How I Got Hooked on This Question
Honestly? Started with my cousin’s kid last Thanksgiving. She barely touched her pie, just kept pulling her hair out over picking a major – philosophy or psychology? Said she loved thinking deep thoughts (philosophy), but also wanted a job that actually paid rent (psychology). Hit me hard ’cause I remember being that confused years ago.
My Messy Research Phase
Didn’t trust random Google lists. Wanted real dirt. So I:
- Stalked LinkedIn (creepily): Searched folks who studied philosophy and psychology. Filtered by job titles from “Barista” to “Big Shot Consultant”. Took notes like a mad detective.
- Grilled my network: Called an old buddy doing corporate ethics (philosophy degree), another buddy doing HR counseling (psychology master’s). Asked about their bank accounts. Got some eye-opening rants.
- Scrolled salary sites: Not just averages – dug into “5 years experience” figures for things like human resources vs. policy research. The gaps were… interesting.
The Coffee Shop Breakdown
Made myself a giant ugly spreadsheet. Seriously, color-coded chaos. Noticed stuff like:
Philosophy grads? Took longer landing that first “real” job, maybe 6-12 months extra hustle. But, once they were in roles like legal ops or management consulting? Pay jumped higher faster, especially if they learned some stats or coding later.
Psychology grads? Got hired quicker out the gate – HR assistants, case workers, marketing research juniors. But, hitting the high salary tiers often meant extra school – Masters in IO Psych, Clinical licenses. Big bucks needed extra paper.
Reality Check Call
Idea sounded neat. Then I chatted with a grumpy HR director pal. Her take? “Stop comparing apples to existential despair!”
She saw zero value in pure “philosophy vs psychology” debates. Said her bosses just needed solid answers: “Can this person argue clearly? (philosophy strength). Can they read people and fix teams? (psychology strength). Get both skills, then we talk career.”
My ‘Aha’ Moment (While Showering)
It clicked. This isn’t about picking the “better” degree. It’s like asking if a hammer’s better than a screwdriver. Depends on the damn job!
- Wanna climb a corporate ladder fast, analyze systems, advise bigwigs? Philosophy gives that sharp brain toolkit. But be ready to prove you can actually use it practically.
- Want a clearer path into helping people directly, understanding minds, HR, maybe therapy later? Psychology opens more doors upfront. But know that reaching top salaries might need climbing back onto the student loan bus.
The real winners? Folks who pulled skills from both buckets. Like the philosophy major who minored in behavioral psych for his product manager gig. Or the therapist with an ethics counseling side hustle.
So What Now?
I tell my cousin’s kid this: Major in what genuinely makes you wrestle with ideas at 3 AM. But minor (or double major!) in the one that feels more “down to earth.” Learn some data skills either way. And forget the “better” trap. Build your own Frankenstein’s Monster skill set from both worlds. Seems to be how the interesting, well-paid folks are doing it.