I recently conducted a survey to find out whether people thought their undergraduate degrees had contributed to their ability to find work later. A few inferences can be drawn among how one decided on a major, prospects for work, and overall satisfaction with income.

One of the first questions asked whether or not respondents felt their undergraduate degree was related to their current line of work. The numbers were pretty evenly split, with an equal number — 34 percent — saying they were very much related and not at all related.

In terms of finding work after graduation, 38 percent said they found work within three months. It took 17 percent four to six months to find work. And 24 percent said they never found work in the field they studied in college.

However, it’s worth noting 45 percent of those who found work within three months said their degree was not related to their current work, and 18 percent said it was somewhat related. Only 36 percent said it was very much related. So finding work quickly didn’t necessarily mean finding work in the field one studied.

Looking at whether interest in a field of study or the job prospects in that field were more important in determining a major, the results differed at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels.

At the undergraduate level, nearly a third of respondents said interest was the most important factor in their decision to choose a major. Only 10 percent said job prospects in that field were their most important consideration.

However, at the post-graduate level, most respondents — or 24 percent — said interest and job prospects were equally important. Interest as a motivating factor slipped from 31 to 21 percent. Job prospects as the most important factor inched up from 10 to 14 percent.

It would appear that as students enter into a second degree program, they are thinking more seriously about how that degree will translate into employment.

Most respondents expressed dissatisfaction with their income relative to the amount of money they paid for their undergraduate degree. See below.

Interestingly, those who expressed the highest satisfaction with their income all said job prospects were either much more important or slightly outweighed interest in a field when they chose an undergraduate major. They also had fairly positive things to say about their undergraduate experience:

“A degree in high-level science or engineering is required to work at my firm. Electrical engineering degrees are highly respected and, without a doubt, my undergraduate degree was the main reason I was hired.”

“The college I went to, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was the second-best country in my school for my major, Engineering Physics, at the time I graduated. It has a very strong reputation and, as a state school with thousands of graduates per class, a wide alumni base. An alumnus of UIUC from the 80s spotted my resume in the pile, and based on my GPA and the reputation of my major, decided to bring me in for an interview even though I had no experience.”

“Undergraduate study was quite important in landing a job. Having a specialized degree from a well regarded program, with a range of undergrad research and internship helped me stand out from other applicants.”

“I would not be able to work in this professional [accounting management] without my degree.”