What Professional Field Should I Major In?
ByI’m a current student at the University of Texas at Austin and hold 3 years more before I graduate. I thought I wanted to do Pre-Med soon to realize that the natural sciences aren’t as appealing as I imagined. I’m not great at math either. In turn, I’ve (always) liked the adventurous aspect of going into business. In fact, I like business… I’m not in the business school yet since I’m unsure of what to major in. I would like to eventually get the BBA from the McCombs School of Business… I dream of then going to the Wharton School of Business and earning an MBA in either Finance and/or Management.
As of today, looking into the future, will business or medicine strive? Clearly medicine will always be around and it will improve, but with the upcoming Health Reform, a doctor’s salary will virtually be cut in half and well it takes much of the merit in that, given the opportunity cost of years a doctor gave up in order to study…
Now, I like the idea of Investment Banking! Its hard, suicidal, and stressful…however, the idea of (hopefully someday) landing a job at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, or another firm, as an Associate I-Banker and working up the corporate ladder seems pretty nice. Plus the fat paychecks they get are just a big WOW. Many say that I-Banking is gone mostly due to the Market Crash in 2008, but I believe that as long as money, businesses, and people who want to get richer exist, demand for I-bankers will exist. I’d give the market a few years before its up an running smoothly again…Plus, I love to travel a lot and wear a tie and suit! …hopefully someday open up my own company.
So what should I do?
Medicine or business?
If med, which area of concentration? And if business, which concentration has HIGH future potential (with amazing pay).
I would like concrete answers. I’ve had enough of the whole “its up to you to decide…whatever makes you happiest…you shouldnt focus on the money…yadda, yadda, yadda….”
Thank you.
2 Comments
December 18th, 2009 at 3:50 am
Whatever you choose, you most likely have to live w/ it unless you go back to school for another degree years later so making MONEY your main objective is naive at best.
You flat out said that the courses needed for pre-med aren’t appealing to you so why consider medicine at all? Just b/c of the money and b/c of job longevity?
If you don’t like it, none of that will matter when you hate your job and wish you had become something else.
You say you like buisness..
and mentioned finance but yes, this is a career where you can either do really well or just do okay..
there is no way to predict so unless you really like it, forget it.
Finance has potential. Investment Banking has potential but nothing is a guarantee.
Obviously when it comes to buisness.
Also.. the branches of buisness you mentioned have to do with MATH so math is not your thing.. then this is not for you.
What about a career outside of buisness or Medicine? Medicine will always involve science and buisness will always involve math.. well the type you are talking about.
There’s always marketing, etc.. but many people in that field make little money.
December 18th, 2009 at 9:20 am
If you don’t have a head for math, then avoid banking and business analytics. Also, if you aim is money, do NOT go into medicine.
If I were you, I’d aim for marketing. More flexible than business with lots of travel if you work for a larger company. It also has a nice “adventurous aspect.” Consumer goods (beauty care, personal cleansing, etc., especially for young people) and pharmaceuticals would be good choices. The key is to understand how people use products and what makes consumers feel good, then use that to your advantage. The market is always changing, and you need to be on the cutting edge if you want to be successful. As one of my friends in marketing says, “Finance people like their steaks medium-done, marketing people like their meat raw.”
That would mean that as an undergrad you would do economics and/or psychology if there is no undergrad marketing degree available. If I were you, I’d contact the grad school you want to attend, and find out what successful grad students did as undergrads. If you want to get into business/marketing, you need to take the initiative and think outside the box.
EDIT: The marketing people in the company I work for have a starting salary of about 80K straight out of school, and are to $110K in 5 years. On the other hand, if you start with a large company to get the feel of the area, then you can run your own marketing firm.