Ever since you announced that you were planning to get your degree in liberal arts, you’ve probably heard that it’s “useless” or “risky” because there aren’t a lot of jobs out there.
However, if you finish your education at an accredited liberal arts degree programs, you have more opportunities for success than you might think. You can prove those naysayers wrong by pursuing a career which pays well while also making you happy.
So go shopping with your friends for graduation dresses and celebrate your victory! Here are some of the many things you can do with your so-called “useless” degree.
Economist
Although many economists have a degree in specialties like technology, medicine, finance, or law, you can also enter the field with a liberal arts degrees. If you’ve spent any time studying the social sciences, your expertise is exactly what the world is looking for in a qualified economist.
According to CollegeRanker, you’ll come across opportunities in “corporate, government, or nonprofit accounting, finance, sales and analyst functions.” If you go on to get a PhD, you’ll find a valuable career in the fields of policy or research, any many graduates become “consultants to the insurance and legal fields where econometric modeling is required to evaluate liability.” You’re liable to make anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000 with your work.
Editor
If you’ve pursued a degree in English, communications, or a related liberal arts field, you don’t have to enter the field of education to make a living. You’ll have many opportunities to excel as an editor. This career involves analyzing the written word in many different ways, looking at context clues, checking for grammar errors, and working alongside writing and creative teams.
Editors are needed in many different areas. There are traditional places like publishing companies, newspapers/magazines, and content mills, but editors also find work with law offices, healthcare providers, and major corporations. You can begin your career as an associate editor and make your way up to editor-in-chief, making an average salary of $58,000 to $114,000, depending on your position and level of expertise.
Most entry-level editing jobs ask for at least a bachelor’s degree, but if you’d like to move up the ranks, a master’s or PhD is preferred.
Intelligence or research analyst
If you major in history, you might also assume you’re headed for a career in education. However, this major can lead to jobs like an intelligence analyst, patient services representative, research analyst, and management consulting. According to an article published on Forbes, history majors are in high demand in many organizations: “Not surprisingly, the National Park Service and institutions such as the University of Maryland-University College are seeking history majors, but so are Aecom, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Deloitte.” And history majors can do especially well in certain cities like Washington D.C., New York, Columbus, and Denver.
In any of these fields, history majors enjoy a competitive salary ranging from $50,000 to $150,000, depending on your skillset and educational background. You’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree to begin, but you’ll get further with a master’s or PhD. You’re not the only one who has found (or will find) rousing success with your liberal arts degree.
Further opportunities
It is entirely possible to start and run major companies with a liberal arts degree, and some of the biggest CEOs in the US have done just that. According to an article from The Muse: “Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of investment firm BlackRock, graduated with a degree in political science. Disney CEO Robert Iger got his degree in communications. Whole Foods CEO John Mackey majored in philosophy and religion.”
The list of opportunities could go on and on, so you do you, and live your life of success and career satisfaction despite the naysayers.
