I graduated from UC Davis (Political Science and Chinese) in 2018, and believe the Chinese major is a great primary and/or complementary degree for a variety of career fields. I personally was interested in a career in the legal field, and a few months after graduating from UC Davis I found myself working as a Legal Support Analyst for a law firm in SF (Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe LLP). During my time at Orrick, my proficiency in Chinese allowed me to be an occasional translator for various Chinese clients. I distinctly remember during every single one of my post-grad interviews, the interviewers were always interested in my Chinese major. It is definitely a major that will stand out to any employer.
I spent close to a year at Orrick, and proceeded to apply to law school. I am now a student at UC Davis Law, and can attest to the fact that the Chinese major (and proficiency in the Chinese language) is incredibly valuable for aspiring attorneys. Whether you want to practice international law, business law, criminal law, tax law, humanitarian rights law, immigration law, or civil rights law, knowledge of the Chinese language opens up an entirely new perspective within the legal field, and gives future attorneys the opportunity to interact specifically with Mandarin-speaking clients. Furthermore, given the increasing diversity within the legal field, having the Chinese major on your resume helps you stand out when employers are looking to hire diverse and interesting individuals.