Students with a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences worry about post graduation
Former UP English majors spoke at a panel about how to enter into the job market with a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences. Speakers advised students to highlight skills like close reading and problem solving. From left to right (Stephanie Matusiefsky | THE BEACON)
By Will Lyons, Staff Writer lyons14@up.edu
After four and a half years as an undergraduate at Cabrillo College and the University of Portland, senior Alex Foy will enter the real world with with an English degree. The prospect of entering the job market leaves him with mixed feelings.
"It's exciting and daunting at the same time," Foy said. "I'm scared to see if the skills I've learned as an English major are applicable to a job."
Foy is worried that his major isn't the pathway to a steady job.
"I don't regret my major, but I am a little bit jealous of business or engineering, where their degree will translate directly into a job," Foy said. "They're more of a puzzle piece that fits into a company, whereas I'm not exactly sure where English majors fit."
With rising concern over getting a post-graduation job with a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), individual departments and the office of the dean of CAS are providing more resources for students.
The office of Career Services also hired an academic internship coordinator to help connect grads with opportunities.
English department gets involved
To showcase some recent alumni success stories, the English department hosted an alumni panel with four alums that worked in a publishing house, social work, newspapers and online advertising.
Some of the alumni told horror stories of what its like to enter the world with a CAS degree.
"I'm not going to lie - I got laid off and cried on my couch for 2 weeks," panelist and 2010 alumna Erin Kelley said. "I also compulsively bought a puppy."
Kelley eventually turned her English degree into a career as a digital producer for Nike.
"I decided digital industry is going to be the place where people need media managed," Kelley said. "My biggest piece of advice is to find out how to be a content creator."
Kelley now "close reads" consumers in order to understand advertising trends, a skill the English department focuses on in its learning outcomes.
Reclaiming the English major as a degree that provides training in skills like close reading and critical thinking is the subject of the department's blog. Junior Leah Becker runs the blog, which also alerts current majors to internships and English events that are available on campus, in Portland or via online commuting.
"The blog is kind of a reaction to articles saying an English degree isn't important," Becker said. "It provides many links to articles saying a direct path to a lucrative job isn't the be all, end all."
More support for CAS
While majors like nursing and engineering might have particular careers waiting for them post - graduation, CAS grads need to work on marketing a particular skill set such as advanced problem solving or communication skills, according to Academic Internship Coordinator Amanda Wheaton.
Wheaton encourages students of any major to make an appointment with her or her colleagues in Career Services.
They can talk about how skills learned in CAS, such as critical thinking, can be used to get jobs and internships.
"We're looking to help you understand who you want to connect with and what your skills are," Wheaton said. "Kind of like a career kickstarter."
Wheaton will also be drafting internship handbooks for each department in CAS modeled after those used in the Pamplin School of Business.
Too late for seniors
For students graduating this semester, however, the new programs come a little late. Senior Madison Blake is deciding to pursue her passions as an actress rather than relying on her social work degree.
"I feel like I have no skills for the real world," Blake said. "I'm following my dream, but I'm told my dreams are unsustainable."
Blake said fellow seniors are struggling with settling down into a career or doing what they want to do in life.
For many CAS seniors, putting off the world of work by continuing onto graduate school is the best way to move forward.
Andrew Eshlemen, department chair of philosophy, focuses on preparing majors for graduate school because most philosophy majors head for higher education. He is also trying to increase the number of philosophy - related internships.
"We're in the early stages of thinking about more internships geared towards philosophy," Eshlemen said. "We have to think creatively."
Eshlemen hopes students consider professors as good resources.
Senior Ian Clark, an English and philosophy double major, was recently was accepted to Trinity College in Ireland and credits some of his success to professors.
"I couldn't have gotten into graduate school without my profs," Clark said.
Despite perceived struggles in the job market, senior Genevieve Leineweber, a psychology and Spanish double major, thinks her CAS skills will stand up.
"Jobs are looking for people with different backgrounds," Leineweber said. "I think the few years right after college might be the best of all."
