Humanity major career advice.

I barely graduated high school but went to a top elementary school.

Enough about me. Go Marine Corps. The Corps cares not what you major in. I know an officer who is a Harvard finance grad and the Marines made him an infantry officer. I know a USNA history grad and the Marines made her a combat engineer. She's about to take a platoon of Devil Dogs on deployment to the world's hot spots.

And certainly, Marines under your charge won't give a hoot what you majored in. They won't care what post-service job you're resume-building for either.
 
Sealion II said:
This is @Capt MJ 's first post back that I've seen. I am thrilled to see your return. I hope you made it through whatever the issue was unscathed.

To OP, and in agreement with many of the veteran poster comments, I believe any major from a SA will serve you will well in the civilian world. I hire for talent, commitment, experience, leadership, and teamwork. The SA's deliver that in spades.
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Appreciate your kind words. You missed my musical interludes in the Navy appointment and Navy waiting threads yesterday? My bacon pineapple slaw post in the Bacon Thread? And my sabbatical report in the ET Drawer? Glad to be back - I missed the community here.
 
Hubs went to USNA and was a history major. Was picked up for nuke school. He had to study and put in the hours a little more than his systems engineering best buddy but did fine and served several years in subs. Then lat transferred to intel, has two masters degrees paid for by the Navy, one from Harvard, in humanities based disciplines, has worked for multiple joint commands, multiple overseas tours, the UN and speaks regularly to very high profile decisions makers on major conflicts in which we are currently involved. I say all of this because his success is based on experience built from one duty station to the next and none of which was in his original long term plan. Just roll with it and know the Academy wouldn't let you major in history or anything else group 3 if it wasn't important to the overall mission of a well rounded graduating class. He says when he grows up he wants to work at a golf course.... sure, why not :)
 
Devil Doc said:
I barely graduated high school but went to a top elementary school.

Enough about me. Go Marine Corps. The Corps cares not what you major in. I know an officer who is a Harvard finance grad and the Marines made him an infantry officer. I know a USNA history grad and the Marines made her a combat engineer. She's about to take a platoon of Devil Dogs on deployment to the world's hot spots.

And certainly, Marines under your charge won't give a hoot what you majored in. They won't care what post-service job you're resume-building for either.
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That reminds me of my company classmates and my favorite company officer while at USNA. he came to us from being Chief Engineer of a ship but his degree was a Bachelors Degree in Music from a State School. He went on to bigger and better things in the Navy and retired as a 3 star on the Joint Staff. My classmates and I think highly enough of him that we gathered in Florida for a weekend in Feb just to be with him and his wonderful wife.
@Capt MJ knows him as well.

A Music Major. . . from OCS and went very far.

In retirement, he has been a consultant for some major companies.
 
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OldRetSWO said:
That reminds me of my company classmates and my favorite company officer while at USNA. he came to us from being Chief Engineer of a ship but his degree was a Bachelors Degree in Music from a State School. He went on to bigger and better things in the Navy and retired as a 3 star on the Joint Staff. My classmates and I think highly enough of him that we gathered in Florida for a weekend in Feb just to be with him and his wonderful wife.
Capt MJ knows him as well.

A Music Major. . . from OCS and went very far.

In retirement, he has been a consultant for some major companies.
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Same! A good friend here, senior officer basically running the operations center in the Red Sea and all that involves at the moment. Music major and then high school music teacher before going to OCS, flight school, E-3 pilot and then some. Maybe there's something there... music majors sharing their talents in a variety of ways... 🤔
 
OldRetSWO said:
That reminds me of my company classmates and my favorite company officer while at USNA. he came to us from being Chief Engineer of a ship but his degree was a Bachelors Degree in Music from a State School. He went on to bigger and better things in the Navy and retired as a 3 star on the Joint Staff. My classmates and I think highly enough of him that we gathered in Florida for a weekend in Feb just to be with him and his wonderful wife.
@Capt MJ knows him as well.

A Music Major. . . from OCS and went very far.

In retirement, he has been a consultant for some major companies.
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One of my favorite all-time best bosses. I loved the fact he didn’t micromanage me. I could also bring him unvarnished bad news and solution suggestions/summary of actions taken already, and he was always calm and composed, never shot the messenger - a huge leadership lesson on creating a culture of trust and strong two-way communications.
 
As others have mentioned, civilian employers are picking you for the military experience. Just pick what you will excel in...if you only complete your service obligation and resign your commission, there will be plenty of opportunities in the 1stCivDiv. Possibly some more than others, but it will be there, I didn't even go to college, but made the most I could out of my enlisted career and have never "looked" for a job. I am always fond of telling people that the military is going to use you, might as well use them right back. Grab every school, degree, training course you can get your hands on.
 
All great advice so far and I as well work with USNA/USMA/USAFA graduates at a high tech industrial company. Their major did not play a role in hiring. They got hired because of their ability to graduate and commission into a military service and then completed their obligations. In general, once a person gets 5+ years out of college/university, hiring managers are not looking at majors. They look at relevant job experience and a proven ability to lead/adapt/overcome.

Note, DS is a Group/Tier 3 major (aka Humanities) at USNA. He is currently taking an electrical engineering course (one of many technical classes all MIDN's are required to take regardless of major). While he hopes to service assign/select traditional SWO, he could easily be selected/assigned Nuke-SWO or drafted into Subs.
 
Gnarlygoat27 said:
Hubs went to USNA and was a history major. Was picked up for nuke school. He had to study and put in the hours a little more than his systems engineering best buddy but did fine and served several years in subs. Then lat transferred to intel, has two masters degrees paid for by the Navy, one from Harvard, in humanities based disciplines, has worked for multiple joint commands, multiple overseas tours, the UN and speaks regularly to very high profile decisions makers on major conflicts in which we are currently involved. I say all of this because his success is based on experience built from one duty station to the next and none of which was in his original long term plan. Just roll with it and know the Academy wouldn't let you major in history or anything else group 3 if it wasn't important to the overall mission of a well rounded graduating class. He says when he grows up he wants to work at a golf course.... sure, why not :)
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So you are saying he's still trying to figure things out. ;)
 
Ihavenoidea said:
You will be a much different person and likely have some different goals and interests by the time you get out of the Navy.
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Indeed! What you believe today may be very different from what you believe a year from now, after spending actual time at an SA, and four years from now, when it's actually time to decide on MOS.

Example: DD entered USNA thinking she'd be a certain STEM major. After all, she'd enjoyed it and excelled at it in high school. A year later, she chose another STEM major that was very different. DD also entered thinking she'd be open to surface or subs or aviation, but definitely not the Marines. After all, they're just a bunch of crayon-munching grunts. Four years later, it was Marines or bust. She's now a 2LT at Lejeune.

Be open to growth, new perspectives and unexpected opportunities. Semper Gumby, as we like to say here.
 
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