What Can Your Degree Do For You l How to Get a Job l What Career is Your Best Fit - Beliefnet

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Are you a college graduate? A student working on a degree? Or maybe you're thinking about going back to school and wondering which career is the best fit for you? Whichever scenario you fall into, finding a career that you're happy with is a huge endeavor. You will, after all, spend more hours of your adult life at your workplace than you will anywhere else. As such, it is critical that, even if you do not look forward to going to work every day, you at least enjoy your job while you are there. Taking a job you hate is a surefire way to be miserable day in and day out. It is also not conducive to doing a good job while you are at work. That said, you do need a job that will allow you to pay your bills. On that front, a college degree can open up many doors for your future. It's also important to make sure you're aware of the financial backing that each profession makes annually. Check out the possible professions you could get into based on the degree you have or want.

*All yearly salaries are based on reports and research from Indeed.com. Salaries reflect 2018 reports and statistics.

English or Communications Degree

Most people do not know exactly what communications work entails, so they are confused when you say that is your field and will likely ask you repeatedly what that means you do every day. If you studied English, you are likely to have faced well meaning friends and family members who tried to talk you into pursuing a different field. They likely asked you repeatedly, "But what will you do with a degree in English? You won't be able to find a job where you make any money!" English and Communication degrees are actually far more flexible than many people realize, and you can make perfectly good money in either field. With a degree in English or Communications you could be a teacher: $50,000, journalist: $40,000, public relations: $60,000, marketing representative or advertising associate: $55,000 or a technical/grant writer: $60,000.

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Psychology or Criminal Justice Degree

Psychology or criminal justice degrees offer you a larger number of options than you may be aware. Those who specialize in criminal justice do not necessarily live their lives as if they were characters on an episode of "Law and Order." Such traditional criminal justice jobs such as being a police officer are certainly options but they are not the only ones on the table for people with a background in criminal justice. The same is true of psychology. If you have a degree in psychology, you do not necessarily have to become a psychiatrist or psychologist. You certainly could if you wanted, but there are a number of other career options you could pursue if you are not interested in either of the best known choices for those with psychology degrees. With a degree in psychology or criminal justice you could be a therapist: $58,000, school guidance counselor: $45,000, social worker: $57,000 or a paralegal: $63,000.

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Engineering or Computer Science Degree

As technology continues to shift and change at an incredible pace, employees who have a background in some sort of technological field are becoming increasingly prized. As such, a degree in computer science of engineering can open a large number of doors for you both directly related to what you studied and those that at first seem to be unrelated to your degree. A computer science degree is valuable these days to almost any company that works with technology on a regular basis. Today, that would cover just about every business on the planet. That said, an engineering or computer science degree does not mean that you have to go into software development or physical engineering if you do not want to do so. With a degree in engineering or computer science, you could be an architect: $130,000, computer engineer: $82,000 or an electrical engineer: $84,000.

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Fine Arts Degree

Those who study fine arts of any sort are usually asked by their family members and their friends over and over what on earth they think they are going to manage to do with such a degree. They will never make any money as a starving artist! A person studying the arts may also find that their abilities to "make it" as an artist are called into question. That can certainly shake a person's confidence in their own abilities. Doubt from others does not mean that you could not end up becoming a world famous painter or musician, but you do not have to be the next Van Gogh in order to make a comfortable living with a fine arts degree, especially if you are willing to look outside of the jobs most people would expect someone with a fine arts degree to fulfill. With a degree in fine arts, you could be a graphic designer: $40,000, photographer: $37,000 or a theater director: $75,000.

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Health

Health has become an increasingly diverse field. If you want to follow a career in the health care industry, you do not have to limit yourself to becoming a doctor or a surgeon. Those, of course, are still wonderful careers to pursue, but if you are not interested in doing that sort of work, that does not mean you are going to be shut out of the health care industry entirely. You could go into medical research, pharmacy work or become a caretaker. There are a wide variety of options available to you with a health degree. Frankly, any company that does work in the health care industry is likely to appreciate someone who has a health degree as they are almost guaranteed to be familiar with the field. With a degree in the health field you could be a dental hygienist: $77,000, registered nurse (RN): $72,000 or a physical therapist: $71,000.

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Religion

When most people hear that someone is studying religion in school, they assume that person is planning on going into ministry in some capacity. It is certainly true that those interested in going to seminary or becoming preachers are likely to study religion in school, but that does not mean that everyone who has a degree in religion is planning on becoming a minister or pastor. Religious studies is actually a far more diverse degree than many people realize and opens far more doors than you may think, especially in today's multicultural world. A person who can understand other religions and potential cultural pitfalls is very valuable. As such, there are many options if you are interested in religious studies. If you have a degree in religion you could be a minister: $51,000, counselor: $37,000, social worker: $57,000, diversity and inclusion manager: $72,000 or journalist: $40,000.

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Accounting

Accounting is always a popular degree for people to pursue. It is a well known field, and it is easy for people to make good money. It also helps that those who study accounting tend to actually enjoy it. Their friends may be baffled by what they find so interesting about it, but that does not mean that it is not a good fit for many people. That said, there are more potential options with an accounting degree than you may realize. Becoming an accountant, of course, is the most common and well-known option, but there are far more types of accountants than many people are likely aware of. If you have a degree in accounting you could be an international accountant: $56,000, forensic accountant: $78,000, IRS special agent: $128,000 or a chief financial officer (CFO): $133,000.

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