5 Weeks To Go: Careers for Liberal Arts Majors July 28, 2008
Realize your career potential…
Some of you may be thinking, “Career? I haven’t even figured out what I want to
major in yet.” Others of you may already
have a career goal in mind. But whatever
decisions you’ve made, or haven’t made, so far, thinking about careers is kind
of like thinking about majors. To a
certain extent, you don’t have to be too worried about career this early in
your academic career since any of the majors in CLA can prepare you for a
variety of jobs. But it certainly helps one
prepare and plan if they are thinking about where they want to go after they
graduate. Here are some things to think
about when thinking about careers.
First of all, remember that no matter what you major in,
your liberal arts education will help you develop the kinds of skills most
employers are looking for. In 2000, the
National Association of Colleges and Employers completed a survey of
organizations and business and identified the top ten personality traits and
skills they seek in their employees.
Students develop these same top ten skills and characteristics while
completing their degrees in CLA:
1. Communication skills
2. Motivation/initiative
3. Teamwork skills
4. Leadership skills
5. Academic achievement/GPA
6. Interpersonal skills
7. Flexibility/adaptability
8. Technical skills
9. Honesty/integrity
10. Work ethic and Analytical/problem solving skills
Career and Co-Curricular
Activities
To become marketable to employers, it is important to think
about what you want to do outside the classroom. Several of the opportunities at the University of Minnesota are perfect for developing
marketable skills and qualities even further.
·
Service
Learning experiences and courses are available in a variety of
departments. Such opportunities allow
you to get practical experience outside the classroom. You may even be able to earn credit for the
experience you gain: http://www.servicelearning.umn.edu/students/courses/index.html.
·
Internships
are probably one of the first things student think of when considering how to
obtain job experience while going to school.
In addition, internships allow you to “try out” certain career fields,
which will help you figure out what jobs you are a good fit for. To look for paid or upaid internships, go to http://www.goldpass.umn.edu.
·
Student
Activity Groups allow students to meet with peers and others who may help
you meet your career goals, while developing planning, teamwork, and
organizational skills. There are more
than 650 registered student organizations available, or you can create your
own: http://www.sua.umn.edu/.
·
Leadership
is a vital job skills and the University also offers opportunities to lead
and to learn to lead. Workshops, retreats, and awards are
offered through Student Activities: http://www.sua.umn.edu/leadership/. LeaderQuest
and a Leadership Minor is also
offered: http://www1.umn.edu/lead/.
·
On or
Off-Campus Employment is another
practical way to get hands on experience, and get paid to do it. Look for unique job offers at the
University’s on-campus job search tool: http://employment.umn.edu. Or look for other off-campus jobs at
GoldPASS: http://www.goldpass.umn.edu.
Above all, remember that the Career and Community Learning Center in 135 Johnston Hall is CLA’s
one-stop office for career searches and career planning, as well as
investigating and identifying majors of interest: http://cclc.umn.edu/. Remember, don’t wait until your senior year
to plan for a job search; the earlier you check in at CCLC the better. At the website or 135 Johnston Hall, you can
look for interesting careers or job opportunities, attend workshops to help you
maximize the growth and learning you can obtain at the University, take a
Strong Interest Inventory to help you identify the careers or majors you might
find most interesting, and take advantage of on-campus job recruiting done by
major companies through Minnesota and beyond.
Have fun exploring! Next
week, learn how to get to know your neighbors: New Student Weekend!
