# What the heck am I going to do with my philosophy degree?



## xisnotx (Mar 20, 2014)

Got a BA in Philosophy from Big State U. Was only a B student. And now, I'm lost in the world. 

What would you do if you were 24, had a BA in Phil, and $thousands to pay back? 

Go go go


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## Red_Setting_Sun (Jun 20, 2013)

Start as a freelance author/journalist? Become a political commentator? Go into politics? As a philosophy graduate, you should have a well-developed bullshit detector. Use it.


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## Planisphere (Apr 24, 2012)

Although you would still have to get proper certification, I would assume a Philosophy degree could be of some interest to school boards and the like. In that case, you could become a teacher, which is what a lot of historical philosophers did. On the other hand, philosophy isn't as valued today as it used to be, so I wouldn't be surprised if you would have to do a lot of convincing in order to land practically any job you try to get.


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## kindaconfused (Apr 30, 2010)

let it ride shotgun as you deliver pizzas?


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## Dosto Yevsky (Feb 9, 2014)

Plenty of arses on Capitol Hill to thrust it up in.

As for money, fuck debts, squat, dumpster dive & watch the world end.


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## Tranquility (Dec 16, 2013)

xisnotx said:


> Got a BA in Philosophy from Big State U. Was only a B student. And now, I'm lost in the world.
> 
> What would you do if you were 24, had a BA in Phil, and $thousands to pay back?
> 
> Go go go


Do what you can, wherever your life leads you. You'll find a niche somewhere to fill. Be frugal to pay of your debts. Don't panic.


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## xisnotx (Mar 20, 2014)

kindaconfused said:


> let it ride shotgun as you deliver pizzas?


literalist interpretation ftw!
it's sitting on my bedroom shelf. 
i thought about framing it...but i can't afford a frame. 
lololol


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## owlet (May 7, 2010)

A quick google search and I found this:
Options with your subject: Philosophy | Prospects.ac.uk

Mostly looks like you'll need work experience, though. But that goes for pretty much everything these days...


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## Philosophaser Song Boy (Jan 16, 2011)

Commit to being a great ponderer, renouncing all worldly boundaries and prisons that we seem to rave over with feelings of necessity...

Really though, find a community that has a booming local agriculture market. Farming sure beats any desk-job. Though, I work indoors all day, I still work as part of a farm operation. It will never be a get-rich-quick scheme, but with your degree, you are more able to apply your vastly expanding perceptions into your job, and day-dreams.


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## Alles_Paletti (May 15, 2013)

xisnotx said:


> Got a BA in Philosophy from Big State U. Was only a B student. And now, I'm lost in the world.
> 
> What would you do if you were 24, had a BA in Phil, and $thousands to pay back?
> 
> Go go go


E.g.

- Work/teach at university.
- Get another degree. Preferably abroad. Preferably sponsored by a scholarship. 
- Go to another continent and volunteer at a non-profit NGO or charity. 
- Become a diving/surf instructor in a tropical region
- Get some IT skills and make some apps or do website development - useful whatever job/profession you choose. 
- Take up photography/painting and make some money of that (not a lot probably)
- Become a freelance consultant who gives paid lectures at international companies/government institutions
- Work at an embassy with the ambition to become an ambassador
- Apply at a well known consultancy firm at try to get some valuable experience (warning, being a junior consultant is not fun)
- play Mafia on PerC and procrastinate your problems


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## Philosophaser Song Boy (Jan 16, 2011)

Alles_Paletti said:


> - Go to another continent and volunteer at a non-profit NGO or charity.


That costs more than you'd think. My SO has been all over the world, and now, she may have to move away to pursue further education for a better job to save money. It is a fantastic thing to do, but I feel like most programs are designed for older folks with money already saved. Perhaps I am biased, since this potential tragedy has recently come into play, but I recommend against using money that you need to start yourself.


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## xisnotx (Mar 20, 2014)

i feel like i can't move forward with the career without the girl. like, i feel i'll know what i want once i've settled into my other life...

problem is, no career, no girl! what came first the chicken, or the egg? what came first? the career, or the relationship?


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## fairies (Nov 2, 2013)

Here are some suggestions that popped up in my head:

-Write books about philosophy
-Get a teaching certification
-Get a PhD and become a professor
-Just do some entry level job (my sister's bf is a technician for a cable company and didn't need college for it. he makes a lot too)
-Go to a community college and do some kind of career program like nursing, cosmetology, respiratory care, auto mechanic ect.


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## bluekitdon (Dec 19, 2012)

Check out Careers and find a career path that interests you. Get started with a job on that career path and start paying back the loans. Get yourself enrolled in a Dave Ramsey financial peace university course. Whatever you do stop borrowing money. “The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.” ― Warren Buffett

For what it's worth I started out my adult life about $30k in the hole. I've since paid that off and started building wealth so it can be done with some hard work. Good luck.


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## Vic (Dec 4, 2010)

Anything you want.

(May require more work).


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## StElmosDream (May 26, 2012)

As I am finding 1 degree is not always enough when second degree re-specialisms are becoming a norm as a 'do over option' of sorts.


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## xisnotx (Mar 20, 2014)

I feel like you don't deal with debt by trying to escape it, but by trying to hide it away from your assets. Debt that doesn't effect your assets is an essentially useless concept. I mean, if I die with $10, 000, 000 in liquid debt, but that money was used to acquire real assets (however you want to transfer wealth from one generation to the next...) then what did that debt matter? As long as it's concentrated into an account that doesn't effect those heirs, then I died with $10, 000, 000 in debt...but so what? It's not like if I paid all my debt off, I wouldn't have died. They can't collect on a corpse, is what I'm saying.

The trick is asset protection and successfully transferring assets from generation to generation.


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## Modal Soul (Jun 16, 2013)

you can have one hell of an existential crisis
courtesy of your broadened understanding of philosophy


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## bluekitdon (Dec 19, 2012)

xisnotx said:


> I feel like you don't deal with debt by trying to escape it, but by trying to hide it away from your assets. Debt that doesn't effect your assets is an essentially useless concept. I mean, if I die with $10, 000, 000 in liquid debt, but that money was used to acquire real assets (however you want to transfer wealth from one generation to the next...) then what did that debt matter? As long as it's concentrated into an account that doesn't effect those heirs, then I died with $10, 000, 000 in debt...but so what? It's not like if I paid all my debt off, I wouldn't have died. They can't collect on a corpse, is what I'm saying.
> 
> The trick is asset protection and successfully transferring assets from generation to generation.


Good luck with that. Creditors eventually wise up and stop extending you credit. They'll also get the majority if not all of those assets. Just speaking from experience, debt leads to some places you don't want to be, there's no running from it long term.


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## xisnotx (Mar 20, 2014)

bluekitdon said:


> Good luck with that. Creditors eventually wise up and stop extending you credit. They'll also get the majority if not all of those assets. Just speaking from experience, debt leads to some places you don't want to be, there's no running from it long term.


Man, talking money makes me so angry...so, I'll just cease and desist. 

I like the idea of going back to cc for a technical cert. Auto tech seems good. An associates in math (like 3 classes left..). Then maybe a Masters in Physics. Then maybe drive the world car rally...what else to do?

I really don't care about debts, or costs or whatever. The system will change for me...I won't change for the system. And if not, it goes down. Not my problem.  (I say this because the system has already changed for me when I've refused to change for it. At 24, I think that's one of my biggest discoveries in life. I control the world...the world doesn't control me. )


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## Red_Setting_Sun (Jun 20, 2013)

National intelligence? Government offices?


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

xisnotx said:


> Got a BA in Philosophy from Big State U. Was only a B student. And now, I'm lost in the world.
> 
> What would you do if you were 24, had a BA in Phil, and $thousands to pay back?
> 
> Go go go



Wow. You didn't look at your prospects before this? Philosophy majors usually go academic, or pre-law. Not your deal? It would be fun to get a degree in philosophy. I just can't think how it would be a money maker.


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## xisnotx (Mar 20, 2014)

tanstaafl28 said:


> Wow. You didn't look at your prospects before this? Philosophy majors usually go academic, or pre-law. Not your deal? It would be fun to get a degree in philosophy. I just can't think how it would be a money maker.


well i need money to eat. and i need to eat to live. so it'll have to make me money somehow.


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## Deus Absconditus (Feb 27, 2011)

xisnotx said:


> well i need money to eat. and i need to eat to live. so it'll have to make me money somehow.


Either go back to school or write a book. Those are the only two options that I see to be honest. For now you probably will have to rely more on your communication skills than your degree in philosophy. The good thing is that some doors or open having only a degree, the bad news is that you probably will never find a job in philosophy unless you start writing some books on your own philosophies that may be useful. You could always go military if thats an option for you but its not one of the things I suggest to people ofyen.


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## Promethea (Aug 24, 2009)

A lot of entry level jobs want you to have a degree in something, anything, doesn't much matter what your major was.


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

xisnotx said:


> well i need money to eat. and i need to eat to live. so it'll have to make me money somehow.


Hence, the idea of either going back to school to either become a professor, or a lawyer. 

Barring that, I asked why you did not check your prospects after graduation prior to undertaking this degree. Did no one in your family, or an adviser at your school, ask you why you were majoring in philosophy? Like I said, I really dig philosophy, I just know there's not much in the way of practical outcomes involved in earning a philosophy degree.

Others have mentioned that just having a degree is a doorway to getting any number of non-subject related jobs. I would look into jobs requiring a bachelors degree. I would assume you have skills in logic, analysis, and critical thinking skills, so use those as criteria, and resume bullets.


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## xisnotx (Mar 20, 2014)

tanstaafl28 said:


> I asked why you did not check your prospects after graduation prior to undertaking this degree.


Don't be dense, of course I did. 

I was wondering what others would do if they were in my position...perhaps someone would've suggested something I overlooked.


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## Chest (Apr 14, 2014)

get a camera, film yourself with half watermellon in your head while philosophizing, post it on youtube, get 5 million views, be rich, have a good life


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

xisnotx said:


> Don't be dense, of course I did.
> 
> I was wondering what others would do if they were in my position...perhaps someone would've suggested something I overlooked.


My apologies, my apparent _density_ is limited to having a BS and a MS, and 9 years of uninterrupted employment. 

You focused on my questions, did you consider my suggestions?


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## xisnotx (Mar 20, 2014)

tanstaafl28 said:


> My apologies, my apparent _density_ is limited to having a BS and a MS, and 9 years of uninterrupted employment.
> 
> You focused on my questions, did you consider my suggestions?


You've confused my question. I'm not after your suggestions, necessarily. The question isn't 'What should I do?'...the question is 'What would you do?'.

Given the hypothetical that you had earned a ba in phil and had financial obligations...taking into account current economic realities...how would you proceed with your life?
Law School? PhD then teach?

Perfectly acceptable answers...though personally I'm a bit weary of adding on to my debt..
But maybe you'd be more comfortable with that...idk..


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

xisnotx said:


> You've confused my question. I'm not after your suggestions, necessarily. The question isn't 'What should I do?'...the question is 'What would you do?'.
> 
> Given the hypothetical that you had earned a ba in phil and had financial obligations...taking into account current economic realities...how would you proceed with your life?
> Law School? PhD then teach?
> ...


Well, if I had a BA in Philosophy, and go the the scholarly/legal route, I would consider finding a graduate assistantship: covers tuition, room & board, plus a stipend. They can be competitive, you might want to check into scholarships too. 

If I were to go another route, I would play up my analytical, logical, and critical thinking skills, as I said.


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## VoodooDolls (Jul 30, 2013)

You could dedicate your free time writting books, if you're good you'll eventually get paid for those, as some said contact newspapers and stuff and try to writte articles for them, critics, this while you are procrastinating (eventually you'll need an schelude), at the same time try to become a professor, that's a fair interesting job, specially if you go for university professors, they have an amazing quality of life. Other options are to invest sometime learning a language and try to implement this to your curriculum, it will help a lot if you try to go outside of your country and it'll be easier to find something. You see, when you get a relatively "related to your stuff" job this will lead you to start making conections and making yourself a place in that area, be positive.


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## OldManRivers (Mar 22, 2012)

I knew someone who got a degree in Philosophy. He was a self -taught electronics whiz - circuit building, etc. He had a relative in a defense industry who gave him and his non-degreed brother good jobs - Their work was classified but it had to do with setting up stuff in a truck with a bunch of antennas. 

If you have an interest, teaching on a high school level - social studies, history, whatever - and you can go to school in summers to get up to speed in education courses. Then, school administration - county superintendents can make a lot of money - including speaking (for a fee) at all sorts of functions.

If you enjoyed doing the degree, and you have grown from it, have more appreciation and interest in life, it was a worthwhile venture in itself. And that, I think, is the only benefit from the endeavor.


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## RobynC (Jun 10, 2011)

A philosophy degree will work, they just want you to *have* a degree usually. The exception being like if you're going to be an doctor at which point they want a M.D. or D.O., or a Psychologist which requires a Ph.D, or a Psy.D or somehting like that.

Oh, if you're a professor you're generally supposed to be qualified in the subject you teach; if you're a teacher interestingly you're supposed to be an education major, with the minor being the subject. Go figure.


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## Ugunti (Oct 10, 2013)

If you can't get a philosophyesque job pornography is always an option.


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## Gossip Goat (Nov 19, 2013)

keep on studying & become either a lawyer or a professor?


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## Autumn_Fairy (May 10, 2014)

My first degree was a BA in English and I felt about the same way (what can I do with a BA in English?). Fortunately, I had no loans to pay back. So I did the "smart" thing, took out a whole bunch of loans and got myself another degree (this time in Physics) because, surely a degree in physics will get me places. It got me the debt I avoided the first time around, but I decided not to pursue a career with it. I want to make a living out of literature, dammit! Luck was on my side as I got a full tuition waiver plus stipend for graduate school (comparative literature). Now I'm getting paid to go to school! 

May luck be on your side too for whatever you truly wish to do with philosophy.

These days, philosophy is usually a foundation degree for another degree (Law, more philosophy, etc.). If you don't mind more schooling, I say go for it, but only if you want to and not because you think you should.

ETA - as long as you are in school, you don't have to start paying back your loans. If you decide to pursue a more career-yielding field, you can have confidence going in that you will be able to pay it all back eventually.


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## Dao (Sep 13, 2013)

I used to be a philosophy major. I had 65 credits. I received countless derisive comments about my major everywhere and about how philosophy was allegedly useless. The critical reasoning skills you will learn as a philosopher are absolutely priceless but I think placing trust in employers to value you because you have a degree is unwise. Many people look down on philosophy (and other degrees) because many people do not understand those disciplines. Augment your resume with credentials you suspect your potential employer will respect such as certifications and internships — or go into law or academia.


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## Brian1 (May 7, 2011)

You could always write a book on theory, how college doesn't prepare you for the job market, and yet it has made you a more ethical human being.


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## Lexicon Devil (Mar 14, 2014)

Sell yourself to an employer based on your critical and creative thinking skills. Go into an interview telling them what you can do for the company. You probably will have to start at a low level. Just be patient. A job coach can help you market your skills, and they don't cost much money. Even accepting a low paying job will still look good on your resume as it shows a work ethic. Do not lose heart.

I really wanted to make several wise cracks here, but I think you suffered enough. :laughing:


*EDIT:* Mabe later down the line take some more math and some basic accounting classes to make yourself more marketable. Also, emersing yourself in a foreign language will broaden your career opportunities.


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