LA Times: Only 28% of STEM graduates work STEM jobs

[At30wecashout]

Stem is too board of a term, I need to see a breakdown by major

But I guessing it’s several answers to this issue

This. The anecdotes in OP mention the big corps when STEM is meaningful in sectors that dont include FAANG/MAANG. Im not a graduate but cut my teeth on healthcare IT for a non profit.

 

[Mike809]

The good thing about STEM is that even if you don't end up working a STEM job ,
your skills will still be valuable in other fields.

edit: Also , they should break it down by major ...because a field like Physics will have a harder time landing a role than someone with a major in Computer Science.

 

[Aprogressivone]

Here a popular youtuber who was a former tech lead at Google and Facebook/Meta. To sum it up, he says the industry is oversaturated and Americans are fighting against super hungry immigrants fighting for a visa. He said it's a crazy rat race. Definitely try to go into big tech at a MAANG company if your heart is there, but also look into government contracting if MAANG doesn't work out. It's not as sexy but it is rewarding. If you are a citizen, you can hop on projects where citizenship is required and/or a clearance is needed. You literally are cutting out all of that foreign competition right there. You can eat really well and don't have to worry about the economy or layoffs if you can actually do the work.

P.S. The youtuber below can be real cynical. He just wants future developers/engineers to be prepared for the realities.

My background is Bachelors of Science Computer Engineering Technology with 12 years of software development/engineering in the workforce.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Coli brehs told me coding was the key to 6 figures

It is, my cousin got her 1st Jr developer job a few months ago and started out making 75k. She had a BS degree in HR before getting into tech.

https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=software+engineer&l=&from=searchOnHP&vjk=ae364c6770f730f0

A few years ago the cloud explosion happened and now there's hundreds of thousands of jobs for people who know AWS, Azure, and GCP.

Right now the AI explosion is happening and there's gonna be hundreds of thousands of new jobs for people familiar with working neural networks.

Stop wasting time, learn a tech skill, and get paid. Not really sure what else to tell y'all nikkas

 

[↓R↑LYB]

I have a mechanical engineering degree and went the six certs route a my advice will be to go the certs route honestly. My degree was a waste of time but it opened doors for me to move around.

I've been one of the biggest advocates of for certs on here. I'm low key the reason there's a 6 cert forum on here because I said it so much trying to convince black people to get into the tech field since you don't need a degree and most certs only cost $2-300 to take.

I stopped talking about that shyt years ago because I realized a lot cats on here only wanted to complain instead of seizing opportunities that were staring them in the face. Thankfully a few nikkas on here listened and got outta the bullshyt poverty positions they were in to better their lives.

But once a nikka told me it was to much reading to make 20k/mo remotely, I turned these nikkas over to Jesus

 

[Balla]

I've been one of the biggest advocates of for certs on here. I'm low key the reason there's a 6 cert forum on here because I said it so much trying to convince black people to get into the tech field since you don't need a degree and most certs only cost $2-300 to take.

I stopped talking about that shyt years ago because I realized a lot cats on here only wanted to complain instead of seizing opportunities that were staring them in the face. Thankfully a few nikkas on here listened and got outta the bullshyt poverty positions they were in to better their lives.

But once a nikka told me it was to much reading to make 20k/mo remotely, I turned these nikkas over to Jesus

What is the best cert to start out with if you don’t have any?

 

[Big Simpin Losing Cheese]

It was believed that colleges weren't to be a place for job training and that most people don't work in the fields they major in

 

[Will Ross]

Thats the c00n Coli paradigm of the last 12 years

They will say some bootstraps CAC shyt like "Network harder!" or "you should have take neurosurgery over biochemistry" Tony Starks BS

you do know the people with the bootstraps
mindset are the ones that get the jobs?

 

[skyrunner1]

I've been one of the biggest advocates of for certs on here. I'm low key the reason there's a 6 cert forum on here because I said it so much trying to convince black people to get into the tech field since you don't need a degree and most certs only cost $2-300 to take.

I stopped talking about that shyt years ago because I realized a lot cats on here only wanted to complain instead of seizing opportunities that were staring them in the face. Thankfully a few nikkas on here listened and got outta the bullshyt poverty positions they were in to better their lives.

But once a nikka told me it was to much reading to make 20k/mo remotely, I turned these nikkas over to Jesus

I remember reading thru the official 6 cert thread before I even had access to comment on here and was just a guest and you being in there HEAVY in the beginning years putting tons of info and going hard for alot of brehs to get in, seen the growth just reading thru it with alot of other brehs but your post hit hard. It may seem that many didnt take the info but the site it locked for new comers and you would never know how much impact you had, salute breh for real

 

[Van Cleef]

It's a thing or problem innate to the field as well (no pun).

At the end of the day many employers (especially recruiters) really don't know how to gauge the value of a Physics degree.
For the field itself If you really want to do research and the work most people think of when they think of Physicists, you need a PhD.
However, only having BS in Physics is maybe one of the worst STEM degrees pound-for-pound.

Breaking into engineering with that degree is tricky because degrees like Physics don't get ABET accreditation and that makes engineering firms legally liable if they hire one to do engineering work. You can maybe do some analytic work, but many times they'll just hire another engineer. Some do eventually break in, but it'll be a grind or many times they don't quite become an engineer but an "engineer". One of my best friends from college basically has this role right now.

Sadly, a large amount of Physics grads actually end up teaching high school. Some did break into tech taking advantage of the recent boom, but it's hard to go up against CS grads when the market looks like it does. Same goes for other engineering fields - a Physics major just has too much good competition to go up against for specialty roles.

Overall, it's actually a degree that financially isn't worth the hassle and many people in the field will tell you the same. You either make the change into engineering/comp sci or you go full-on to power ahead and get your PhD (which will lead to a less financially rewarding career in research). The funny thing is engineering R&D is where PhD Physicists will start to take over. If going for a PhD then Physics > all other engineering discipline PhD's.

It's basically the tweener of STEM degrees. Definitely not unemployable, but will require an open mind by employers and can be tougher when specific fields get more competitive. This basically leads many to the situation like OP's post states where they don't even end up working in STEM as a career. Physics majors probably make up a large portion of those stats.

what about a business degree?

 

[IIVI]

what about a business degree?

I'm not really sure. I honestly don't know many business majors.

 

[Van Cleef]

I've been one of the biggest advocates of for certs on here. I'm low key the reason there's a 6 cert forum on here because I said it so much trying to convince black people to get into the tech field since you don't need a degree and most certs only cost $2-300 to take.

I stopped talking about that shyt years ago because I realized a lot cats on here only wanted to complain instead of seizing opportunities that were staring them in the face. Thankfully a few nikkas on here listened and got outta the bullshyt poverty positions they were in to better their lives.

But once a nikka told me it was to much reading to make 20k/mo remotely, I turned these nikkas over to Jesus

you gotta start in help desk tho

 

[↓R↑LYB]

you gotta start in help desk tho

That's true, but in exchange you get to access all the pawgs that corporate america has to offer.

 

[Wild self]

you do know the people with the bootstraps
mindset are the ones that get the jobs?

and why only 28% of STEM grads get the jobs that they studied for? Let's face it, the "bootstraps" mentality prevents worker rights and cooperation to raise pay and quality of life for everyone.

 

[Marks]

On a broad scale I think as a culture we're moving past the era of specialization/hyperspecialization.