If you’re a final year humanities or arts major, you might have been hearing of friends from majors like business or science having interviews or full-time job offers lined up, whilst you’re facing challenges in your job search.
It may not help to hear troubling stories of your alumni struggling to find employment. It’s natural for some self-doubt to creep in about your level of employability, but the truth is – companies are hiring humanities graduates across a variety of professions.
Demand for soft skills usually picked up in humanities courses, such as negotiation, emotional intelligence and confidence, are on the rise. In a rapidly-changing environment with increasingly widespread technology adoption, skills such as critical thinking, creativity and leadership are highly sought-after by employers.
That’s not all. Here are other reasons why your humanities degree is in high demand.
You know how to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders
Considered a vital skill in just about any industry, companies tend to look for effective communication and interpersonal skills in every candidate. This is commonly reflected in several job listings, with most job descriptions listing requirements such as “communication and interpersonal skills”.
After all, even if the role you apply to is not client-facing, you’ll still need to work well with your colleagues. As such, a solid grasp of communication and interpersonal skills is essential in the workplace.
You understand the new economy
Technology advancement and adoption are more targeted to consumers
With behavioural changes spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic, adoption of technology is continuing to rise. Remote and flexible working are no longer the exception, and online interaction has since cemented itself as a constant in the workforce.
But all these changes have posed an immense challenge to programmers and product designers – with human behaviour changing by the day, they need to keep up in terms of innovation and meeting consumer needs. Humanities graduates can help to uncover insights into what consumers really want, enabling companies to create outstanding products and reach out to their target audiences with effective marketing, sales and communication.
There’s a higher demand for soft skills among employers
With more jobs becoming automated, there’s now a higher demand for soft skills in the workplace. In fact, the soft skills you built over the course of your humanities studies – such as communication, critical thinking and creativity, among others – are transferable enough to be applicable in a wide variety of industries and fields around the world!
You’re passionate about your work
Chances are, you didn’t take up humanities because of conformity to external pressures. Unlike many students, you would’ve had the chance to follow your passion and pursue the major you truly like.
In fact, a 2019 Humanities Indicators Project report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences showed that an estimated 90% of humanities graduates are satisfied with their lives!
Even if your job hunt is taking a while, don’t feel disheartened. As a humanities degree holder, you are equipped with the right skills and experience to start your career in the corporate world. Continue to believe in yourself and persevere!
This article is contributed by gradsingapore.
