Getting A Job With A "Useless" Liberal Arts Degree

by Yuan-Wei Tan

Fresh liberal arts graduates are facing an increasingly difficult time in the job-market. 

A survey from Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research firm, and Beyond.com, a career resource, found only 2% of companies actively recruit students with liberal arts majors. Contrast that measly figure with engineering/computer systems (27%) and business (18%).

However all is not lost according to Danny Rubin, a history graduate and founder of the News To Live By. Rubin says that the skills learned whilst acquiring such a "useless" degree can be successfully applied to the job seeking process. To Rubin, liberal arts students possess an edge in the job market as they are imbued with critical skills such as writing, researching and analyzing. These skills can be applied to the job seeking process as demonstrated through the following examples: 

• For the application and job interview, research the company inside and out like you're cracking the books on a history thesis.
• Understand how current events impact the company's bottom line as though you're back in Government 101 and have to read the news every day.
• Channel your Philosophy 253 professor and, during an interview, ask thoughtful questions about the company's challenges and opportunities.
• Like a sociology major, explain how you enjoy team projects and working with people; computer systems experience is valuable, sure, but so are "soft" skills — and you have them.
• Pen a unique and memorable resume/cover letter combo. You spent four years in a creative writing program: isn't that your specialty?
• The mark of a communications major: respond to employer emails right away, arrive for the interview 20 minutes early and send a thank-you note (handwritten preferred) within 24 hours.
• Remember the economics final that decided your entire grade? The do-or-die situation? Prepare for your next job interview the same way and see how you do.
• Art history, psychology, anthropology ... whatever the degree, you know how to step back, see the big picture and put a situation in context. The job market always needs people like you.

By simply channeling the skills and techniques acquired during class into real-life, the liberal arts student can make him/herself stand out during a job application and this will provide an advantage over other candidates. 

Read the full article at: http://www.newstoliveby.net/2014/05/29/how-to-land-a-job-liberals-arts-degree/#ixzz34UAeZMs3