Over the past decade, there have been many shifts in how people make money. Technology has exploded, changing what it is that we buy, how we sell things, and how business works for profit. The field of economics has shifted away from relying heavily on counting up numbers to determine if capitalism or socialism is winning, towards looking at power structures and how wealth is distributed across society.
Liberal arts degrees focus more on teaching you about history, literature, and philosophy, which all play important roles in understanding our world today. These are not limited to studying Ancient Greece and Rome, but some courses may include reading The Great Gatsby or A Tale of Two Cities.
People with liberal arts backgrounds tend to be good communicators, writers, and thinkers, so they can easily transition into other fields. They are also familiar with different perspectives, which helps them understand others.
With technology being one of the most important parts of everyday life these days, having an associate’s degree or higher in something like communication skills, writing, or marketing makes sense.
Include your discipline on the list of disciplines that you would include on your resume
In fact, most career professionals agree that having an education in humanities or social sciences is a great way to enhance your professional reputation. If you are looking for employment after college, then making sure your resume includes these skills will help ensure you don’t omit any important points.
Most employers look at candidates with degrees in humanities or social science fields as being trustworthy individuals who can relate to other people. They believe such well-educated individuals can handle difficult conversations without becoming too heated or emotional.
These discussions may be about politics, religion, or anything else really, but they could be about something very serious. Therefore, it is important to show how you communicate clearly and logically during such talks.
Furthermore, many employers feel that students from universities that focus more on educating children or helping the sick are helpful additions to their workplace. A degree in psychology or sociology can highlight this talent.
Organize your work
In order to emphasize how organized you are, use the second point under this one to add more about it. For example, if the point is exploring different genre styles, then state how you organize your notes by genre.
If the point is using direct quotations, say why you like using them and what effect you want they have. If the point is describing a process or action, talk about that!
Your potential employers will see that you take time to prepare before writing so your message comes across as professional and self-assured. They may even think you’re very thorough and dedicated in your field.
Make it concise
Even if you have an extensive background in art, literature, or history, these are not easy to include on a resume unless they are linked to a career path. Therefore, make your listing of specializations as short and focused as possible.
It is very common to find students with artistic skills who cannot get a job because they list too many non-relevant specialties that employers do not require. It may also be hard to tell which ones are relevant until you work for company that lists those things!
Generalist candidates, however, can suffer from overly specific listings. Companies want specialists, so they will look more carefully at your specializations than generalists who sound like they know everything.
In both cases, most people would rather hire someone with limited knowledge then someone with no focus whatsoever. In other words, being a generalist is bad for your employment chances.
Liberal arts degrees fit into this category. While some professionals may feel that everyone should read Tolstoy or Kant, this isn’t always the case.
Don’t assume that every employer feels the same way about such subjects, even though most likely do. A better approach is to pick one topic within each field and develop your skill set around that.
For example, if you picked marketing, then specializing in content writing could help you gain employment. If engineering was your major, developing software using a programming language could win you rewards as well.
Use your imagination
In the past, people made things like architects and engineers with square feet in business degrees. But today’s employers look more closely at whether you have skills that go beyond practical applications of mathematics, engineering, or economics.
In fact, many employers now consider those fields to be out-of-date specialties that don’t necessarily prepare you for career opportunities.
Instead, they’re looking at adding communication, creative writing, humanities (languages, literature, etc.), social sciences (psychology, sociology), and other non-technical areas into your resume.
These are some of the most popular liberal arts degree types because they emphasize creativity and communication over mathematical formulas.
Don’t underestimate the power of an art major! Many high profile professionals such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Oprah all had strong artistic talents.
Artists spend lots of time thinking about how to use color, shapes, and textures to tell stories which can help them relate to others.
Literature is also rich with storytelling, so if you can “tell a tale” well, you’ll enjoy it.
Some students choose to focus on languages instead of grammar and vocabulary, but both blend together. A language minor will teach you enough basics to speak a few words and read simple pieces.
Overall, these courses develop self-awareness and understanding of different perspectives.
Make it personal
In the world of career opportunities, there are few things that are more important than making yourself known as a person. What qualities you show to others is very significant because people will be investing in your time or watching you spend time with them, so they want to make sure they’re spending time with someone who has good character.
In the context of writing academic degrees, this can mean showing an ability to write clearly and concisely, demonstrating understanding of complex concepts, and keeping information organized into appropriate sections. All of these are ways to demonstrate your personality as a well-educated individual and professional.
These degree programs require you to put forth substantial effort to succeed, which may not always be reflected in the grade point average. However, what most employers care about is whether or not you cared enough to try and achieve your goal, and if you did then you must believe in yourself enough to work through challenges.
This includes having confidence in your abilities even when you might be nervous or feel like giving up. It also means taking responsibility for your actions and being able to back down from a challenge without losing face. These are all qualities worth developing.
Planning activities ahead of time, being aware of how much time each task takes, and sticking to a schedule are all key strategies in achieving success in the workplace.
Link your work to your skills
In addition to emphasizing how well you can do things, such as writing persuasive essays or designing logos, link what you are doing in life to one of our liberal arts majors. For example, if you have a career that requires you to organize documents into categories, list this as an organizational specialist or cataloguer. If you run a small business, describe yourself as in-market researcher or manager.
If you’re already working, emphasize these strengths in your job. Or find another position with the same company that uses these strategies and transfer their résumé onto yours.
Your degree will always be worth more than we think it is because it teaches us about lots of different topics and styles, which help prepare you for many other careers. It also gives you the tools to use in the future.
Tell a story
In the world of career opportunities, there are few things that remain constant. Just as companies move around their headquarters and locations, so do they switch up what positions they have open and who gets them. Therefore, in order to be successful in your search for employment, you will need to be able to tell stories about yourself and your abilities consistently.
In the context of this article, those stories should relate to liberal arts degrees. By telling stories about how you made an effort in education or how you helped someone else learn more about education, you show off not only your educational background, but also your communication skills and self-confidence. These are valuable qualities for employers to look at when choosing between candidates.
When looking for work, most people start with going directly to a employer’s office or department to ask if they have any job openings. Sometimes this works, but often times it does not!
The reason why is because most large corporations have hiring departments that handle all sorts of different tasks. They may even have too many jobs available and must turn away qualified applicants due to time constraints. Or, the might just not feel like offering a good deal to individuals doing the asking.
Instead, try approaching individual members of the company first. Meeting with employees can sometimes lead to new job offers and helps you get ahead in the game.
Focus on your passion
In the age of technology, workers do not necessarily need an undergraduate degree in business or marketing to succeed. Companies are now hiring individuals with no formal education beyond high school at least for low-level positions.
If you feel that your passion does not match what employers want to see, you can always learn more about it. You may be able to get some teaching experience, or even start your own company!
By adding depth to your skills, you make yourself more attractive to employers. Plus, if you never finish your bachelor’s degree, you can still land a job easily.
There are many ways to achieve this. For example, by focusing on your passion, you may find something new you could hone your skill set in. By doing so, you can change how you position yourself as an expert in your field.
Your personal success will also increase due to your greater self confidence.
