Career Advice (2nd Year) (1 Viewer)

[Andi0390]

I'm about to enter my second year of a BA and so far I am on track for a Sociology major. I've done Gender Studies, Anthroplogy, Poli Sci and Philosophy but do not wish to further pursue any of these subjects.

Recently (like in the past month or so) I have grown somewhat uncomfortable with my degree. The thing is, I don't really want to do Sociology for a career. I don't know what Sociology people do, but I presume they work for government organisations helping with social problems or something like that. I don't want to do that, or really anything like that. I don't want to work in an office. Ever. Been there, done that.

I've planned to jump pretty heavy into English this year so that I can graduate on time with two majors (Sociology and English) but I am not sure where this would leave me. I like studying Sociology, it interests me, but I know it not a forever deal. I like words, and love reading and writing, which was why I chose English but I am not sure where this leaves me. I despise children so teaching is not for me.

I just don't know what to do, and if these subjects are good for me, and where I might end up. I was thinking about incorporating Psychology in my degree - I figure that could help with my writing and offer more career opportunities. Although I have reservations about this as when I did psych in year 11 I hated it. I don't know if it would be any better in university. I've always very much liked the idea of it - I have always been fascinated by how people work, what makes them different, and how this knowledge can be used in everyday life.

So some advice please...

What careers could I be looking at?

Which subjects offers the most options? I want as many options as possible.

What have people enjoyed, what would they recommend?

I'm just feeling so muddled up.

 

[Josie]

Sociology was one of my majors.. and you are correct, it's pretty much government jobs, generalist stuff like writing and reviewing policy (although not just social, you could be in any government deparment). Other than that, it's pretty much teaching/academia.

If you're not really hugely fussed about any of the other subjects in your degree, perhaps you should finish with just the sociology major, leave the other major blank which would give you free rein to do subjects outside the Arts faculty, and see if there's anything you like there.
What do you enjoy? You could finish your Arts degree and do a masters in something else, like Law (or anything).
You've also got the option of finishing your degree and getting employed doing something completely different. Heaps of Arts graduates don't work within their majors.
What an Arts degree effectively means, outside the subject specialisation, is that you have a high degree of analysis/argument. Because you can pull things apart and analayse them (somewhat objectively), your skills can be applied anywhere.
I guess what you really need to think about is where you'd eventually like to be, be it working with animals, a tour guide in some gorgeous place, or someone in an office. Because you can do any of these things.

Have you tried any history, law, psych since year 11 (I've personally found uni subjects to be entirely different to high school subjects), economics, science, languages....
I think your opinions could change again entirely this year, I didn't even declare my majors until late in second year.

 

[ComingUpForAir]

you can pull things apart and analayse them (somewhat objectively), your skills can be applied anywhere.
be it working with animals, a tour guide in some gorgeous place, or someone in an office. Because you can do any of these things.

HUH? These positions require no critical thinking whatsoever....

OP sorry to say but you come across as the type of person who shouldnt be doing arts (i.e like most arts students). Mabye you havent figured it out yet but there are no career outcomes for mediocre students studying 'sociology' or any of those subjects you listed.
These subjects merely exist to 'warm up' writers, to get them thinking etc, you're not actually meant to 'get a career' in these things.
People who dont have a passion/talent for writing should not being doing arts, full stop, now I can tell you're not a natural writer because you want to know what career to 'slot into', and you think you have to 'be taught' things

In my opinion get out of arts as fast as you can, go do something more practical, medicine or something

 

[Andi0390]

Interestingly I do want to be a novelist when I'm older, even though it sounds silly. Its one of those things that everyone says they want to do. I do know that "novelist" is not really a graduate job that is going to support me straight up. Plus so far my novels are pretty crappy. I need to understand more.

I don't want a "career" that I do for the next 20 years. I just want a qualification that will give me options until I have enough money and knowledge to do what I want to do. I have no aptitude for maths, and while good at science, I have no interest in it.

Rather than just telling me not to do arts, it would be good if you can give me the best options in Arts.

I want a life, not a career. All around me I see people who have spent years working in "good" jobs, earning good money and doing good things. I don't want that though.

 

[Topazkick]

Interestingly I do want to be a novelist when I'm older, even though it sounds silly. Its one of those things that everyone says they want to do. I do know that "novelist" is not really a graduate job that is going to support me straight up. Plus so far my novels are pretty crappy. I need to understand more.

I don't want a "career" that I do for the next 20 years. I just want a qualification that will give me options until I have enough money and knowledge to do what I want to do. I have no aptitude for maths, and while good at science, I have no interest in it.

Rather than just telling me not to do arts, it would be good if you can give me the best options in Arts.

I want a life, not a career.

Lol that's exactly how I feel (about becoming a novelist) hence I'm doing arts next year...(I plan to specialize in creative writing)
As for a qualification that will give me options/possible backups until my writing gets somewhere:

I'm considering museum studies at macquarie and I also heard its a good qualification for a librarian...
I'm also considering doing some arts/film/music criticism which is as journalistic as I'll get.

I think you should try out psychology to see if you like it...

Maybe consider post graduate creative writing because eg. if you got into usyd - at the end of all the work-shopping, writing and editing, your work gets exposure to publishers...

Maybe you should speak to a careers advisor? Even though you don't want a career...it may help bring other options to the surface.

 

[amirite]

Lol that's exactly how I feel (about becoming a novelist) hence why I'm doing arts next year...(I plan to specialize/major in creative writing)

“Hence” (“therefore”) causes more trouble because writers often add “why” to it: “I got tired of mowing the lawn, hence why I bought the goat.” “Hence” and “why” serve the same function in a sentence like this; use just one or the other, not both: “hence I bought the goat” or “that’s why I bought the goat.”

 

[AshVonB]

I started off with an arts degree and by the second year, hated all the subjects I was taking and majoring in. Maybe go speak to someone in the arts faculty or even a counselor/ careers advisor. I took a year off and travelled and I am now going into health sciences. If your not sure what you want to do, arts degrees can be awful and seem like they are going no where (which they can unless you have an idea what you want to do with it).

 

[Josie]

HUH? These positions require no critical thinking whatsoever....

I didn't say they did. I just mean the OP needs to think about what they would like to do.

You're also not being very constructive. I'm unsure why you're posting in Arts and Humanities if you think Arts is crap or useless.



AshVonB's advice about doing something else for a while is good too, Andi0390.

 

[Topazkick]

“Hence” (“therefore”) causes more trouble because writers often add “why” to it: “I got tired of mowing the lawn, hence why I bought the goat.” “Hence” and “why” serve the same function in a sentence like this; use just one or the other, not both: “hence I bought the goat” or “that’s why I bought the goat.”

lol thanks for the grammer check.

Oh and I agree with AshVonB too.

 

[AshVonB]

I agree with me too

 

[Andi0390]

I don't think time is what I need...I need, i don't know, a reliable and accurate fortune teller.

 

[cottoneye]

I would suggest you take some time away from university. It sounds as if you really have no idea what you want to be outside a vague notion of being a 'writer'. Work and travel, meet some people, engage with the world and you are unlikely to be in any worse of a position that you are now. You mentioned you are not career focused so I will assume you are not desperate to have a child and a mortgage either which will give you plenty of time to travel.

One issue you will face eventually is that most jobs that require a university qualification outside of the more vocational ones (engineering) require you to work in an office.

 

[Andi0390]

Yeah I'd kind of like to travel, but I can't stand stand the thought of doing anymore work in hospitality, or menial office stuff, which is what I'd have to do either while travelling, or prior to so I could afford it.

I've always wanted to live in Spain.

I think I have enough money for a one way ticket to Spain, I don't know if I'd find a job quick enough though, to eat.

I've had too much time off as is. I lived/studied in NZ for five months in 2009 as well.

 

[AshVonB]

You should really go have a chat to someone in the faculty or a careers adviser/counselor. They might be able to offer some insights you have never thought of and they would be able to tell you how to structure your degree to do what you want. Esp. in arts degrees, as there is so much choice and openess and subject choice, they would be used to similar questions and problems and would know how to resolve it or would be able to push you in the right direction.