Lincoln for Finance

Tell your parents you want to go to college for political science and see the reaction.  What will you do with it?  This is the kind of degree that some experts are saying schools should now give warnings to their doctoral candidates on, so that they realize how hard it is to get jobs in this field; too many degrees, too few positions.

Indeed political science learning bears fruit that holds little value to some; to others, they will save their country.  Lincoln was such a man.

Underestimated by his opponents, he learned politics in the Illinois State Legislature and did he ever learn it.  He acted with cool cunning.   At the time his detractors thought he moved too slowly, only to find him act with lightning speed when it was needed.

For instance, he had his Treasury Secretary hand over all the gold in the nation’s vaults to three men, so they could buy needed weapons.  He did this outside of Congressional approval or official channels.  When the Secretary objected, Lincoln told him that he surley couldn’t go through regular channels.  No one knew who was a secessionist as yet or loyal.   These men were honest and Lincoln trusted them as a fact to be loyal to the Union.  All went as the President wanted and planned.

All through his Presidency, Lincoln had to judge character.  Mostly, it was of people who should have worked with him, but always acted to either profit monetarily from the war, or politically by undermining Lincoln.  This is why Lincoln put all his presidential rivals in his cabinet.  The President said that this way, he could keep an eye on them.

Yet Lincoln always prevailed by an understanding of politics which is what political science is.  It’s also an understanding of people which is what finance also is.  It does no good to buy stock that should go up on paper if you don’t realize that the people aren’t buying because they're economically afraid.

So how do you win over parents and get a job with political science?  Well, my plan has nothing to do with a Ph.D.   It has to do with lessons I learned from a friend of mine who made a career in business using political science schooling.

My friend, Jack, studied political science in college, and I couldn’t figure out why.  The fact is, even back then I knew how hard it was to be a teacher with this.  And Jack didn’t want to teach.

He had lots of drive too.  He got a job at a sportswear shop to make ends meet in college, and he became its manager.  This was all part of his plan.

Jack also took business courses.  But Jack mosltly loved political science and got good grades because he did.  So what did he do to gain post graduate success?

After graduation he applied to a very good college and got an MBA in International Finance.   The political science and business courses got him into the program.  With his management job as a reference, when he graduated from the master’s program, Jack got a job making $ 45,000 a year in the mid 1980’s; very good money then. 

Jack didn’t go on to save his country, but who does with the exception of a few.  And if you use this idea, it's a good persuader to parents that your college degree won’t be wasted.

I recommend taking accounting courses when you do this, so brush up on your math.  They're harder, but if you base life on blow off courses, you hurt your chances to succeed.

You might not make it on the five dollar bill, but you can make it in professional life with this plan.