Guy working at Subway with a bachelor's degree; is this the new norm?

[Celista]

See thread title.

I live in Portland, Oregon. I haven't been going to Subway often lately (once every few months) but I stopped into the one near my apartment recently and I noticed it's the same guy working there each time I stop in. He's friendly and we strike up a conversation; the subject of grad school comes up and he tells me that he is in the process of applying to MFA programs. Apparently he has a bachelor's degree in the social sciences from the University of Oregon.

I didn't think I was that out of touch but holy shit. Bachelor's degree and working at Subway? Is this the norm now, or is this guy really aiming low with his job search? Wondering as it's been a few years since I graduated from undergrad (although not THAT long ago).

Not trying to shit on the guy for working at Subway, but he seemed intelligent and claims to be educated (at a fairly decent-ish state university); if this is the job market that grads are walking into then this is extremely depressing.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Well, if he's applying for MFA programs...maybe he really just isn't looking to work anywhere else right now.

[Deleted]

A job is a job

[Wyrt]

Yep, this is what the job market is like for grads.

[callipygoustp]

See thread title.

I live in Portland, Oregon. I haven't been going to Subway often lately (once every few months) but I stopped into the one near my apartment recently and I noticed it's the same guy working there each time I stop in. He's friendly and we strike up a conversation; the subject of grad school comes up and he tells me that he is in the process of applying to MFA programs. Apparently he has a bachelor's degree in the social sciences from the University of Oregon.

I didn't think I was that out of touch but holy shit. Bachelor's degree and working at Subway? Is this the norm now, or is this guy really aiming low with his job search? Wondering as it's been a few years since I graduated from undergrad (although not THAT long ago).

Not trying to shit on the guy for working at Subway, but he seemed intelligent and claims to be educated (at a fairly decent-ish state university); if this is the job market that grads are walking into then this is extremely depressing.

Has there been a time, at least in the past 3-4 decades when a person with a bachelors degree in a social science expected to have good job opportunities post graduation? I know when I was in high school, back in the early to mid 80s, social science degrees were considered a joke.

[Octa]

See thread title.

I live in Portland, Oregon. I haven't been going to Subway often lately (once every few months) but I stopped into the one near my apartment recently and I noticed it's the same guy working there each time I stop in. He's friendly and we strike up a conversation; the subject of grad school comes up and he tells me that he is in the process of applying to MFA programs. Apparently he has a bachelor's degree in the social sciences from the University of Oregon.

I didn't think I was that out of touch but holy shit. Bachelor's degree and working at Subway? Is this the norm now, or is this guy really aiming low with his job search? Wondering as it's been a few years since I graduated from undergrad (although not THAT long ago).

Not trying to shit on the guy for working at Subway, but he seemed intelligent and claims to be educated (at a fairly decent-ish state university); if this is the job market that grads are walking into then this is extremely depressing.

Generally if you're getting a social science degree and not furthering it with something else (law school, MBA, Teacher, etc) then you're going to have a hard time in the job hunt. Usually not Subway hard, but it all depends on the region I guess and I know nothing about Portland.

[Guy4123]

Is he a supervisor or bottom of the barrel sandwich maker?

[Deleted]

degree in social 'sciences'

..

[Dr Assbandit]

Apparently he has a bachelor's degree in the social sciences from the University of Oregon. \

I'm sorry to say but I think that may be the problem for him. Not all majors are created equal, there simply isn't that much demand for that specific field of expertise and I'd argue it's one of the easier BA to acquire for a good reason.

Yes it does suck that he is working at Subway after going through college, but kids need to be smart nowadays in their choice of majors and realistic about their expectations on how high they can achieve with their degrees.

It's possible this may be a personal choice as well on his part, considering he's still planning to go to school, and it's quite hard to work towards some of the harder degrees and work a full-time at the same time. If you want to take a respectable amount of units per semester or quarter that is.

[Celista]

Has there been a time, at least in the past 3-4 decades when a person with a bachelors degree in a social science expected to have good job opportunities post graduation? I know when I was in high school, back in the early to mid 80s, social science degrees were considered a joke.

It depends on the social science field, I guess. Social science degrees (sociology/social work/psychology) are typically required for many positions with social service agencies. They're not very well-paying, but people don't go into that sort of work for the money anyways. And it's expected that you go on for grad school eventually (counseling MA or MSW).

I have an econ minor and my friends with econ degrees did fine after graduation.

- - - Updated - - -

Is he a supervisor or bottom of the barrel sandwich maker?

He's the dude making the sandwich.

[Guy4123]

It depends on the social science field, I guess. Social science degrees (sociology/social work/psychology) are typically required for many positions with social service agencies. They're not very well-paying, but people don't go into that sort of work for the money anyways. And it's expected that you go on for grad school eventually (counseling MA or MSW).

I have an econ minor and my friends with econ degrees did fine after graduation.

- - - Updated - - -


He's the dude making the sandwich.

I think even supervisors at Subway make the sandwiches. Theirs only a few people working in one after all.

Almost all supervisory positions I've seen list a college degree as a requirement. Not a degree that's relevant to the field in which you will be a supervisor either just "a degree". Maybe he's the sandwich maker who gets to tell the other sandwich makers to clean the toilets.

[Celista]

I'm sorry to say but I think that may be the problem for him. Not all majors are created equal, there simply isn't that much demand for that specific field of expertise and I'd argue it's one of the easier BA to acquire for a good reason.

Yes it does suck that he is working at Subway after going through college, but kids need to be smart nowadays in their choice of majors and realistic about their expectations on how high they can achieve with their degrees.

It's possible this may be a personal choice as well on his part, considering he's still planning to go to school, and it's quite hard to work towards some of the harder degrees and work a full-time at the same time. If you want to take a respectable amount of units per semester or quarter that is.

Are there ANY bachelor's degrees nowadays that guarantee you a position...besides maybe some engineering degrees, and accounting? I've read the threads on here about STEM fields, and people I know working in STEM are saying the grass isn't too green there either.

[Wyrt]

Are there ANY bachelor's degrees nowadays that guarantee you a position...besides maybe some engineering degrees, and accounting? I've read the threads on here about STEM fields, and people I know working in STEM are saying the grass isn't too green there either.

Nurses and doctors are in pretty high demand. But most degrees end up struggling.

[Celista]

Well, if he's applying for MFA programs...maybe he really just isn't looking to work anywhere else right now.

I mean, the guy might be totally happy working at Subway for all I know. But getting an MFA in creative writing is certainly not going to improve his lot much in life, that is for sure.

I have friends who have MFAs, one of them is getting professional work now with her degree and the rest are basically doing the same crap they did before they got their MFA.

[Nehezbegar]

Depends what bachelor u have.

If You are engineer or a doctor is not normal, but if u are a literature expert...what do u expect?

[Celista]

Nurses and doctors are in pretty high demand. But most degrees end up struggling.

I have a friend who finished an associate's degree program in nursing a year ago and has an RN, he says that employers want a bachelor's degree or higher nowadays. Not sure if he's being overly fatalistic about the job market or not, I don't work in health care.

The guy I'm dating is a physician but he says that a lot of general care type stuff is now going towards PAs and nurse practitioners.

[Xargoth6634]

I have dual undergrad degrees in History and French and I'm working on my MA in history right now since I lucked into a tuition + stipend grad assistant gig, so hopefully I won't share this guy's fate. I'm planning to go to law school or a PhD program to increase my odds of getting employment, but there are certainly days where I'm really concerned about my future with the path I've chosen. Gotta say that I roll my eyes a little bit every time I hear my school's history faculty preach to the undergrads about what a marketable degree history is, even without the education certification tied to it. (And even if you do have it, social studies are the toughest teaching field to get a job in because of the sheer number of social studies grads looking for work in education)

[Celista]

I have dual undergrad degrees in History and French and I'm working on my MA in history right now since I lucked into a tuition + stipend grad assistant gig, so hopefully I won't share this guy's fate. I'm planning to go to law school or a PhD program to increase my odds of getting employment, but there are certainly days where I'm really concerned about my future with the path I've chosen. Gotta say that I roll my eyes a little bit every time I hear my school's history faculty preach to the undergrads about what a marketable degree history is, even without the education certification tied to it. (And even if you do have it, social studies are the toughest teaching field to get a job in because of the sheer number of social studies grads looking for work in education)

Don't do law unless you truly enjoy law. Many people I went to law school with hated both law school and practicing law. I have not heard good things about the academic job market.

[Sunseeker]

Nurses and doctors are in pretty high demand. But most degrees end up struggling.

Because they are poorly paid, poorly treated, overworked, understaffed and thus have high turnover. They're "in demand" because they don't stick around due to the working conditions.

Has there been a time, at least in the past 3-4 decades when a person with a bachelors degree in a social science expected to have good job opportunities post graduation? I know when I was in high school, back in the early to mid 80s, social science degrees were considered a joke.

Oh boy here we go with the "soft sciences" aren't real sciences.

"Social sciences" is such a generic term anyway. Is he a political scientist? A sociologist? A linguist (that's a social science too bitches!)? An anthropologist? A historian? I mean fuck, music, art and writing degrees are also "social sciences". People who flatly condemn the "social sciences" as a bunch of liberal-arts do-nothings are to, put it politely: ignoramuses.

Quite frankly: the job market sucks, on top of that, a lot of social sciences are self-promoting, that is: you need to get out there and do shit to get your name out and even once you do, you don't get the cushy jobs until your work has gotten a lot of reviews and people start offering your grants. I mean hell I'm a political scientist, but I don't have time between my home life, my 9-5 and my hobbies to write, so I don't get published, so I'm not getting the good jobs. If my wife was bringing home the big bucks I'd be happy to sit down and do some writing but I just don't have the time or energy really. So, is it my fault I'm where I am in life? Sure I've got a hand in it. But it's not my degree's fault.

[callipygoustp]

Oh boy here we go with the "soft sciences" aren't real sciences.

I think you meant to quote someone else. I never said anything with regards to "soft sciences" and real sciences. What I did do was allude to the expectation that a bachelors degree in a social science had/has poor job prospects post graduation.