Graduating in May and realizing I hate my major.?

I am graduating in May with a masters degree in finance. Its bad enough that the current economy means if I actually get a job it probably won't pay enough to pay off all my student loans and credit card debt.

As I'm getting older and seeing all the problems in this world I really want to do something to help. I don't think being a stockbroker will ever give me a chance to make this world a better place. While I was sitting in the sophisticated finance lab at my school I realized that every business student in that room with me will never cure cancer...in fact we will never even try. We all went to school for four years to try to figure out how to make money...which only a few people actually do(and the ones that do are usually the ones with the well to do parents that get them a job at Morgan Stanley...something I do not have). We will never try to make a product that actually improves someones quality of life, we will just try to make money when someone else makes that invention. Not that the world doesn't need some bankers or traders but certainly not as many as colleges are pumping out nowadays.

It depresses me that most of America's problems in the last few decades have economic links which are caused by unscrupulous businessmen looking to make a buck. Obviously the current crisis on Wall Street is a great example. And this is what I've been striving for, the chance to wear a dark suit, white shirt and red tie, work 100 hours per week, make $300k a year plus bonus, and live a comfortable life.

It took me untill now to realize this isn't what I want to do which i suppose is better then realizing it after working for 30 years but still I cant exactly change majors now that I'm 23 and finishing my masters degree. Also with all the debt Ive collected paying for this education I cant just join the peace corp and try to make a difference. The reality is I need a career that will allow me to survive financially and my degree is in finance so thats probably where Im going to end up. So I guess my specific question is what can I do with a degree in Finance that is actually honorable and might make the world a better place to live? My general question is what can i do with my life to help others?...not talking about something like volunteering at a soup kitchen for an hour or something...Im talking about doing something with my entire life that will benefit mankind.Graduating in May and realizing I hate my major.?
Lostus nailed it!



You can also get a job a larger firm making lots of money, but then just put it all to good use -helping those in need.



Do you remember the show Perry Mason? The main actor didn't really want to be an actor. He wanted to make the world better, but he became famous as an actor. So he did the only thing that he could do. He gave all of his money to charity (throughout his life). He was even quoted as saying, ';If I die with more than $10 in my pocket, I've failed to make a difference in the world';.



So try to find a way to help make the world better with your current degree. Not all great men change the lives of others by putting on lab jackets. Some of the best wore a cheap suit to the board room.Graduating in May and realizing I hate my major.?
find a job in the non-profit sector. there are tons of finance related jobs that are in industries that do good things in the world.
Are you kidding? Knowing how to do finances is a totally valuable skill to non-profits, %26amp; any volunteer work you do. This kind of actual professional knowledge is what these organizations crave. They can find do-gooders to pitch in. But these can make the difference between a struggling organization %26amp; an effective one, well run, with most of it's donations helping those in need, instead of leaking out in unnecessary ways.



Look around for other degrees or coursework you can combine this with. Meanwhile, get a job, learn the skills...you will make a difference if you want to.



Our local child of holocaust survivor group would have fallen apart if a friend of one of us, not a child of survivors, hadn't stepped into the treasury role. As job, you can do even more.
if you listened to your own heart,your own instinct instead of society you would'nt have this problem.You are on this earth for a millisecond for such a short time don't drag yourself through it doing whats best or what will give you the greatest security,security is the denial of life,do what brings your life the greatest amount of value.What do you want to be remembered for?



If you are the philanthropist type you can use youer degree with many many non profits that need financial direction,all is not lost.Consider what you love and think is important and follow after that.
One career that has a fairly clear benefit to others would be a financial planner. People will come to you in hopes to earn as much money as possible to live comfortably later in life, and you will enable this.



Also, if your goal is to help people, you will find opportunities. There are many volunteer opportunities outside of soup kitchens; you just need to look for them.
You could always join the Peace Corps and such... although you may want to make money right away. Wesley has a point; becoming a financial planner covers a lot of areas. If you play your cards right, you can help a lot of people and make a lot of money. Also, you have the option of working/consulting with non profits as well. Good Luck.