When you get a Bachelors degree and you choose to minor in something else, is your minor equal to your major when trying to get a job?

It will not be looked at as equal. After all, you won’t be putting in the same about of time and dedication that goes to a major and they’ll know that.

Beyond that, it is hard to say—everyone views minors differently. Some people totally discount them, some think they are important. Further, it depends on where you want to teach English. Honestly, some schools are so hard up for teachers that know English that they really aren’t that picky…

But if I get my credentials to teach English I can still get hired right?

You can, but they’ll always take an English major over an English minor

It depends on how you write up your resume, or how knowledgable you are in your interview. If you minored in English, make sure to only make references to English to make sure they know you’re competant in English. It shouldn’t make a difference. I know an English teacher who minored in English and got the job.

@standardtoaster No they won’t always take an English major over an English minor. It depends on who the employer feels is the best choice for the job.

It also depends on the state you’re in—some states certify you to teach subjects based not on whether you majored or minored, but on how many credit-hours or classes you took in each field and whether you covered certain subjects.

You spend less time on your minor than on your major. Of course it will be looked at as lesser.

A minor is worth little to nothing in the real world.

A minor is pretty much the equivalent of saying “I have a minor interest in this subject enough to study with a bit of effort”. Of course someone will choose to hire someone who has majored in English versus you who have only minored in English. That said, a music magazine might very much prefer your education versus someone who majored only in English. I can’t speak in regards to teaching specifically, but I would say the previous knowledge applies there too.

I don’t know how much majors affect hiring decisions. At the college level, it does not seem to be a significant improvement in the level of knowledge compared to the knowledge of anyone who has a college degree. Perhaps sciences vs social sciences vs liberal arts makes a difference, but I’m not convinced of that, either.

To me, a college education is pretty much a generalist education, and major or minor doesn’t make much difference. I’m looking for the skills people have. I expect them to learn the content on the job, but I want them to arrive with the right set of skills. The college you went to and your grades might tell me something about that, but mostly it’s the resume and interview that help me see that.

So, I wouldn’t worry about it, and I would focus my resume on the practical skills I have that make me look like I’d be a good teacher. I’d highlight my successful experience working with kids and helping them learn. I’d highlight my own willingness to learn, and to teach any subject area where they have a need (it’s really not hard to stay ahead of high school students).

Of course, I don’t speak for public or private school administrators. In my town, they just want bodies who will spend the entire year in the same classroom. It is also my impression that education administrators often look for the wrong things, or aren’t capable of recognizing good teachers or don’t have the time to really interview people, so they often seem to make decisions based on gut feelings. Of course, this is my impression in many other fields aside from education.

If you stand out. If you appear to be a problem solver. If you can get yourself going and quickly be independent. If you can understand the goals of the organization and help achieve them. You’ll get a job. I don’t think worrying about majors and minors really makes a difference to the things that will make you stand out. I could be wrong, of course.

No, it’s not the same. But the minor can help you get into jobs you would not otherwise be considered for. For example, if you have B.S. in Electrical Engineer, and Minor in Computer Science, you would be considered for Software Programming jobs more so than a candidate that might just have a major in Computer Science, since you have the engineer background in addition to computer science education.

Contrariwise, @rdander, if you had a major in English and a minor in computer science, you would be more attractive for some programming jobs than someone with either of the sets of credentials you named, because programming is about a lot more than just computers.

The true answer is YES, reliable data shows that about 90% of people that obtain any college degree do not work in that specific field. Essentially it is more important to have a degree than what the degree is in. The reason for this is that employers want to just see that you obtained a degree and not so much what it is in. Aside from that, The White House released stats the other day showing that 9% of people that enter high school will obtain a college degree. This means that if you have any degree at all then you are at advantage.

@cw…. I do not agree with that statement at all, I have a degree in Comp Sci and from my experience you are very wrong. Either way though, its just your opinion.