There's not a lot of jobs in it but it's really a good thing to do and it's really helpful to people
Load More Replies...I have a master's degree in English Historical Linguistics and had a job as an executive secretary for an international company. No, not typing letters, but organizing, coordinating and making sure that problems are kept to a minimum. Of course, this had little to do with the subject matter of my studies, but it's the skills you've learned that are also important.
BA in Eng Lit...thought I wanted to be a teacher. I do work at the high school now but I'm in the tech department, working with the database and reports...far away from students and I'm totally happy hehe
