Skill sets and ambition will get liberal arts students the jobs they want
Graduating with a degree in the liberal arts does not guarantee job placement like a career-oriented track does. As seniors enter the workforce this summer, will anyone regret getting a liberal arts degree?
Not if they are passionate about what they have pursued, agreed four panelists at the Conference on World Affairs in a debate entitled “Do You Want Fries with That: Liberal Arts or the Career Track.”
In a discussion ranging from foreign education to life skills, the four panelists took similar views in the decision to pursue a liberal arts education.
“There are new 21st century skills, like being able to problem solve, writing, presentations, usable and workable skills,” said speaker Andee Gerhardt, a professional who works in a corporate responsibility group. Many learn the 21st century skills in a liberal arts education.
Greg Collins spent 15 years working and living in China and brought up the point of American brain drain occurring in many of the professional areas.
“In China, people will study anything they can if it gives them a good job,” Collins said.
The fact that many countries are outnumbering the US in fields like accounting and engineering was the only point against getting a liberal arts education.
Otherwise, the four panelists agreed on most topics. Emphasizing the fact students should not graduate college without certain skills, Achim Koddermann, a philosophy professor, also said students should not be allowed to avoid subjects they do not enjoy. The topic came about when the question was posed to the audience inquiring if anyone in the room was a major in physics.
In a media infused culture, critical thinking becomes increasingly important. The United States is awash in information. The skills needed to analyze information and determine the truth are often learned through a varied liberal arts education.
To the parent who questioned her son’s ability to get a marketing job without the marketing degree, Collins had this to say:
“A graduate needs to have a clear inventory of skill sets when they graduate. It needs to be clear how they want to present themselves,” he said.
It seems like those graduating this year and holding a degree that does not follow a traditional career path should not worry. The skills acquired throughout their education will serve them well in the workforce.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Kathleen Straney at Kathleen.Straney@thecampuspress.com.
