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this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2024
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No, as much as high school guidance counselors try to tell you different, there's nothing magical about any STEM degree that will reliably get you a job.
For most jobs, the "filter" is getting the job itself. Not having a relevant degree might prevent you from getting a job, but having the degree doesn't mean you will be selected. There are exceptions like getting into medical school really sets you on a pathway where as long as you stick with it, you should end up with a job, bit that's cause it's really hard (and expensive) to get into med school, so that part is the "filter".
You might hear of a particular skillet being really hot that guarantees you a job, and that does happen, but it is really ephemeral. By the time you get a 4 year degree, the landscape may have changed.
You can absolutely get a job with a 4 year hard science degree, but you can't just go to class, get all A's and step into a job. You need to be connected throughout the process. Also keep in mind what type of job you want to do, and where it is geographically. You might have good job prospects with a geology degree and fossil fuel expertise, but the jobs might be in undesirable locations.
Great thoughts, thank you. You addressed a lot of the questions I was getting at. For example, nursing and various related positions (running CAT scans, etc.) truly seem to be in-demand everywhere. But often when I hear about some supposedly in-demand field that pays well and check near me in the southeast, I'll get maybe half a dozen results.
Yeah, nursing is probably a job that is always going to have steady demand, but it seems like (and I could be totally wrong here) there's a pretty broad range of job opportunities where some might work you like a dog and pay horribly, while others are great.
If you are interested in jobs in your area, definitely reach out to some people to ask their opinions on long term job prospects. Your local hospital's CAT scan technician (or whatever their title is) can tell you if they are hurting for people, or if all of their peers are close to retiring.