Today, my target falls on a Washington Post article discussing a report on future earnings based on college major. While the opening lines reference an "old joke in academia", I can tell you, I'm not laughing.
I'm one of those English majors that the joke is poking fun at, and I've never asked, "Do you want fries with that?" I happen to hold a writing position in the technology field, that I started right out of college, with just (*gasp*) a BA in English.
The idea that high school students going into college should choose their future major based on their potential future earnings is ludicrous. Sure, I could have done a dual major in English and Computer Science, and probably would have done even better in salary and job growth. I happen to have a knack for computers, as well as writing. But, who's to say I'd be happy?
Money isn't everything geniuses.
Is the report quoted in this article going to guarantee that someone who goes to school for engineering (1) is going to be any good at it - the key to being employed in the field - and (2) that they aren't going to start burning out five years in and wonder why they didn't major in what they really wanted to major in? You know, like writing?
I'm not trying to hold writing up as the best major one can choose. You need to have a passion for it, and there are plenty of writers who will never make it in a writing career (just as there are plenty of non-practicing law school graduates and philosophy majors who went into construction contracting instead). But, I love writing and can't imagine doing anything different. However, I will also say that many of us who choose writing as our field are low wage earners because of a flawed internal system.
It has been my experience that our worth in the job market is supremely underestimated. This is our own fault. Unlike those in many other fields, too many of us are so busy feeling privileged to get paid to do what we enjoy that we forget to ask for a decent paycheck. I, too, fell into this trap for the first few years after my entry into the field. And then I stumbled upon a Bureau of Labor Statistics report on median wages in my field.
I was taken aback when I saw the median wage for someone in my location and position, and compared it to my own paycheck. So, what did I do? I talked to my manager about the discrepancy, pointed to the report, and asked for a raise.
Two years have passed, and I'm still employed, at a fair rate, so I guess it was a good move.
My suggestion to anyone who finds themselves in a similar position: try what I tried (as long as you feel secure enough in your standing with your particular employer). You might be pleasantly surprised. And, if you happen to be in a writing field, you'll be helping to start a positive trend. We can only hope to make what we're worth if we stand up and ask for it.
Otherwise, we'll continue to be the butt of stupid jokes like the one referenced in the Washington Post article, and we'll deserve it.
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