<p>I'm really interested in attending a liberal arts college, and I don't think I'd really make a good engineering, nursing, accounting (pre-professional) major, but I'm very worried that I will not be able to find a job after graduation... Can anyone give me some advice as to what sorts of jobs, say, an English or Political Science major can get with their bachelor's? Also, would a liberal arts grad from a big university rather than a small college be at some sort of advantage if they studied the same field?</p>
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Whatever you want. Liberal arts aren’t vocational or professional study, so they don’t lock you into a job. Liberal arts graduates learn to read, write, and think. These are valuable skills.</p>
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No.</p>
<p>There have definitely been many who’ve had a hard time getting jobs in this recession. Not doing a pre professional program certainly comes with more job risk. I think it’s important to take courses that yield knowledge valuable to employers.</p>
<p>Not everyone can be a nurse or an accountant. And warning people: don’t go into health care for the money. I just spent the last 8 hours getting thrown up on and walking through human waste. I will probably be vomiting in a few hours from this exposure. It is HARD work taking care of people. </p>
<p>Don’t be scared to follow your passion and use the gifts you were given. Trust me.</p>
<p>Small schools may be less recruited at than large schools, because companies may not be able to travel everywhere. Try asking the career centers at various schools to find out who comes recruiting for students in your major.</p>
<p>I’ve heard the “liberal arts teaches you how to think” stuff and how you do can anything with it, but are there any specific jobs I could think about getting? I’m extremely lost right now and have no idea what I want to do.</p>
<p>SgtDonut, you might want to look at the book -The New College Reality by Bonnie Snyder.
It supports your wise concerns about considering career first, then major, then college. She analyzes many old “rules” about college and explains how they no longer apply in our economy. It is hard to go against " what everyone says" but this book will really help to plan out your future.</p>
<p>You might want to go to a larger school where you can major in a liberal arts subject (say, English) but also take courses in something more “practical” (say, technical writing) so that it will be easier to get that first job out of college. </p>
<p>There are lots of jobs that are directly related to liberal arts: museum curator (history); translator (languages); public relations writer (English); congressional staffer (political science). And no matter what job you eventually get, having that foundation in writing, research, thinking, plus a broad view of history and culture, will be invaluable.</p>
<p>Liberal Arts majors can get jobs once they graduated but they DO have to work harder to get them. Whether you go to a small LAC or a larger university it will be <em>crucial</em> for you to get internships/jobs during summers and preferably during the school year as well. The connections, and practical skills, you gain during those internships/jobs will be invaluable to land that first ‘real’ post-grad job. This is why I personally prefer larger universities, because they often offer more opportunities than those small LACs, especially ones in remote locations. But as long as you remain active and engaged in organizations/companies you’re that much more likely to find a job, even with a humanities degree.</p>
<p>If you are an English major, take some kind of writing minor/ concentration that could help you be a copywriter, technical writer, or web writer. A very common first job for an English major would be an editorial asst or production asst for a publishing company.</p>
<p>So if I take advantage of what a college career center can offer me and do internships, I’ll have a better chance of getting a job? And what makes a larger university have “more opportunities” than an LAC?</p>
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<p>Having been a college administrator for 34 years, I’d strongly advise against that. In the 21st century, you don’t want to merely prepare for today’s job skills in today’s entry-level jobs. In 10-20 years, many of those jobs won’t exist in their current formats, and by then many jobs will exist that don’t exist today. You may have a bigger challenge landing your entry-level job right out of college with a liberal arts degree, but I believe you’ll be better positioned for employment and promotion throughout your career.</p>
<p>And what makes a larger university have “more opportunities” than an LAC? </p>
<p>-- Often, size matters 
A bigger school is likely to have bigger and larger in number facilities where students can work/volunteer; more professors needing research help; more ancillary centers/companies through which you can develop contacts; bigger schools are often in/near bigger urban areas which serve as good places for job/internship hunting.</p>
<p>^In 5 years, they may not exist. Or all that planning and that industry can suffer a huge economic crisis.
And, at many large U’s, the competition for even a library job is fierce, you can be a number on a waiting list. The decision depends on the schools.</p>
<p>LACs are fine. Many knock themselves out to offer internships and pre-career guidance. Check these opps out when picking colleges. </p>
<p>*I’ve heard the “liberal arts teaches you how to think” stuff * How do we answer that? You have to be able to think to get into a decent LAC that will then refine your thinking, analyical, judgment and other skills. You have to do more than go to class and party to earn the early resume that will give potential employers confidence in you. Many kids ignore the pre-career opps. You can be one of tens of thousands of graduates who sleepwalk through college, assuming the degree is a magic key.</p>
<p>I am well-aware that a degree will certainly NOT guarantee me a job, which is why I am so concerned. Do people who study the liberal arts at a big university have the same (un)likelihood of getting a job if they do internships and have the same ability to get take advantage of “pre-college opportunities” as people who study at LACs?</p>
<p>I have two nephews who are recent grads of LACs. #1 was an international relations major. He considered a research job with a think tank in DC, a job in logistics at a large corporation and ultimately was hired by a software company as business analyst. Nephew #2 was an art history major. He works for a small legal services company as a researcher. There are lots of jobs in both the public sector and the private sector for liberal arts graduates. It really depends what you want to do.</p>
<p>gadad, maybe you should read the book. Why shouldn’t a student be concerned about his career? I think many majors including liberal arts can prepare you for a changing world. The sooner a student starts thinking about how he wants to support himself the better chance he will have at achieving this goal. Many factor have combined to make it harder than ever for a college graduate to get a entry-level job. If they can’t get a entry-level job because they don’t have what employers are looking for, then how will they get the experience and networking for later jobs. The book points out that professors and other employees at colleges don’t have experience looking for employment in other fields and often don’t give the best advice.</p>
<p>SgtDonut again you are wise to realize the degree will not guarantee you a job. One great idea is to check out the career center at colleges, look at where their graduates are finding jobs, what services they offer, salaries and different majors.</p>
<p>One thing about LACs- at some, the kids are super for future networking. And at some, the kids don’t have enough vision to be worth networking with. I worded that harshly, but you get the idea. Some LACs do have strong ties to NYC, Chi or LA recruiters (or other areas or specific industries.) Or they band together with other local, similar LACs for career days. Some regional U’s or LACs work best for future opps in that specific geographic area. Agree you should dig into what career services various colleges offer.</p>
<p>Sgt, your question is way, way too general. The size of the college/university is NOT the determining factor in career success. The determining factors are first, what the the student does during his/her undergraduate years to position him/herself; second, how much support his college career counseling and alumni/ae network provides; and third, luck – being in the right place and in the right economy.</p>
<p>Many, many graduates of small liberal arts colleges with degrees in non-professional disciplines like the humanities, social studies and sciences end up in careers that fulfill their expectations – both personally and financially. Many, many choose to enhance their career choices by getting post-graduate degrees.</p>
<p>A career really is a ladder or a pyramid. If you use your undergraduate years to hone your analytical and social skills, build your resume with internships and summer jobs and make connections with people in your areas of interest, you will be well positioned on graduation, no matter whether your college had 2000 or 20,000 students.</p>
<p>The World of Work is big and complicated and can be overwhelming when viewed from outside. Young people tend to think along doctor, lawyer, Indian chief lines, but in fact many (most?) jobs are not clearly defined or labeled. One opportunity leads to another and voila! you have a career.</p>
<p>My advice would be to go to the most academically rigorous college/university you can get into. Chose one that fits YOU, in size, in location, in learning style, in personality. Once you’re there keep your grades up, take some academic risks, participate in activities that interest you, stay close to your professors, use your summers wisely. You will do best where you are happiest.</p>
<p>I’m not just asking about size, I’m asking about majors . And thank you for that response. So basically, just take advantage of everything you can?</p>