Study highlights waypoints toward jobs of tomorrow, high-income careers
Understanding job trends and seizing the opportunities they present can help you transform your career and build a future-proof skill set that stands out in any industry.
Understanding job trends and seizing the opportunities they present can help you transform your career and build a future-proof skill set that stands out in any industry.
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College is probably the most standardised and least creative place in the entire world.
Many universities are like dinosaurs stuck in the mud — they’re teaching you stuff that worked 10-20 years ago but doesn’t work today; or they teach you things you could have learned online for free on YouTube or for $5 in a Udemy course.
Evidence? There are dozens of super successful people, i.e. Apple’s Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Microsoft’s Paul Allen and Bill Gates, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, Oprah Winfrey, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, who were all college dropouts.
Then there’s The Beatles, who were self-taught musicians. The same goes with the K-pop superstars BTS and Queen.
The Beatles, Queen, and K-pop superstars BTS prove that formal music degrees aren’t required for global success. The Beatles revolutionized rock, Queen blended opera with rock, and BTS redefined pop with storytelling and performance. Their artistry, innovation, and dedication shaped music history, inspiring generations without traditional academic training.
The Beatles, Queen, and K-pop superstars BTS prove that formal music degrees aren’t required for global success. The Beatles revolutionized rock, Queen blended opera with rock, and BTS redefined pop with storytelling and performance. Their artistry, innovation, and dedication shaped music history, inspiring generations without traditional academic training.
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How did they dominate the global music scene without a college degree in music? It turns out a college degree does NOT guarantee value creation, or a good return on investment (ROI), or influence.
What does?
It’s what you do with your hours and days (not the years in college or university) that makes the big difference.
Value creation
One measure of ROI is annual income: Research done by Georgetown University analysed wages for 137 college majors, in a survey known as The Economic Value of College Majors.
The researchers used Census data to detail the most popular college majors, the majors that are most likely to lead to an advanced degree, and the economic benefit of earning an advanced degree by undergraduate major.
The following are some of the courses/degrees with generally lower return on investments (ROI) — and alternative careers for them:
12 most ‘useless’ college degrees: How to spice up your career
Image Credit: Vijith Pulikkal / Gulf News
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12 most ‘useless’ college degrees: How to spice up your career
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#1. Ethnic & Gender Studies
Outside of academia or activism, there are few direct job opportunities for them. The reason: it primarily focuses on critical analysis of social issues related to race, ethnicity, and gender, rather than providing specific technical skills needed for most entry-level jobs. There’s a perception a degree may not translate directly to a professional career path.
Alternative: Combine it with law, education, or business for broader career options. A degree in Ethnic & Gender Studies opens diverse career paths in advocacy, education, media, business, and more. In business, positions like Diversity & Inclusion Manager or CSR Specialist promote equity. Government, healthcare, and tech offer roles in policy, law, social work, and ethical AI, ensuring inclusivity across industries.
#2. Music | Performing Arts
Careers in music and the performing arts are notoriously competitive, with a small fraction reaching high earnings while the majority face unstable incomes and fewer benefits, as per Payscale.
Alternative: A music degree offers diverse career paths beyond performance. Step into production as a music producer, sound engineer, or composer for film, TV, and video games. Guide artists as an A&R rep or manager, or shape the industry as a music publicist or concert promoter. Educate future musicians as a teacher or musicologist, or curate history as a music librarian. In media, thrive as a music journalist, podcast host, or radio DJ. Whether in business, education, or entertainment, your skills can shape the future of music.
#3. Art History
Art History programmes often provide deep creative and critical thinking skills, yet graduates typically face a competitive job market with limited positions and lower average salaries. Unless you plan to teach or work in museums, job opportunities are rare.
Alternative: Combine it with a business or museum studies degree for better job prospects.
#4. Fashion Design
The industry is brutally competitive. There’s a long list of fashion designers without a college degree: Coco Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, among others. Chanel revolutionised women’s fashion with timeless designs, Lagerfeld started as a design assistant without a formal degree, while McQueen dropped out of school at 16, later trained through apprenticeships. Ralph Lauren, too, left business school to start designing ties. Virgil Abloh (founder of fashion label Off-White and the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear) studied engineering and architecture, but has no formal fashion degree.
Alternative: Build a strong portfolio, gain internships/appreticeships, or learn business skills for fashion entrepreneurship.
#5. Philosophy
Studying philosophy sharpens reasoning and ethical deliberation. Understanding argumentation improves communication and deal-making. However, direct career paths can be ambiguous, leading to lower initial earnings and slower financial returns, according to the Georgetown Report.
Alternative: Law, business ethics and corporate responsibility rely on reasoning, strategic thinking, negotiation and persuasion. You could also go into AI Ethics, human-computer interaction, brand protection or human rights advocacy. Digital rights and privacy is another area where philosophy informs debates on online freedom, surveillance, and data ethics.
#4. Religious Studies | Theology
These programmes offer profound cultural and historical insights but generally result in careers that have limited scalability in terms of salary growth outside academia or religious institutions, as per the report.
Alternative: There are a number of options, including: a cleric in religious institutions; chaplain (for hospitals, military, prisons, universities, or corporate settings to provide spiritual care); missionary, outreach/community development/ humanitarian aid worker; researcher; curriculum developer; journalist; educator, counsellor and social services specialist; pursue further studies in law, ethics, and public policy; museum and cultural work; interfaith relations specialist and corporate ethics consultant.
#5. Photography
A degree in photography, while it provides structure learning, is not always necessary for success in the field. Since photography is a highly freelance-driven profession, many successful photographers are self-taught, honing their skills through hands-on experience, online resources, and mentorship rather than formal education. Photography relies more on a strong portfolio, technical expertise, creativity, and networking. A degree is not a prerequisite for thriving in the profession. Many photographers build their careers through practice, experimentation, and adapting to evolving technology and market trends.
Alternative: Take online courses, build a strong portfolio, and gain real-world experience.
#6. Sociology
Sociology graduates gain valuable insights into social behaviour and institutions, but the transition to high-paying roles can be challenging without additional specialised training or advanced degrees. While sociologists have a broad skill set that makes them valuable in various fields beyond academia and research, there are some alternative career paths for sociology graduates.
Alternative: Social services and community work; youth or family counselor; market research and data analysis; human resources (HR) and organisational development; journalism, media, and communications; public policy analyst and government work; legislative aide; urban planner; academic ddvisor; corporate trainer; ESL teacher; criminologist; and paralegal or legal researcher.
#7. English Literature | Creative Writing
Writing talent, and load of hard work, matter more than a degree. Many jobs require additional skills. Although this field nurtures strong communication and analytical skills, career options directly related to the discipline are limited, often leading to lower starting salaries and competitive job markets, as per Payscale.
Alternative? There numerous possibilities in terms of job prosects or security. You may focus on digital content, SEO writing, or technical writing. There’s the wide-open field of being an author/novelist (fiction, poetry, or non-fiction books); digital journalism; copywriter; marketing, advertising, or branding content creator; content writer/blogger; screenwriter; technical writer; ghostwriter; speechwriter; editor, proofreader, literary agent, book reviewer; publisher; public Relations (PR) specialist; social media manager; brand strategist; broadcast journalist; podcast writer/producer.
#8. Communications
Many traditional communications curricula emphasise theoretical knowledge, media history, and classical rhetoric. Communications is versatile and creative, yet many roles in the field — especially early in one’s career — offer modest compensation and can be highly competitive, which means rather lower entry-level pay, as per CNBC. It’s oversaturated and often lacks a clear career path.
Alternative: There are dozens of jobs for you. These include roles as a journalist/reporter (news anchor, broadcast journalist, photojournalist, investigative journalist, correspondent); PR specialist, media relations manager; corporate communications officer; public information officer; advertising executive; brand manager; marketing specialist; media buyer/planner; copywriter; digital and social media creator/manager; SEO specialist; digital marketing strategist; TV/Radio producer; scriptwriter; video editor; event manager; media producer; audiovisual specialist; media researcher; mass communication lecturer; freelance journalist/writer; YouTuber/podcaster; and public speaker/media trainer. Any of these specialisations boost employability. These, however, are less emphasised in a classical communications programmes.
#9. History
History programmes provide a rich understanding of past events, but outside of academic or museum contexts, the direct application of this knowledge to high-paying roles is limited, according to Georgetown Report.
Alternative: A History degree is more than just a gateway to the past. A degree in this field also equips graduates with valuable skills in research, critical thinking, writing, and analysis, making it highly versatile in today’s job market. While traditional paths in academia and education remain strong, history graduates can thrive in a wide range of industries — from government, and public service, media and business, to research and technology. Love storytelling? History graduates play a vital role in ensuring historical accuracy in media. As a film and TV consultant, you can help filmmakers bring history to life. Video game writers and researchers create historically-rich gaming experiences; podcast hosts/producers enrich and influence viewers by sharing engaging stories through digital platforms.
#10. Liberal Arts
A broad field that covers multiple disciplines, Liberal Arts degrees often lack the technical or specialized focus that drives high ROI in other areas, making it harder to translate into well-paying, specialised roles.
Alternative: Focus on a specific skill set like law, writing, communication, or digital media. A degree in Liberal Arts opens doors to a diverse range of careers, offering flexibility, creativity, and critical thinking skills that are valuable across industries. Whether you have a passion for storytelling, education, business, or technology, there’s a path that aligns with your strengths and interests. Jobs in writing & media, education & research. marketing & PR; business & administration, human resources; government and non-profit. Those with creative spark can segue as tech user experience (UX) research; data analyst; technical recruiter; digital humanities specialist; creative arts and entertainment.
#11. Anthropology | Archaeology
Degrees in Anthropology or Archaeology cultivate an understanding of human cultures and history; however, job opportunities often lie in research or education, which typically come with modest financial rewards, as per Georgetown Report.
Alternative: On top of the list is forensic anthropologist (work with law enforcement to analyse human remains); diplomat/foreign service officer; roles in cultural and heritage fields (museum curator; cultural resource manager (CRM) and archivist); tour guide/historical interpreter; documentary filmmaker; university lecturer; educational content developer; social science researcher; market research analyst; user experience (UX) researcher; HR specialist; international business consultant; corporate social responsibility (CSR) manager; policy analyst; NGO Program Manager; community outreach coordinator; writing and media; geographic information systems analyst; travel writer/vlogger and cultural tourism developer.
#12. Culinary Arts
Cooking is a skill-based profession, so a college degree in Culinary Arts is useless if the food is bad. Experience often matters more than a degree. Many successful chefs learn on the job or attend trade schools.
Alternative: Work in a restaurant or attend a specialized culinary program. A Culinary Arts degree opens doors beyond the kitchen. Become a food stylist, recipe developer, or food critic, blending creativity and media. Manage events as a catering manager or craft unique dining experiences as a personal chef. Innovate as a food scientist or product developer. Educate others as a culinary instructor, or influence hospitality as a restaurant consultant. Advocate for sustainability as a farm-to-table specialist or food policy analyst. Whether in business, media, or food innovation, your culinary expertise can shape the industry.
Risk vs rewards
Still, a degree’s value depends on how you use it. Some of these fields can be rewarding if combined with practical skills, networking, or business knowledge. Instead of just following passion, it’s wise to align education with career opportunities.
These assessments and alternatives presented may not reflect the full picture as many graduates from these fields go on to achieve significant success.
Additionally, the benefits of a well-rounded education — critical thinking, cultural literacy, and effective communication — can be invaluable, even if they don’t immediately translate into high salaries.
Takeaways
Whether you’re an aspiring professional or a seasoned expert, the key takeaways are clear:
To thrive in the jobs today, you must be willing to adapt, learn, and reinvent yourself.
The world of work is evolving rapidly — don’t get left behind.
