Ask the Experts

Major Mayhem

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Do not use my name in this. My parents and friends are asking me what I am going to major in. How do I decide?

Your anonymous question is one of the most common on campus.

There is a basic misunderstanding about this decision. Your major does not dictate your career choice. It will be affected in unpredictable ways by social and technological changes. Many careers that flourish today, did not even exist ten years ago. The most important thing you can do in college is to be a dedicated student. What skills should you have when you graduate, that will help you succeed?
Campus recruiters agree on these interpersonal skills, when interviewing new graduates.

1. The student is a team player. They can work in a group to solve a problem.
2. Can bring a new perspective to a problem, with an education in non-traditional subjects.
3. Ability to work in a dynamic environment.

No, there is no major for this. A piece of advice that Steve Jobs shared was “do something you are passionate about.”

If you are a math magician, an engineering degree gives you more opportunities than entering the manufacturing sector. You learn how to solve technical problems, which has application in pretty much any industry.

On a more non-traditional path, study sociology. Does this help you enter the business world? A marketing degree can help you analyze a problem. It cannot give you the creativity to solve it. Sociology is no longer a soft subject. It is a tool sought in creating new Internet businesses. According to Internet executives, our search engine optimization industry seeks students with non-traditional education. We have to pioneer new services to succeed in the marketplace.

Your major does not have to be a linear path to a career. What did you learn at school today, Johnny? I learned how to learn.

Dr. Todd Curtis wrote the definitive guide, Parenting and the Internet.

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Cash (In)consideration

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My sister and my (soon-to-be) brother-in-law are getting married soon–but they don’t have a gift registry. Instead, they’ve chosen to ask everyone for cash. Worse yet, the groom is busy telling people that he plans to use the money to invest in his business (he owns several small convenience stores). My parents wanted to get something like a nice china set or a set of fine silverware, so they’re beside themselves to hear that their future son-in-law is telling everyone their cash will help him buy new drink coolers. I’m not usually much for etiquette, but I’m not thrilled either, to tell the truth. To the extent that we’ve talked about it (not much), my sister seems to think it’s a normal, modern thing. Settle this for us: is this rude, or not?

While your future brother-in-law would no doubt like to get a display cooler as a wedding gift (experts do say that display coolers improve sales!!), you are correct that it would make a pretty uncommon choice for a wedding gift. But, of course, your sister and her future husband are not asking for a walk-in cooler (at least not in so many words); they’re asking for cash. So how common is that?
Ask the Experts

Demystifying Data

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I’m currently in the process of applying for jobs in a lot of different sectors because my focus during school has been on business and entrepreneurship. I’m not much of a tech person. I can use my smartphone and laptop like everyone else, but a lot of these jobs and their websites mention things like “understanding data solutions” and “streamlining web-based services to the cloud for economic flexibility.”

I don’t want to sound like a total amateur if these topics come up in interviews. Even if they don’t ask me about these things, they seem important to understanding costs for businesses. I don’t need a degree in computer science, but can you please translate some of this jargon so I feel better prepared?

Whether you realize it or not, you’ve hit on an incredibly important topic for businesses everywhere. Like you said, not everyone needs to be a computer scientist or a “tech person” to understand the impact that data creation and storage has on businesses. Most businesses store a tremendous amount of data, and that accumulation of so much data comes with very literal costs: data storage, electricity to support data storage, and, depending on the sensitivity of the data, additional costs for security and data compliance. This isn’t a problem that’s going away, either: according to the IDC, the explosion in data and its ubiquity in day-to-day work will force companies to transform in both internal culture and operations. Why is this happening? Studies have shown an estimated 4300 percent increase in annual data production by 2020, and companies have to figure out a way to store and access their data safely and cost-effectively.
Ask the Experts

Spare Style

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I’ve always liked design and decorating–just one look at my dorm room or my room back home would tell you that–but I have to confess that I don’t understand the appeal of the “industrial” look. You know: minimalist decor, exposed brick, exposed rafters and pipes…what’s with that? Where did it come from? I’m genuinely curious about why my generation seems to like apartments, bars, and gathering spaces that look like warehouses or factories. What’s beautiful about those spaces? What’s comfortable about them?

How you feel about industrial and minimalist spaces is, of course, entirely up to you. But you are quite right that they’re popular. The “warehouse aesthetic” that you’re confused by is often called “industrial style,” and it rose to prominence in the 2000s and 2010s. These days, the look is so popular among home buyers that one study showed it pushed the prices of homes in Australia up by 20 percent! That’s a lot to pay to live in a home that makes some people feel like they’re in a space under construction.