Do you ever get the overused, pithy comment of "Oh, so you're in the 'Want Fries with That?' market!" after telling someone that you're an English major? Oh yes, we've all heard it, and we've all been mocked and laughed at. No matter how many times we try to tell other people that we're actually very employable on many levels because we're versatile, we still get looked down upon because we're not in the hard sciences or maths or engineering or accounting...What? You can write a paper? Pssh, anyone can do that.
Well. It's time for all those who have scorned in the past to take a little of their own medicine. Because actually, not everyone can write and communicate well, even on a marginally competent level. The number of glaring grammatical errors I see in the collegiate field, from students and faculty alike (and even on the professional level beyond!!) is truly cringe-worthy. What skills we have are actually not as common as everyone thinks. Can you write a press release that will pique the interest of a wide range of readers? Can you sum up a fifty page article into a paragraph without skipping or missing the pertinent details? Can you organize and file and write in a strict format while still maintaining personal voice and tone? Hm. Think about it. That is only a few of the things that a decent writer and communicator must know how to do-- in any job. So here's the latest music to my ears-- an article with the subliner:
"New survey: Liberal arts graduates in more demand than those who are getting finance and accounting degrees."Oh really? Do go on.
A new survey, written about in The Aquila Report, discovered from a range of 225 employers that those with a liberal arts degree are, and I quote, in "more demand than those who are getting finance and accounting degrees."
J. Jennings Moss, author of the article, goes on to quote Dan Schawbel, founder of Millenial Branding and an expert on Generation Y:“The No. 1 skill that employers are looking for are communication skills and liberal arts students who take classes in writing and speaking. They need to become good communicators in order to graduate with a liberal arts degree. Companies are looking for soft skills over hard skills now because hard skills can be learned, while soft skills need to be developed.”
Here's how the current job market for graduates stands. A gap was reported between employers and students as well-- employers submitted that they were looking for potential hirees who had at least one or two internship experiences under their belt...without having hired any interns in their own companies in the last six months.
In addition, the survey revealed that employers are looking more for students who have taken relevant courses to their professional goals, who have referrals from bosses or professors, or who have leadership positions in an on-campus organization-- rather than those who have 'entrepreneurial experience'.
It appears, in summation of all of these stats and statistics, that being 'well-rounded' is more desired these days than a singular, specific skill set. That sounds to me awfully like something that starts with Liberal Arts and ends with Degree.
Jennifer Floren, Founder and CEO of Experience, Inc. quotes “Of all the things employers look for when hiring entry-level talent, it’s the so-called ‘soft skills’ that are valued most: communication, teamwork, flexibility and positive attitude are by far the most sought-after skills. Employers understand that everything else can be taught, so they look for the most promising raw material to work with.”
The final bit of good news from the study? "Overall, 87% of employers are going to hire more recent graduates this year. This is great news for the 1.7 million college students who are graduating." All the rumors that the job market for graduates is getting better are true.
I haven't been too worried about my future in recent days, despite being a senior and feeling the overwhelming sense of change looming over me at every turn. The idea that this time next year I have to have my life figured out and a way to provide for myself can be very daunting if I approach it directly. But really, I'm not concerned. First of all, I know that God will provide-- He always does. But secondly, I've worked hard. I've had four internships across the board in Journalism, Public Relations, Publishing, and Communications. I've done my absolute best in my classes and participated in every volunteer and campus leadership position pertinent to my goals. I had heard in the wind that the economy for graduates is getting better, but this is the affirmation of that claim that I needed, that we all have needed, I think. Good to know. Very, very good to know.
Liberal Arts grads, rejoice!
Read the original Press Release.
No comments:
Post a Comment