thatonegirl [dot] net

Here I am, just about two months away from graduation- this should be a happy time in my life, right? I should be running through the halls, kicking my heels up and screaming “I did it!” and “I’m finally done!” at the top of my lungs. I even managed to pull off getting my degree in three years without having to take classes all summer. But instead I’m pulling out my hair in my exhaustive attempt to find a job. I followed (what I have always assumed to be) the natural progression, from high school I went on to college, it was a very smooth transition, but now I find myself at a fork in the road. I see myself as basically having two options: 1) continue with school or 2) be unemployed or work some minimum wage job flipping burgers or selling over priced clothes to spoiled teenagers for a while until I find some entry-level job in a respectable field but who knows how long that could take. Honestly, I would love to continue with school, I’d really love to go to Law School but not for a few years. I’m so burnt out, plus I have no money. Like seriously, none. So that leaves me with finding a job.

First off, let me state where I am coming from. In May I will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History. When people ask me what my major is and I tell them Art History, I always get a weird look and then the question “what do you plan on doing with that degree” comes up. Especially when they look at my resume and see that I was a congressional intern in Washington DC last fall. What does that have to do with Art History? Nothing. Trust me, when I switched my degree from Communication Design (Graphic Design) to Art History, I got all sorts of flack from my parents. But when you wake up in the morning dreading going to your studio classes and can’t wait to sit in Art Appreciation and listen to the teacher lecture about materials and theories, something is wrong. What can I say? I never saw myself as an Art History major. I took the advanced placement class in High School for fun and the extra boost to my GPA. It never occurred to me that I would fall in love with the stuff, even while I was sleeping through the lectures in High School. I’ve always been graphically oriented and still am to this day, I use my skills on a regular basis doing some freelance web stuff but I absolutely love Art History, particularly Medieval and Early Christian art and architecture.

I’ve done some looking around on the web for some publications that people have put out regarding how they have handled their situation and the best one I have found has got to be, hands down, The Liberal Arts Grad blog. The author, who calls himself “the Dude” or “the Liberal Arts Dude,” had it right when he published the statement, “the only real value your Liberal Arts education has is the piece of paper that says you’re a college graduate.” He has a collection of what I have found to be solid advice and a collection of experiences, which a person in my position can definitely relate to. One of the things he suggests is “Make the university Career Development Center your second home.” Working in the Student Development suite has made this easy for me, and I’m pretty sure I’m almost on a first name basis with them, or at least they recognize me (and groan) whenever I walk in the door. They have given me lots of advice on my resume, cover letters and even pointed me in the direction of resources I can use to find a job.

The Liberal Arts Dude also composed a list of what he calls “Skills for the Entry Level Liberal Arts Graduate.” This list includes some practical points such as writing, researching and oral presentation skills, as well as a few light hearted ones including “a sense of humor” and “good attitude – humble, willing to learn and get their hands dirty without complaining.” Most of the skills he has listed we take advantage of, for example creating PDF documents using Adobe Acrobat or using a digital camera. Who doesn’t know how to do that in this day in age? Well, really a lot of people don’t. They freak out at the sight of technology where our generation comes across as naturally technology-savvy. In her article “What Can I Do With A Liberal Arts Degree?” Barb Norrbom states “[t]he students that I help with job search issues often fall into two categories: those that know what they want to do but feel they lack the required experience, and those that feel confident in their abilities but are overwhelmed by the possibilities.” I definitely feel like I walk a fine line between the two. I don’t have much experience doing anything, I’ve never worked a retail job- all I’ve ever done is lifeguard and sit at a desk doing mind-numbing office tasks. But I am confident in my skills, its just hard to find something that matches up to my skill set and experience perfectly.

Another thing that “the Dude” suggests is moving to where the jobs are, a “major metropolitan area.” This one should be obvious. The DFW Metroplex isn’t really the absolute best environment for what I’m looking for, however there really are some great museums around here: the DMA, the Modern and Kimbell in Ft. Worth. (There’s also the Amon Carter but I’m not really big into their collection, they’re sort of a last resort.) I would love to do something with my degree, and I have applied for a few positions in institutions that would allow that to happen. I’ve got my fingers crossed but I have yet to hear anything from them. I also have a little experience doing web and graphic design, which is a field with high demand. I’ve applied for a few jobs but I feel like my experience is very limited and not what the company is looking for and I’m so rusty in the technology that it is going to take a while for me to get back into the “swing” of things.

So to all my scared and unemployed brothers and sisters out there with bachelor degrees in a Liberal Arts discipline, don’t give up! According to “the Dude,” there is hope for us, it just takes time. And after writing the initial draft of this article, I started receiving call backs and emails from places that I had been applying. I’ve even had a few interviews for jobs that I’m not really interested in but it has been good practice.

Articles and Resources:
Liberal Arts Guide (pdf) care of Rice University’s Career Center.
Liberal Arts Grad on blogger.
“What Can I Do With A Liberal Arts Degree?” Barb Norrbom, The Business Report.