Philosophy offers excellent career preparation, but not in the way that, say, accounting does. The value of a major in philosophy resides in the intellectual development it promotes. It lays a foundation on which more specialized study may build. In various standardized tests, philosophy majors tend to do extremely well on the verbal aptitude and on the analytic thinking sections. So philosophy can prepare a student for any type of work that requires highly developed reading and writing skills. Students who elect to major in philosophy should look beyond their bachelor's degree right from the start. For example, philosophy is an excellent background for the study of law or medicine. Those who intend to enter graduate school will need to start early on the foreign-language requirement.