The real value of a business degree

Business+classes+at+UNCW+are+often+held+in+the+Computer+Information+Systems+building.+In+this+room%2C+stock+prices+in+red+and+green+are+constantly+updated.

Business classes at UNCW are often held in the Computer Information Systems building. In this room, stock prices in red and green are constantly updated.

Eliza Dillard | Opinion Editor

Choosing a major in college is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make while attending a university. What major we choose can determine our career path for the rest of our lives, so it’s important to choose one that we feel confident that will help us land a good job and, more importantly, make us happy.

Normally, people would classify business as a “safe” major. You aren’t restricted to one type of career, and it’s generally a respectable major. It’s not a breeze getting through school, but it’s not absolutely overwhelming like pre-med. According to a recent article on Yahoo! Finance, business degrees are becoming less and less valuable. Business majors are so common that recruiters are becoming less impressed by a degree in business.

Instead, recruiters are increasingly looking for people who major in other disciplines such as English, engineering, and psychology. People who major in these disciplines are generally more creative and have greater critical thinking skills than your average business major. Colleges are starting to get the hint and are adjusting academic criteria in business schools to incorporate more liberal arts-type classes into the curriculum to make their students more well-rounded.

This article may come as a relief to people such as myself who are majoring in disciplines that are notorious for not making much money after college. It might also be a shock to future or current business majors. All in all, the article proves that it’s not your degree that ultimately determines what type of job you get-it’s you. It doesn’t matter if you majored in business or philosophy. If a company thinks you are a good fit and have a lot to bring to the table, they are more likely to hire you.

While talking to an intern who worked in the fashion closet at Oprah’s “O” Magazine in New York City last summer, I asked what she majored in, assuming that her answer would be art or fashion. When she told me that she was a psychology major, I was shocked. What good was a psychology major going to do in a fashion closet? She then explained to me that the recruiters at the magazine were looking for people who were different than the typical people they had been hiring. They wanted a new perspective.

When choosing a major, choose one that you know you ultimately will be happy with. Don’t just major in business because you think it will be easy to get a job. If you’d rather major in something slightly obscure, do it. In the end, it’s you who lands yourself a job, not your major.