Time to change majors...

...at least according to Livingston Miller in AdAge this week.

Miller claims that students aspiring to pursue a career in advertising would be better served by a major and subsequent bachelor's degree in any of the the "precious" subjects of science, history, art, literature, language and math. These are the degrees that will develop my brain, Miller says, whereas advertising is wasting my time.

Personally, I was upset upon finding out that I couldn't take more classes in advertising and have them count for credit. I am genuinely interested in this industry, and plan to enter this workforce right after I graduate from undergrad study. It is an insult and an outrage to have Mr. Miller say that he would assume someone with a Russian History major that was competing with me for a job would be "significantly brighter" than I am.

I responded to Miller's article in the only way I know how, with two heaping scoops of sarcasm:

Dr. Livingston, I presume? Or should I say, deckhand-turned-ad man Livingston, I presume.

Allow me to thank you for helping me to make up my mind and switch my major to Russian History! I had been looking for a really compelling reason to stimulate my mind with the lives of Lenin, Dostoevsky, and Gorbachev.

Of course I want to work in the advertising industry, but why bother learning things related to that? I have a whole career to bumble around at no name agencies like Seiter and Miller and learn those silly details. I'll be so much more valuable to an employer with my understanding of Marxism than any candidates who learned lame things like media planning!

After all, advertising schools certainly don't teach any of the key skills that help "Media people...know when the best deal is on the table" or that help "Creative people who ignite consumer interest with the right phrase or image." These things can't be learned...except this begs me to ask why you include Math and Art/Design in your ideal curriculum for aspiring ad people, since these are the skills they would also glean from an advertising major.

You forgot the best point of all: with a Bachelors' or Masters' in Advertising, I'll only be qualified to get an interview at almost any agency, and my carefully honed skills can help me get a job. A Russian History major, on the other hand, also has the backup plan of working as a tour guide in St. Peter's Square.

I encourage you if you are a part of this industry or just support my cause, to read Miller's article and give him a piece of your mind as well. If anything, it'll show future readers that Miller's is not the agency they want to work for and it may also show Miller that perhaps he should consider something other than the mastery of the life of Ivan the Terrible when evaluating possible new hires.