To those who blame college students for majoring in the wrong subjects,

[Harmony Blue]

44. Engineering degrees are traps too

, so any degree can be hazardous if you don't have an idea on how to utilize the degree in the real world.

Contrary to popular belief, those that major in the humanities and arts are doing better than those that major in the sciences. Why? Flexibility, and that is what matters when trying to land a job in a bad economy.

Obtaining a degree is half of the equation. I try to tell college students all the time that work experience no matter what it is has some value (even min wage jobs). Is being a grocery work bad in the short term? A bagger at the grocery store builds interpersonal skills to work with other people and to build customer service skills (the heart of the U.S. economy is the service sector).

Skills, that is what brings home the bacon. This is why the trades are underrated in the United States, and you can still make good money if you learn these skills in specific trades.

Anyways, back to the grocery bagger. If he learns enough customer service work he can work on the front end customer service desk, or more interactive customer service departments. Produce, meat department, bakery etc.

Maybe this person isn't destined to work there forever, especially after obtaining their degree. But they can point to skills they learnt, and built to a future employer. It doesn't matter if it is not even related in the field. Work experience is experience, because it means you are used to adhering to a schedule, working with others, reporting to supervisors.