When undergraduate students find themselves in conversation with adults or prospective professional employers, one of the most commonly asked questions is: “What is your major?”
Depending on the field of interest, responses to your answer can range from intrigue at a specialty never heard of before to satisfaction at the safety of a well-paid future career. However, for many students who reply that they are pursuing a degree in the humanities, the reaction is not always as ecstatic. Most often, these students are asked a follow-up question along the lines of, “Well, what are you going to do with that?”
At this point, it’s not likely the first time a student of the liberal arts has had to answer such a question. Though your first instinct may be to roll your eyes into the back of your head, the most helpful way to answer this question is with confidence and poise. Citing the benefits of a well-rounded education is one place to start, and giving examples as to how your future career prospects are essentially limitless is another. No matter how one chooses to answer such a question, what’s vital is that the student truly believes in those possibilities within their own heart and mind.
In the quest to help her students answer such a frustrating and sometimes daunting question, English professor Dr. Heather Braun set out to find a solution. Her remedy was to gather a group of local professionals from the Akron and larger Northeast Ohio region to speak on a panel regarding how they have used their humanities degrees to build careers. Students across The University of Akron were invited to her inaugural panel discussion in 2016, and going on its third year, “What Are You Going To Do With That?” has remained as relevant as ever.
On Wednesday, March 7th, a group of seven area professionals gathered to speak to UA students on how they can use their humanities-based skills to create a meaningful, passionate future for themselves. In her opening remarks, Braun joked that the panel’s title has also been known as, “What’s Next?” and “It’s going to be OK,” two statements laughably adjacent to the original. Braun also spoke of the high demand among employers searching for interns and job applicants effective in the skills of writing, thinking, and working independently—all tenets of the humanities. Before introducing her guests, she also called attention to the need for students to market this incredibly coveted skill set in ways that exemplify their broad abilities, rather than narrowing themselves within a single path.
In true humanities fashion, the panel reflected a wide array of professionals with several different interests and ideas. What they all shared in common, though, was a commitment to and an unwavering belief in the power of a liberal arts degree. Executive for the National Center for Choreography at UA, Christy Bolingbroke, shared that it’s the people in the humanities who are able to translate thoughts into purposeful information. She said that those who study in these fields tend to “find a genuine and unique way to communicate their passions.” Actor and playwright, Josy Jones, added that the humanities “teach you to work with others” and develop skills in “framing your language.” UA grad and journalist at WKYC-TV, Amani Abraham, says that listening is one of the most important things students can take into their years beyond a college education. Abraham urged students to step away from social media and instead “get somewhere deeper in their interactions day-to-day.”
Public Relations professional, Kat Pestian, encouraged students to find the “why” in their work. As a marketing specialist, she says the most important thing humanities majors can take away is the value of translating to others their own “personal connection and storytelling.” Director of the Institute for Leadership Advancement at UA’s College of Business Administration, Kevin Smith, noted the irony that “The people best at communicating can’t always communicate what is best about themselves.” He advised that humanities majors focus on their ability to deconstruct complex ideas, and use that aptitude to deconstruct what it is they are good at.
The final two panelists, Dr. Kendrick Bashor and Anoo Vyas, discussed the importance of recognizing the inner roadblocks that can prevent personal success. Dr. Bashor shared the importance of “getting over your own fear of succeeding.” Students should aim to have a multitude of experiences that make them diverse and interesting candidates, and should use their undergraduate years to broaden themselves out; later, they can begin to focus on a profession. In quoting one of his own professors, Dr. Bashor counseled, “Don’t get into your rut too soon.” Rather, learn through failing and never stop yourself from moving forward. Vyas, a UA law professor and co-founder of the EX[L] Center, mentioned a story of Steve Jobs and how the tech genius credited his college calligraphy class as giving him an edge in creating Apple Inc. Vyas says that finding an internship that allows you to “show, not tell” is invaluable in building and harnessing a passion, and advises students to treat life as an adventure.
Toward the end of the discussion, students had the opportunity to ask the panelists questions. Key takeaways included the need to be adaptable to an ever-changing job landscape and to use experiences as learning tools. One suggestion even arose as to how to answer that dreaded “What are you going to do with that?” question. Bolingbroke suggested that students respond with, “It hasn’t even been invented yet” as a way to encourage creativity and locating inspiration within the margins.
A final, all-encompassing point made by the panel was for students of the humanities to never label themselves as “just an English major” or “just a history major.” As students, and as human beings, we are never just one thing or another; we are constantly reinventing and improving ourselves one day at a time.