Forbes Failed in Predicting the Future

Back in the mini-boss year of 2016, I read a short article by Forbes regarding the best and worst Masters degrees.  I flipped through the tedious 21-webpages ranking each major out of curiosity.  I felt insulted that my concentration was the worst. 

I know it’s been four years, but I can not help looking back at a Forbes article that foretold my Masters Degree would be the downfall of my career.  As time goes on, I laugh at how inaccurate it was. 

Now in 2020 with the viral empire of this global pandemic, I am completely regretless in my choice of pursuing a career in Criminal Justice.  I run criminal background checks from the comforts of my home, and I earn enough money to pay the bills without roommates or a husband.  With over 40 million Americans left unemployed, I realize how privileged I am to have a job in the midst of the economic devastation.  I utilize my privilege to help millions of Americans.  Earning my Masters in Criminal Justice was one of the wisest life decisions I have ever made.

The short article by Kathryn Dill and the ranking were based on data obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Payscale, a compensation software company.  Methods of data gathering were not mentioned.  There is mention of data indicating job satisfaction, stress, and meaningful work, but how is that measured?  Moreover, only the monetary values were displayed per rank.  While the data may be from reasonable sources, financial glory is not the only motive when selecting a career path.

My role in this pandemic is pre-screening job applicants who hope to become pharmacy and healthcare workers, as well as factory employees who produce ventilators.  I belong to a team of professionals who empower HR managers to hire the best people in a time of crisis.  If that isn’t meaningful work, Forbes, then what is?

Even before I landed this stellar job, I still enjoyed my previous position as security officer regardless of pay.  I investigated internal theft, employee drug use, and other illegal activities on the expansive premises of wind turbine factory and warehouse.  I was proud to guard the ~70 acre property that was worth roughly $60 million at the time.  Situated in an industrial park, I saw sunsets without an interrupting skyline.  Patrols were like long walks.  I appreciated different colors of dragonflies during exterior patrols on an EZ-Go kart.  The stressful aspects of my job made it more adventurous.  I worked through Hurricane Sandy, dealt with trespassers, and encountered growling wildlife.  These experiences add vigor to my career history.  Despite moving on, I still miss my team and colleagues.  I worked with interesting people, and my boss was a calculus teacher in his primary job.

Overall, I am happy with my career and I still do research pertaining to my Masters degree concentration, post-graduation.  I publish research projects on criminological topics in my crime blog, free for the public to read.  It is possible that I am an outlier in the statistics from BLS, but I would never trade in my Masters Degree in Criminal Justice for anything else.

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If you are curious about the rankings but do not want to click through 21 pages of spam, here are the results from the Forbes article.  If your major is one of the worst, don’t feel discouraged.  They were wrong about me.

Best:
10. Software Engineering
9. Occupational Therapy (OT)
8. Physician Assistant Studies
7. Computer Science (CS)
6. Management Information Systems (MIS) (MBA)
5. Physical Therapy
4. Communication Sciences and Disorders
3. Speech-Language Pathology
2. Statistics
1. Biostatistics

Worst:
10. Architecture
9. Theology
8. Elementary Education
7. Taxation
6. Art History
5. Journalism
4. Library Science
3. Construction Management
2. Sports Management
1. Criminal Justice

Dill, K (2016).  The 10 Best and Worst Masters’ Degrees For Jobs Right Now.  Forbes.com.  Retrieved from:  https://www3.forbes.com/leadership/the-10-best-and-worst-masters-degrees-for-jobs-right-now/?utm_campaign=Best-And-Worst-Masters-Degrees-For-Jobs-mbl&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=referral&fbclid=IwAR38f565eDndmXHGzl57o2XBAr8KNOw3UsHbekXIAc6pPSLziPs5pCUClUk