My Fear/Anxiety

Option 1: Theater Major, Option 2: Theater Major, Sociology Minor, & Option 3: Sociology Major.

I always thought that a degree in sociology would make for great versatility in the job market. Tonight I did a bit more research...looking for first-hand accounts. This is what I've found:

"Life After Graduation (With a Sociology Degree)

When I was given this assignment to write about my degree in Sociology, I initially thought that what was being asked of me was to write an advertisement touting the advantages and benefits of a Sociology degree and to make a persuasive case for taking Sociology as a major in college. Fortunately, this was not the case, as I can’t make a realistic appraisement of my educational background without presenting the negatives as well as the positives. So what I wrote was a description of my experiences as a Sociology major before and after graduation and to let the story speak for itself in deciding how one views the advantages and disadvantages of getting a Bachelor's degree in Sociology.

The College Years
I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a student. I immersed myself in my field of study and took on as my role models those upperclassmen and graduate students who seemed more serious than the typical student about their studies and who had had close connections with professors. It was not unusual to find my role models eating lunch with professors, conversing with them informally in their office hours or even hanging out with them socially over a few beers in the neighborhood bars. These students, if they were undergraduates, eventually went on to graduate school with the full blessing and recommendations of their professors. If they were graduate students they, most likely, eventually got their PhD's and became, themselves, professors. It was inevitable that I became one of the "serious" and academically-inclined upperclassman. I aspired to be an intellectual and took my studies seriously. My grades, awards, and organizational affiliations reflected that: Honor societies, Dean's Lists, Provost Scholar award, English club, Sociology club, etc. In my spare time I worked a variety of work-study jobs: administrative assistant, library assistant, and server in the cafeteria. Eventually, I landed a plum campus job as a teaching assistant for the Sociology department. In this role I was responsible for organizing and leading discussion groups, reading and grading student papers, and occasionally, teaching an entire classroom of undergraduates. I look back fondly on those days.

Life After Graduation
Strangely enough, my life took quite a different turn the first years after I graduated from college in late 1994. Because I was used to high achievement, being taken seriously as an intelligent person by my superiors, and having my opinions and insights valued, I was emotionally shaken up at what I got. I did not go to graduate school immediately like many of my peers. I wanted first to "experience the world" and then decide if I wanted to go for a PhD. So off I went to "the world" armed with my Sociology degree, a lot of hope and optimism, and the self-confidence of someone who felt as he has proved himself and his capabilities. I was in for a rude awakening.

Maybe a list of my first jobs (and salaries) after college will help illustrate what I am trying to say:
1. Internship for an international development NGO (1995)--unpaid
2. Coffee server in a coffee shop (1995-96) $7/hr
3. Temporary research assistant (1996)--$200 for one week's work
4. House painter (1996)-- $8/hr
5. Dishwasher/prep cook/waiter for a restaurant (1996)--$7/hr plus tips
6. TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf) operator (1997)--$8.50/hr
7. Office temp worker (1998)--$12/hr
8. Publications Assistant (1998) 26K/year

The whole time I was working in my less than desirable jobs I was constantly looking for something better and more in line with my educational credentials. But I just kept getting rejected for one position after another. I eventually landed a position working for a professional association of the discipline that I got my degree. It was not until I started on that position that I began earning a salary above the poverty level.

What is it that I am trying to say and what does this have to do about Sociology? Simply, that Sociology was good to me for intellectual and personal growth. It allowed me to develop as a person and to take on responsibilities that gained for me the respect of my teachers, fellow students and my parents.

However, Sociology, once I entered the job market, did not provide an easy way to make the big bucks (or any bucks for that matter). What I learned pretty quickly was that all the good grades, honor societies, and affiliations with professors did not matter in this new arena called "the job market." What mattered were other things which, unfortunately, I did not focus on in my time in school: a marketable major, professional connections, professional experience, software and computer skills, internship experience, etc.

So if you ask me the question "Should I major in Sociology?" my answer would be pick it as a major if the subject really interests you. College is probably the only time of your life where you will be debating and wrestling with the ideas of Marx, Weber, Comte, Durkheim and other giants of the discipline. College is probably the only time of your life where you can be passionate about such things (unless you decide to go to grad school). And I say, enjoy it. Savor and relish it because the intellectual life is its own reward. Many people never even get a chance to experience it.

However, if you are thinking of a major in Sociology, you must balance it with practical skills and experiences that are marketable in the job market. I would suggest taking courses in office applications software and web development. Join a professional association. Most of all I recommend getting an internship while you are still in school. Perhaps take one for every summer you are in school. Because this is the only way to gain exposure, skills, connections and useful information on a field that interests you. These, more than your grades, Sociology degree, and academic awards will decide where you end up in the job market after graduation. As I know very well, the intellectual life is sweet but there is, after all, a life after college that we all must eventually join."