- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Deciding on a Career Path
Posted on 1/28/15 at 9:28 am
Posted on 1/28/15 at 9:28 am
I'm about to graduate in Poli Sci, it's pretty much worthless. I know I want to be involved in finance or anything that's environment related.
I know more about what I don't want to do than what I do want to do.... LSU is no help, any suggestions or can anyone help point me in a direction?
I know more about what I don't want to do than what I do want to do.... LSU is no help, any suggestions or can anyone help point me in a direction?
8
Posted on 1/28/15 at 9:36 am to chesty
quote:
LSU is no help
This is sad as a higher ed guy. Universities have certainly gotten away from serving the student.
If I were advising you, I'd ask you how you felt about grad school. You can probably get a Finance MBA without a ton of extra work, and you'd be able to do pretty well with that.
Posted on 1/28/15 at 9:38 am to anc
Go into the Marines
Posted on 1/28/15 at 9:52 am to jimbeam
Funny JB. Real funny, I have a shite GPA, I don't know if I could get into grad school.
Posted on 1/28/15 at 9:52 am to chesty
quote:
Poli Sci
What made you want to major PS in the first place? Attorney?
Posted on 1/28/15 at 10:02 am to Odinson
Yeah, in 2007 law school after under grad was a great idea. 8 years and some time in the Marines later, not so much. I thought abou changing my major but I'd have had to start over
Posted on 1/28/15 at 10:02 am to chesty
quote:
Funny JB. Real funny, I have a shite GPA, I don't know if I could get into grad school.
Go to a shite grad school, take 9 hours and get a B average, and transfer to to good grad school.
You're not getting a finance job with a poli sci bachelor's. Go get alternate certified and teach high school history for a few years.
Posted on 1/28/15 at 10:05 am to anc
That's actually a pretty good idea, thanks
This post was edited on 1/28/15 at 10:06 am
Posted on 1/28/15 at 10:19 am to anc
quote:
I'm about to graduate in Poli Sci, it's pretty much worthless.
First, let me say that I have multi degrees from LSU in "useless" fields....as does my better half (who even has one in, gasp, poli sci). Our LSU humanities education certainly has not been a handicap. In fact, we can write & think circles around many more narrowly trained coworkers. (Ever tried to follow a technical user manual written by an engineer? Oof.)
Poli sci education is worth as much as you take away from it, just like any of the liberal arts/humanities disciplines. The point of higher ed is NOT job training; it's to develop your mind, broaden your exposure to various ways of thinking, and teach you to think/write/craft an argument. If you didn't acquire those skills in your coursework, perhaps you picked the wrong courses. You mention a bad GPA; there's no blaming this on LSU...your (lack of?) dedication to learning is the source of this problem.
You mention a desire to work in finance. Why? Do you have an aptitude in this area, or are you simply focusing on the potential earnings? Perhaps a career aptitude test (go to campus career services and ask about it) can help you focus on your strengths.
Shite grades mean law school really isn't an option, either...Have you seriously considered a return to the military? With a degree, you're potential OCS material. Military officer pay isn't so shabby.
Also, RE: grad school transfers, this is atypical. Most will NOT accept credit from other programs, nor will they even accept mid-program transfer students.
ETA: think about what you truly enjoy doing. Charter fishing captain, restaurant/bar manager, at-risk youth counselor, fundraiser, museum guide. The world is full of cool jobs...you've got to stop thinking about what your parents want/wanted you to do and start thinking about what makes YOU happy.
This post was edited on 1/28/15 at 10:24 am
Posted on 1/28/15 at 10:41 am to chesty
quote:
I'm about to graduate in Poli Sci, it's pretty much worthless.
What kind of complete DUMB-arse graduates with a degree in Political Science? I mean besides you and me.
Do not despair young man. A decade down the road it will look quite different. In two decades you will be happy you have that degree and understand how it all fits. But fresh out of college, it's hard to have perspective.
Here is my advice. Find a successful guy you admire that has a skill set that is similar to yours. Somebody successful and cheerful. Pick his brain. Ask for advice. Be humble.
It took me a while to hit my stride. I worked my way from shitty degrading sales job, to English teacher, to better sales job, to territory manager job, to small businessman, to finding my calling at age 40. You aren't supposed to figure it out at your age.
Poli Sci grads translate well to a lot of things. They can generally talk authoritatively about a lot of stuff. They aren't culturally-illiterate dumb-asses.
I would think about real estate, insurance, mortgage business, something that a successful happy buddy does. Sometimes it is about having a couple of shitty jobs while you develop marketable skills and relationships.
Good luck. Stay positive. The failure and uncertainty is very normal for most people. Looking back it makes perfect sense even as it can be demoralizing now.
Posted on 1/28/15 at 10:44 am to hungryone
Thanks for the insight, but I have worked 2 jobs in excess of 60 hrs a week to put myself through school and only recently gotten money through the VA. My grades are 2.5-2.8. They'd be higher but LSU forces you to include all work attempted, even if you have declared academic bankruptcy at a mother school.
I have zero desire to continue my career in military. I'm great with my money, I enjoy using the finance background I have.
I have taken all the career quizzes and bs I can handle through my Human resource calss this semester, it's pushing me towards some decent stuff. They all give my best fitting career option as Funeral director, I HATE funerals lol
I have zero desire to continue my career in military. I'm great with my money, I enjoy using the finance background I have.
I have taken all the career quizzes and bs I can handle through my Human resource calss this semester, it's pushing me towards some decent stuff. They all give my best fitting career option as Funeral director, I HATE funerals lol
Posted on 1/28/15 at 10:46 am to chesty
quote:
I have a shite GPA, I don't know if I could get into grad school.
I know it's kind of irrelevant to talk about now, but why did you spend the time to go to college for a degree with low career potential, and make shite grades while doing it?
Posted on 1/28/15 at 10:53 am to TheIndulger
quote:
I have taken all the career quizzes and bs I can handle through my Human resource calss this semester, it's pushing me towards some decent stuff. They all give my best fitting career option as Funeral director, I HATE funerals lol
The kind of career assessment I referenced doesn't give you "job title" suggestions. It's not a quiz. It's a lengthy aptitude test with broad questions about your likes/dislikes, personality traits, etc. The results will help you think about yourself, not just suggest a job you might like.
Have you considered a skilled trade? Plumbers make bank. I've never known a poor plumber....with a degree and financial abilities, you could go into business for yourself after completing an apprenticeship. Work to build the business for a few years, hire additional guys, then manage & you won't need to work in the field.
You mention working beaucoup hours...what have you been doing? Are there no opportunities in this field or in a related one where you can utilize all of this experience?
Posted on 1/28/15 at 10:54 am to TheIndulger
Because you make more with a degree than with out it, or so I have always been told. I'm paying out of pocket and not taking loans. I originally had an "in" for law school but right now I can't justify that amount of debt without some way to be assured I can pay it back.
Posted on 1/28/15 at 11:07 am to chesty
quote:
I originally had an "in" for law school but right now I can't justify that amount of debt without some way to be assured I can pay it back.
You keep mentioning law school. Even if a sack of money fell out of the sky, you're not getting into law school with that GPA. The idea of "academic bankruptcy" does not exist at reputable institutions; they're going to look at all credits attempted, just like LSU. LSU law admits on a metric scale: LSAT plus GPA...a cutoff number is determined each year. Above the line gets in, below the line does not. No recs, no letters, nada. Purely numbers.
Again, WHAT would YOU like to do? What appealed to you about the law school plan? Wearing a suit & tie? Making money? 'Cause law school is three years of study that make LSU undergraduate courses look like pre-K. The sheer volume of reading is enough to kill a scholarly type, much less a student whose only motivation is external (mama n daddy said I should go, and my uncle/cousin/neighbor/friend is a big donor/professor/dean/admissions counselor at the law school).
What makes you happy? Hanging out with people, helping people, being alone, solving problems, making things with your hands, creating something from scratch, making a sale, physically exerting yourself, reading....what sort of work is involved in your dream job?
Posted on 1/28/15 at 11:26 am to chesty
quote:
Thanks for the insight, but I have worked 2 jobs in excess of 60 hrs a week to put myself through school and only recently gotten money through the VA. My grades are 2.5-2.8. They'd be higher but LSU forces you to include all work attempted, even if you have declared academic bankruptcy at a mother school.
I have zero desire to continue my career in military. I'm great with my money, I enjoy using the finance background I have.
I have taken all the career quizzes and bs I can handle through my Human resource calss this semester, it's pushing me towards some decent stuff. They all give my best fitting career option as Funeral director, I HATE funerals lol
Not sure what your exact GPA is, but I had a 2.9 in undergrad and destroyed the GRE (98th percentile verbal, 80th percentile math). Received a fellowship for graduate school at a pretty good university.
If you have no debt with undergrad and are worrying about the future, I say study up for the GRE. Take a year off to live like a hobo with a job. Put away some money.
Get into a graduate school that offers tangible benefits like actual job placements. Don't do like I did and continue on an academic subject that may or may not get you a job.
You may have to get a loan to fund your graduate school, but $30k of debt with a graduate degree and a potentially guaranteed job is better than no debt as a barista.
Posted on 1/28/15 at 11:48 am to StringedInstruments
quote:
$30k of debt with a graduate degree and a potentially guaranteed job is better than no debt as a barista.
Unless you're an excellent barista who parlays that skill into a sales position with a local independent roastery or espresso machine sales/service company. Being passionate about something will lead you to a career path...
Posted on 1/28/15 at 11:52 am to hungryone
quote:
Unless you're an excellent barista who parlays that skill into a sales position with a local independent roastery or espresso machine sales/service company. Being passionate about something will lead you to a career path...
True.
But he seems to lack direction, focus, and drive. I think he could benefit from learning a skill in graduate school or some other kind of schooling. If he becomes a barista, he may not get out of that "2.5 GPA" funk.
Posted on 1/28/15 at 12:03 pm to chesty
quote:
I have zero desire to continue my career in military.
Did you do active duty time? if yes there is an annuity out there with your name on it, you get out and poof that's gone.
Get out of the USMCR, that's for motards. Take a look at Guard and Reserve, much much more laid back. Military retirement (and the VA benefits) will be the last real retirement in this country.
With a degree you also should look at OCS.
Posted on 1/28/15 at 1:31 pm to StringedInstruments
I'm hoping that the lady in the career service center knows her shite. as to what I'm passionate about. I love being outdoors, shooting, I like figuring things out and teaching people things. I am a SME on how financial aid and the GI bill work, I make sure all of my buddies have their GI bill set up and that they are getting the proper $ for school. I'm pretty passionate about getting outside and being active.
Page 1 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News