The (In)Famous Undergraduate Degree

I commend all of those young (and older) citizens for making it through the years of late night study Power Hours and draining research papers in order to achieve the great, the fabulous, and the sometimes-haughty undergraduate degree. It doesn't matter if you wizzed through in three years or spread it out over more, the end result is the same. Congratulations! Now, let me tell you that unless you want to be an engineer or MD, your major really doesn't matter. Actually, the fact that you have that B.A. or B.S. doesn't set you apart at all...as much as you and your loans may argue it should.

New graduates are everywhere because, as if you haven't heard it enough, this economic downturn has shredded the job market to pieces. The problem is, a greater number of people are using this situation as an excuse as to why they're unemployed. The sooner people realize that they wont be working anywhere near their "dream job" for five to ten years after receiving a bachelor's, the sooner they will get a job and make money to live on TODAY.

The purpose of the undergraduate path is to hone thinking skills and help stabilize the workforce using intellect. It doesn't make a big difference if you majored in philosophy, anthropology, or poli sci. What matters is how you use your knowledge and apply it to whatever your employer needs. 

There are some exceptions. An undergraduate who proves that they have these skills before they even receive their degree has a competitive advantage over others. These students have often interned at multiple companies, businesses, etc. related to their interests. They have made superb impressions at the internships, they have work to show, and they have networked outside of the common "Professor Recommendation." A lot of this involves social maturity and a willingness to cut some of the college humor in order to gain office happy hour. The undergraduate who can look at the long term and take advantage of every opportunity, even if it's not part of the Golden Plan, is the one who's going to make it.