In the past, students chose the majors they wanted based on their interests, while others simply made their decisions based on how big the paycheck could be. Over the years, the economic climate has changed drastically, resulting in all new factors to consider, especially when it comes to choosing one’s college major. With the job outlook not set improve rapidly for quite some time, this has left students with a lot of important decisions to make. While it is still a good idea to choose a major that is of interest to you and/or will allow you to live a comfortable lifestyle, the main factor that students should take into consideration is whether or not the jobs they’ll be qualified for after graduation will actually be hiring.
What good is a degree you can’t get a job with? Before making that almighty decision on which college major to go for, check out the following industries, which have been shown to be at the top of the list for either not hiring or currently experiencing the highest unemployment rates.
Architecture
With the median salary for a professional architect being approximately $60,000, this sounds like the type of career that shouldn’t be anything but rewarding and fulfilling. However, with the unemployment rate for architecture majors hovering at a little over 10%, looks can be deceiving. The firms that employ these individuals are experiencing hard times with securing contracts and providing enough projects to go around. As a result, there is little room or money for employers to take on even more hungry future architects.
U.S. History
History buffs may enjoy pursuing this major in college…not so much when it comes to finding a job in today’s market. The unemployment rate for those with degrees related to U.S. History are currently at 15%. Despite a median salary of $50,000 there simply aren’t enough people hiring these types of professionals. In most cases, those specializing in this major are limited to teaching positions and we all know how few and far in between such promising and profitable jobs are.
Clinical Psychology
As impressive as it is to be trained in a Psychology major, students who major in this discipline won’t find much reward in terms of finding a job. As hard as it may be to believe, clinical psychology (which earns a median salary of $40,000) currently holds the highest rate of unemployment at a whopping 19.5%. While the reason for this isn’t exact, it could be due to the fact that there are not many places in need of professionals with clinical psychology backgrounds. Although there may be opportunities with the U.S. government, getting hired for such positions is very difficult and for those already employed with the government, it is highly unlikely that they’ll be willing to share the spotlight with the competition.
It is vital for students to keep themselves updated on the current hiring trends and unemployment rates and use that information to help influence the major they’ll choose in college. Doing so will help prevent any unwelcome surprises after graduation.
