How to Use Your Liberal Arts Education
When I was a wee freshman, a brave man once wrote in my college's newspaper: “Go forth seniors and do all those things you can do with a liberal arts degree: teacher, housewife, hobo.” These words can take on a note of terror for many college seniors about to enter the "real" world. Are you doomed to wander the land forever, jobless, but terribly well educated, spouting Plato while rummaging for food in dumpsters? Not so my fellow scholar!
Instructions
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Get over your fear. The job hunt may seem hopeless, but do not despair. You know you’re at a low point when you don’t even hope for an acceptance letter anymore and instead simply plead at least a formal rejection. They have promised you salaries then taken them away. Let’s not even mention the hellish quest for some form of health insurance. Yes, there are pitfalls. Yes, there are frustrations along the way, but remember: you have a liberal arts education.
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Remember that college isn't trade school. Specialization is for grad school and internships. Undergrad is the time to be a sponge, to suck all the marrow out of knowledge, to chew it up and wrestle with it. When you are applying for a job or grad school, or even just going through life, your superiors will be in awe that you know about something other than the practical day-by-day steps of the job.
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Put theory into practice. What’s the use in running a business if you don’t know the principles of economics? What’s the use in making a flashy advertisement, if you have no idea about the theories behind aesthetics? Your liberal arts education education lifts you above the level of a mere animatron going through the essential motions of a mindless occupation.
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Stress the breadth of knowledge you have gained. Many employers will be impressed at your wide range of ability. Very few jobs only involve one area of knowledge. For example, how can you write if you have nothing to write about? Your flexibility will be an asset in any profession.
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Be proud. Your degree will give you the fulfillment of a job accomplished with knowledge, with a deep understanding of every element of the employment you choose.
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