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Old 06-27-2009, 06:07 PM
 
Location: Maryland about 20 miles NW of DC
6,105 posts, read 5,966,559 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Weekend Traveler View Post
A number of my extended family have recently graduated with Liberal Arts Degrees from College and are now hitting the job market unsuccessfully. Most of them have absolutely no work experience even in a part time job. Or do they have any part time experience as an unpaid Intern. They devoted themselves to their studies.

Now they are angry that they can not find a job. Are they any better off than a person right out of High School? Lets assume they are equal in communication skills and interviewing skills.

Your family member should note that one of the biggest jobs in business and one of growing importance in a very competitive world is marketing. Marketing requires a through understanding of a business's customers and the skills needed to convice that customer to buy its product or service rather than someone elses. A key element of a liberal education is understanding humanity in all of its complexity through things like politics, the law, philosophy, sociology, history, arts and languages. Understanding the differences between Indians, Chinese, Japanese or Russians when compaired to Americans is of value to business trying to sell in those markets. In fact if you can sucessfully market yourself to a prospective employer you have taken a big step into this worthy profession.
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Old 06-27-2009, 06:19 PM
 
542 posts, read 1,445,241 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisC View Post
A degree in math, physics, language or English (grammar, rhetoric, etc) is not easy for most people. (these are considered liberal arts majors)

Contrary to popular belief, a liberal arts degree is not a degree in underwater basket weaving. The idea is to develop a student’s logic, rational thought, and overall intellectual horsepower. I know this is going to ruffle some feathers, but in comparing a liberal arts major who graduated in a challenging major and did well, and a specific vocational degree student who graduated and did well... the liberal arts major is going to have a 'rounder' education and 'know more' in general (again: IN GENERAL). He/she will have adaptable tools to spread over a broader range of employment situations.

Some years back I did a research paper on technical writers in the computer and/or technical sector. In the vast majority of the cases, companies wanted English majors to fill the role, not computer degree people. Generally, the 'computer geek' with a computer degree who may have the technical knowledge can't usually convey anything in writing to the general public in a pleasant, understandable way (look at some of the computer tech manuals written solely by geeks to see what I mean). He/she knows how to code and handle a computer/network and that's about it. This is not always the case, but quite often. So then, that liberal arts English major who spent four or five years learning grammar, lanugage, presentation, rhetoric, discourse analysis, communication, creative writing, grant proposal writing, APA writing, MLA writing, etc, is going to chew the computer major up and spit him out in anything besides coding a computer or entering some UNIX commands on a server. (again, in general).

sounds like you should help some liberal arts majors with there resume's
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Old 06-27-2009, 07:02 PM
 
Location: Orlando, Florida
43,854 posts, read 50,923,247 times
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Well, there is always something to be said for a person who has taken the time to extend their education in the college arena. Doesn't indicate they are smarter or even better candidates for the job.....but it does prove they have ambition and gumption.

I don't believe they should be given the job just because of.....but it should be a vital consideration.
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Old 06-27-2009, 07:07 PM
 
1,477 posts, read 2,192,149 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mwruckman View Post
Your family member should note that one of the biggest jobs in business and one of growing importance in a very competitive world is marketing. Marketing requires a through understanding of a business's customers and the skills needed to convice that customer to buy its product or service rather than someone elses. A key element of a liberal education is understanding humanity in all of its complexity through things like politics, the law, philosophy, sociology, history, arts and languages. Understanding the differences between Indians, Chinese, Japanese or Russians when compaired to Americans is of value to business trying to sell in those markets. In fact if you can sucessfully market yourself to a prospective employer you have taken a big step into this worthy profession.
I would have to echo what Mwruckman, ChrisC, CPG and others have said. I think that some of you are thinking about a liberal arts degree too narrowly. People with liberal arts education do have a broad range of knowledge -- knowledge that is very valuable. They just have to learn how to "package" that knowledge for the job market.

The job market is tough right now for everyone. So, it's not easy for many people to find jobs, regardless of their education or experience. However, it's a fallacy to liken a liberal arts college degree to a high school diploma. As Mwruckman described, certain professions (e.g., marketing and market research to name a few) look for the skills that liberal art majors possess. A person with a high school diploma would not be considered for these jobs.

Thus, anyone with a liberal arts education should not give up hope. Do not focus on your degree; focus on your skills. Then, learn to "package" those skills in a way that makes you most marketable.

Good luck!
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Old 06-27-2009, 08:26 PM
 
6,205 posts, read 7,426,926 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Weekend Traveler View Post
I think one of their main problems is employers look at candidates who have never worked, even a summer or part time job while in school, as weak and lacking work skills.
They can since its an employers market. They use any means to weed out candidates, since (as you well know) every open position is answered with hundreds (if not thousands) of applications. Not working in the summer is not indicative of anything. On the other hand, I know students who worked every summer and were rejected because their "experience" wasn't precisely what the employer wanted. There are endless reasons for rejection if you have so many applicants.
HR are among the least creative departments in a business. In most cases they look up to the big guys and follow their example.
I just read an article about a town that asked potential candidates for their internet user names and passwords on social networks like facebook... Just another way to tell the candidate isn't a good fit. In a short time probably every ****ty business will demand the same.
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Old 06-28-2009, 02:31 AM
 
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
39,031 posts, read 22,956,695 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Weekend Traveler View Post
A number of my extended family have recently graduated with Liberal Arts Degrees from College and are now hitting the job market unsuccessfully. Most of them have absolutely no work experience even in a part time job. Or do they have any part time experience as an unpaid Intern. They devoted themselves to their studies.

Now they are angry that they can not find a job. Are they any better off than a person right out of High School? Lets assume they are equal in communication skills and interviewing skills.
A lot of jobs nowadays mandate that candidates possess at least a bachelors degree. It really boils down to your experience and skills and how you articulate these in the job interview.
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Old 06-28-2009, 02:35 AM
 
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
39,031 posts, read 22,956,695 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oberon_1 View Post
Where would they gain experience if they just graduated? Its like saying that newly recruits joining the military aren't skilled warriors.
On a different note, the propaganda machine bashes the unemployed as being uneducated. Lack of education is considered among the top reasons for not landing a job, isn't it?
Truth is that many jobs can be performed without a college diploma, but employers are using it as another way to screen applicants.
My first job out of college could have easily been performed by a high school graduate but I think my employer were aiming for those who had the persistance and discipline to obtain a bachelors degree.
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Old 06-28-2009, 02:37 AM
 
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
39,031 posts, read 22,956,695 times
Reputation: 36026
Quote:
Originally Posted by Weekend Traveler View Post
I think one of their main problems is employers look at candidates who have never worked, even a summer or part time job while in school, as weak and lacking work skills. I often wondered why both of my relatives did not try to get an internship or summer job sometime between ages 16-23. Now the two of them are both 23 years old with a degree in Political Science and Psychology and unemployed.
I had very little work experience when I obtained my BA. I got hired after only two months and have never faced unemployment in the 10 years since I graduated from college.
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Old 06-28-2009, 08:10 AM
 
Location: Brooklyn, New York
445 posts, read 1,443,820 times
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It's very difficult in this job market. I worry about my daughter, who is going into her junior year as a poli sci major. She loves the classes, but I keep telling her she needs to get some hard, practical skills.

My son was a business major who graduated in 2007. He got a job right away but many of his friends weren't so lucky. One of his friends is a marketing major who graduated in 2008. He's still unemployed. In this market, kids need to work any connections they have to find a job. My son was fortunate in that he's interested in real estate and my husband works in a related field, so Nick was able to get a couple of internships during college which beefed up his resume. Nick's girlfriend, also a business major but with no internships, wound up getting a decent financial analyst position at the company her mother works for.

I think the best thing a liberal arts graduate could do is go into teaching. Otherwise, they're probably looking at an admin job and even those are hard to come by as so many firms are cutting staff. IMO, it's ridiculous to require a BA for an admin job, but as others upthread have noted, it's an employer's market.
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Old 06-28-2009, 05:49 PM
 
2,324 posts, read 7,589,097 times
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A sharp college kid can gain an enormous amount of knowledge if they have the curiosity and drive to learn more about everything; that means study outside of your courses, go to museums, go to the different libraries on campus, read everything. The student has 4 years of not working to better themselves. I would say that person would be very well rounded and an asset to any company. Right now jobs are scarce for everyone no matter what the degree so it is not just liberal arts majors.
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