Boring Degree, Amazing Job

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Oprah

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Hugh Hefner

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If you're worried about the major you've chosen or are getting some ribbing for pursuing history or English just because you enjoy it, take heart. A hiring manager's decision often comes down to, "Did this candidate excel in their major, even if it doesn't directly gel with the job for which they're applying?" A solid foundation of experience, education, demonstrated skills, and accomplishments are still what ultimately impress employers.

If there's such a thing as a "boring" degree, the folks profiled here have taken seemingly ho-hum majors and shaped them into enviable careers. There's no such thing as a dead-end degree, as proven by these successful professionals.

Finding Focus
When Derek Sollosi was earning his bachelor's in English and communications, he never imagined it would one day allow him to have a career shooting video on the "Vomit Comet" aircraft in zero-gravity. 

Sollosi only anticipated what he considered boring jobs for English majors. "I figured I'd have to start in news, which I loathed," he admits. So why choose a major that seems like it may be headed toward a less-than-desirable career path? "I'd always felt I would never be fit for a typical office job," Sollosi says. With literature, public relations, radio, television, and editing coursework honing his creativity, Sollosi says his chosen course of study seemed like the best path for him. "The jobs I've taken on are what I'd always dreamed of—I just never knew they existed [when I was in school]," he says. Now, "I can't think of many other degrees that qualify you for such a variety of jobs, from teaching to marketing to hands-on production."

Through a colleague, Sollosi learned of the attractive job opening and was hired as a video technician and videographer for a NASA contractor at the Johnson Space Center shortly thereafter. "My literature classes forced me to read between the lines and develop a sense of my own reality based upon the material that was given to me. I spent a lot of time making videos and using editing equipment. I put the pieces together and that was the starting point for what I'm doing now," he says.

It can be daunting to act on your wildest career whims, but Sollosi believes, "You really can do whatever you want. Take chances." The bottom line? Find work that will fulfill you. "If you don't love what you do, the money doesn't really matter."

Videography is a rapidly expanding, highly competitive job market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' median annual earnings from 2004, the top 10% earn more than $76,100.

Don't Psych Yourself Out
Sometimes referred to as the "Dean of Compassion," Dr. Alan Campbell is the first psychologist to serve as the University of Georgia's (UGA) senior associate dean for student support. He is responsible for everything from organizing new lives for students displaced by Hurricane Katrina to guiding people when a student death occurs. "I assist students with hardship circumstances that interrupt their pursuits," he explains.

Campbell handles a breadth of issues, never knowing what might appear in the morning's papers to direct the way his day will pan out. He's always surprised to see how greatly world events impact members of UGA's campus community. No matter the situation, "I figure out how the university can best help [students in need]," he says. "Every day is an adventure, but it's extremely gratifying work."
 
It wasn't always so exciting, however. After graduating with a bachelor's in psychology—studies include theory, statistics, research, and abnormal, experimental, child, and social psychology—Campbell earned a master's in community counseling and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology. He was employed at UGA's health center as a licensed psychologist when he found himself drawn to this job in student affairs.

"I struggled with taking this position—I'd spent so much time and money earning my title as a psychologist, it was hard to think of giving it up," he admits. Ultimately, the challenge of the unusual role prevailed. Campbell discovered how to blend his psychology training with his day-to-day duties.

"There are many benefits to majoring in psychology," Campbell says. "You get a basic understanding of human behavior." And that, he attests, is anything but boring.

Prestigious academic positions remain competitive. Salary.com cites median salary for a typical dean of students at $78,758 (as of September 2006 figures). Benefits often include several weeks of vacation and tuition breaks for themselves and family members.  

Think Big-Picture Accountability
Accounting graduate Nino Vella joined New Pig Corporation, a manufacturer of industrial absorbents, as their first controller. Three years later, he was named president and CEO. How did he make such a leap? "I took an interest in the overall objectives of the business and how our systems needed to work together to grow sales and profits," he explains. "By immersing myself in the ‘higher-level' problems, I learned about the business and how things interrelate." 

Vella earned a bachelor's in business administration with an accounting concentration, along with his Certificate of Public Accounting (CPA). But he doesn't take all the credit for his success. "I wanted to major in chemistry, switched to accounting, [then] I wanted to take a year off," he explains. "When I told my Dad, he told me to get my act together and go back into accounting. It was a life-changing choice."

Accounting majors will find themselves studying tax, financial, and managerial accounting, as well as accounting principles and theory, budget control, and auditing. Vella's advice to them? "The knowledge you learn enables you to understand the financial aspects of a company, [but] that view can blind you to other parts of business that can't be measured easily—the value of a brand, corporate culture," Vella says. "Learn to value and appreciate the arts, music, good design, relationships, and other intangibles. It will give you a fuller and wider perspective. That will not only make you a better business person, you'll also be a better accountant." 

That's what you could call maximizing your degree.

Top executives are among the highest-paid workers. Salaries vary depending on level of responsibility, length of service, demographics, and type and size of corporation. Median salary for a CEO is $648,723, according to Salary.com figures as of September 2006. Additional compensation often includes stock options and dividends.

Break Out Beyond Boring
So how can you transform your degree into something exciting? Get inspired by this brief look at some of academia's most "boring" majors and where they can lead:

History
The writing, research, and analytical skills history majors develop are applicable to nearly every career. With jobs as journalists, archivists, museum curators, and teachers, opportunities are vast. Many attend graduate school for public policy, information science, or law.

Philosophy
Major in philosophy and learn transferable skills ,such as assessing pros and cons, boiling down complex data, problem-solving techniques, and coping with changes. Go after a law degree, religious pursuits, consultant work, or become one lucky company's own private think-tank.

Computer Science
Whether your yen is for video game creation, Web site development, or artificial intelligence, a computer science degree teaches the skills to analyze, implement, test, and modify computer software for individual and networked computer systems.

Engineering
Civil, mining, mechanical, architectural—each engineering path produces professionals vital to society who are trained in mathematical and analytical problem-solving. Learn how to weigh concerns and develop, identify, and execute solutions working for hospitals, banks, hotels, universities, anywhere.