Good summary. The reason that many boomers with degrees in “anything” were able to get hired and have successful careers is that college taught us how to learn. The degree was the price of entry, it earned you an interview. But all the qualities that are so desperately lacking in today’s graduates, such as intellectual curiosity, a basic understanding of the scientific method, solid English written and verbal skills, the ability to research and rationally and logically advance an argument or defend a point with facts and data regardless of whether we personally agreed with it, and most of all, humility, were learned in college regardless of major.
You nailed it. Learning to think, apply the scientific method to problems and write and speak good English can get you far.
Some years ago I was working for a company that required a bacherlor’s degree even for entry level positions. Some were good, others not.The college degree was already in decline.
I convinved the boss to let me hire the assistant analysts. I looked at their education of course, but more important was their ability to think and communicate. Some were not college grads. I didn’t care one damn bit.
I know many fellow millennials with advanced degrees that don’t know or care about ANYTHING and can’t reason or write worth a damn. They’re also arrogant as hell and convinced that we are the best generation ever, so they’ll never do anything to improve themselves. And, of course, they vote D.
Bingo. Molecular Biologist by degree. Software engineer by profession. EE capable in design to the component level.