For unemployed new graduates with liberal arts majors, there is hope.
I run a firm that has placed thousands of new college grads in entry-level positions. As part of our business, we interview hundreds of candidates every month and know the challenges of finding that first job after graduation. Many of the people we place are liberal arts majors.
So, where is the disconnect between the critics who question the value of a liberal arts degree, and the reality that liberal arts grads can be and are being hired in corporate America?
Older generations have always complained about the new generation entering the workforce. While it is clear some in the millennial generation exhibit many stereotypical traits (lack of motivation, inflexibility and an unwillingness to work their way “up the ranks,” just to name a few), the reality is that there are plenty of new college grads who are humble, work hard and are highly motivated to succeed.
One reason liberal arts majors have such difficulty finding jobs after graduation is that the market for entry-level professional positions is highly inefficient. Based on what I hear from new grads, hiring companies and college-career services directors, I believe two primary factors cause this inefficiency.
First, entry-level hiring will increasingly be driven by small and medium employers — companies with 50 to 1,000 employees. While large companies have historically driven college recruiting, many of them have reduced, or at best maintained, their investment in college recruiting as they have focused on maximizing financial results and investments in productivity-enhancing technology.
Second, the average college graduate often has no clue where his or her majors and skills can be utilized in the workplace. This is especially true for liberal arts majors. For example, it’s highly unlikely that a history major would think about career opportunities in insurance, logistics or health care.
The combination of these two factors makes finding a job difficult, if not impossible.
What can be done? Here are a few ideas.
First, college-career services departments need to do a better job of engaging the small and medium-sized employer. Technology will be key. Virtual career fairs and video interviewing will allow smaller employers to more easily participate while not actually being on campus.
Second, colleges should mandate that all college students take a for-credit class on how to conduct a job search and how to create a job search strategy. College students need to be better prepared to find a job, and what to expect when they get one.
Finally, small and medium companies should be incentivized to offer paid undergraduate internships, which have evaporated in recent years due to the poor economy. Internships are the best way to prepare college students for the workforce. Targeted tax incentives to create paid undergraduate internships for college students should be strongly considered by our legislators; it would be money well spent.
I believe that to ensure long-term career success, a student should develop the transferable skills essential in professional, administrative and managerial careers. Transferable skills include critical thinking, problem solving, effective communication, time management and leadership. A liberal arts education will continue to be important because it hones and develops these skills.
Liberal arts grads are not dinosaurs heading toward extinction, as some would argue. Rather, they will continue to provide the raw material for the professional and managerial workforce. They just need a little help getting started. A strong job search strategy and better preparation for the job search process can make the transition much easier.
