When I became a humanities major in the fall of 2022, I was met with a lot of doubt from family members and friends. “I hope she gets a job after graduating,” they would all say. I would also get the typical “Oh so you want to be a lawyer or teacher right?”
Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with those professions! However, I knew it was not the path for me. To be honest, I still don’t really know my path. But that is beside the point. The point is there is this stigma when it comes to majoring in the humanities.
A lot of people assume that humanities majors are never going to get jobs when they graduate from college. They see no point in getting an English degree or a Philosophy degree because it’s not a Finance degree.
However, this is just not true at all. In fact, students who graduate with a humanities degree typically have the qualities employers look for. In a US News & World Report article about employment and humanities majors, a professor from Arizona State University states that “humanities interns are wanted because they have research and writing skills. Those skills serve companies well.”A humanities degree comes with many overlooked benefits besides comprehending classic novels and philosophical ideas. I truly believe I have gained a much better education and overall experience because I am a humanities major.
Since the dawn of universities, higher education has always been focused on receiving just that—a higher education. Students attended these institutions because they wanted to garner more knowledge in a certain field. However, over time, college became a one-way ticket to getting a good job after graduation.
Times changed, and the reason for attending college changed from getting a higher education to becoming a crucial step toward landing a decent job. Since many jobs focus on the STEM or business fields, students are turned away by the prospect of choosing a major in the humanities. I had a similar thought process.
I used to think, “Why would I major in English or History when I could be a STEM major and land myself a job where I make three figures?” I did not enjoy science classes as much as I did literature or history classes, so why would I make myself major in something I did not like?
When I decided to switch my major to the humanities, I was even a little concerned about whether I would get a job after graduation. What could I do with a humanities degree? The answer to that is anything I want to do! I could graduate with my degree and go into marketing or public relations if I wanted to. I could go into business or management. I can become a social media manager for a major company if I want to.
I am becoming a critical thinker and can really articulate my ideas well in conversations and in written form. I can research and analyze better than most other students. These are qualities that employers look for in a job candidate. Employers know that a humanities student is a well-rounded person with many different qualities that can help a company thrive.
I am learning how to be a better employee while also taking classes in subjects that I am passionate about. I can take a literature class where I read classic novels but also learn how to express ideas and opinions in an articulate way.
When I talk to someone undecided about what major they want to pursue, I always tell them to major in a field that interests them the most and not to major in a field they think will get them more money. Many prospective students look over the humanities when looking at schools like Fairfield, which has nationally ranked business programs.
While there is nothing wrong with studying business, there are students who feel like they need to study it in order to have a career. You can have a successful career with a humanities degree. Humanities degrees are not just limited to teachers and lawyers. Humanities is a field that opens up so many doors that people just don’t see.
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