http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-980416.mp3
Albany, NY – In today's Academic Minute, Dr. Katharine Brooks of the University of Texas at Austin supplies an answer to "the question" faced by many college students.
Katharine Brooks is Director of Liberal Arts Career Services for the University of Texas at Austin. In 2010 she published, You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path from Chaos to Career, and also maintains a career issues blog for Psychology Today. At the University of Texas, she teaches credit-based career courses relating a liberal arts education to management and the workplace.
Dr. Katharine Brooks - Value of a Liberal Arts Degree
I call it THE QUESTION. A student is home for the holidays and a relative asks them what their college major is. And if it's not accounting or engineering, there's a pause and then they get THE QUESTION: What are you going to DO with that?!
What a buzzkill. Here you are, happily majoring in English, History, or uh oh-- Philosophy and then you're asked THE QUESTION. It's not an unreasonable question, just a little misguided. After all, college is expensive. No one wants to waste their time or money. But , unlike a hammer, a liberal arts major doesn't have one purpose to be put aside when not in use. If they're smart, they'll use it all the time, and for the rest of their lives.
The anthropology major who analyzes native cultures can analyze the culture at Dell. The classics major who knows the Hero's Journey will be prepared for the challenges of working as an expatriate for a company or for writing a classic Hollywood script.
I worked with a French major at Dickinson College who was interviewing for a marketing position. The interviewer looked at her resume and said "I have business majors who want this job. Why should I hire you?" She paused and said, "Well, freshman year I tried to take Spanish, but the classes were filled. So I took French. It's four years later and I've lived in France with a family who spoke no English, took courses taught entirely in French, and interned at a French company translating their marketing materials. I've learned a country, a culture, a people and a language. I think I can market your products. Just FYI- two years later she was a Vice President of Marketing.
Because THE QUESTION isn't: What is your major and what are you going to do with it? It's "What do you want to do?" and how has your major prepared you to do it well? Pay attention. Find the connections. You'll be amazed at what you can do with your major.