Any college student pursuing a degree within liberal arts or humanities has likely heard a similar and all-too-common piece of criticism about their major: "It simply won't lead you to a steady job."
Upon entering college as an English major, I certainly faced quite a bit of skepticism. Revealing to someone that you study English leads to the horrible, dreaded question every English major has encountered. "Oh, so you want to teach?" Even more backlash came when I found a love and passion for women, gender, and sexuality studies (WGSS). I'd been told so frequently that such a major would be useless in the real world that I considered ignoring my instincts and saving myself the time and effort of pursuing a second field of study.
To placate myself, I added WGSS as a minor, continuing to take classes in it for another year. However, now in my third year of college, I've realized that it isn't enough for me, and I have chosen to double major in English and WGSS, along with a minor in queer studies.
Though adding to my degree will lengthen my stay in undergraduate studies, and I may be graduating without many of the close friends I've made over the past three years, I finally feel satisfied in my degree, and finally walking across the stage will feel that much more special when the time comes for me to graduate.
Many students struggle with balancing their choice of major with the expectations set for them by parents, family members, and society as a whole. Majors in business and STEM fields are becoming increasingly valued, but this does not mean that graduates with liberal arts degrees will be unable to find work after graduating. In fact, many companies hiring recent grads do not make decisions solely based on major.
CNBC reports that of the top five attributes companies say they pay most attention to in recent grads, internships tops the list, followed by work experience, college major, extracurricular activities and volunteering. Only one of these attributes is related to a student's field of study, while the rest are concerning a student's past experiences.
After experiencing several years of the liberal arts struggle, my advice to all students is this: Follow your passions. Study what you want to, and get your dream degree. More importantly, construct your work experience and internships around your degree. Get work and volunteer experience during your time in college in the field you hope to enter after graduation. What employers will want to see is that you are dedicated to your work and you can begin to show that, now, by cultivating your resume to reflect your passions.
You're in college, so make the most of your time there. Figure out what you love, and in the wise words of both Nike and Shia Labeouf -- just do it.
