Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
If you're a gender and women's studies major, you probably have a mission in mind. You want to address some kind of systemic problem related to sexism. That's pretty noble of you. We're impressed, and would give you a gold star if we could.
The problem is that a lot of these issues manage to be both very large and invisible. That's pretty much the worst thing a problem could be. An invisible Godzilla is around 90% worse than the regular variety. Trust us, we did the math.
It's up to you to find the best place to accomplish whatever you wanted to do. Or maybe you don't have a specific ill in mind. The lucky, and horribly depressing, part of your major is that you're going to learn about all the terrible ways the world treats both women and trans people. So you'll have a whole lot of wrongs to right. That's good, though; that's what people will hire you to do.
Common Career Fields
Education. Don't turn your nose up at education. It can be a very rewarding path, and it would let you go after not one, but all the problems you learned about. How? The first step to solving a problem is knowing about it, and you'll be able to make sure lots of people know. You'll have a captive audience, after all. If you decide to become a college professor (and you'll need a graduate degree for that), you'll also have time to research and write your own books.
Journalist. Journalism is a bit of a sinking ship at the moment because it's difficult to make money when everyone is giving it away for free. Still, there's a lot of important work to be done, and a few online outfits are figuring out a way to make a business of it. What better way to get information out there than in the wild world of the Internet?
Victims' Advocate. Women and trans people have to put up with a lot, and it's not right. Violence against these groups is all too common, whether it's an attack in the streets or domestic abuse. Advocates help hate crime and spousal abuse survivors deal with doctors and police officers. They make sure that the victim has someone in their corner at all times. You're basically going to be a superhero for a lot of people. You don't have to wear tights, but you don't have to not wear tights.
Lawyer. (Requires a law degree) There are lots of ways the law lets women and trans people down. Lawyers in this arena join the battle for legal equality. They fight for things such as equal pay in the workforce, ending discrimination, and equal marriage rights. Learn the specific ways the law deals with gender, then get your law degree and start that arguing.
Public Relations Manager. Some companies can't go a day without saying something stupid or insulting. This may come as a shock, but they're supposed to hire people so that kind of thing won't happen. You could be one of those people. Remember those incredibly sexist ads from the 1950s? You'll make sure those never happen again.
Legislative Aid. Remember when we mentioned that women are 51% of the population? That's a majority. Since we live in a democracy, majorities are pretty important to the whole "getting elected" thing. Politicians are finally realizing just how important the female vote is, and they need people who specialize in issues that are important to women in general. Sometimes they need an interpreter, because empathy apparently isn't their strong suit. Hey, it means a job for you.
Rape Crisis Program Director. In a perfect world, we wouldn't need this, but we don't live in a perfect world. If you have nerves of steel and a desire to help those in need, this is a good place to go. It can be a rough job, but the aid you provide can save lives. You will probably be fitted for a halo on your first day. Or at least you should be.
Current unemployment of the major
8.0%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
44%Stats obtained from this source.