Opportunities are plentiful
for liberal arts graduates
By Sarah Bachman
Staffwriter
As the school year rolls on and grad
uation nears, many liberal arts students
may begin to ask themselves what they
are going to do next.
UNL students and academic advis
ers say more and more opportunities are
out there for liberal arts majors.
Jacquelynn Sorensen, undergradu
ate adviser for the English department,
has seen a change in the past few years
in the variety of careers liberal arts
majors are pursuing.
“It is not as limited as it was thought
to have been,” Sorensen said.
Sorensen said more and more large
businesses are recruiting liberal arts
majors. Many will be recruiting at this
year’s Career Fair on Tuesday.
She-attributed the increased recruit
ing to the fact that bigger companies
Snd employers are taking advantage of
the broad education that liberal arts
majors receive.
A common misconception among
people is that liberal arts majors are
most likely to go on to teach, Sorensen
said. And while that is certainly true in
some cases, liberal arts majors do have
more options, she said.
In addition, companies look for the
critical thinking skills liberal arts majors
possess. Some go on to write or edit for
newspapers or use their research skills
to work for the government.
And many are being accepted into
medical and law school.
Senior English major Chelsea
Schlievert said she had once thought
that law school was for her but now has
plans to attend graduate school.
She is looking forward to seeing
what kinds of career options exist for
someone with her major.
Barry Schwab, a UNL graduate stu
dent in composition and rhetoric, said
English majors make up a large portion
of law students.
This is, in part, because they com
municate and research well, he said.
Darrin Stoll, president of Phi Alpha
Theta, a history honorary organization,
said history majors may also think their
options after graduation are limited to
teaching.
His organization is currently mak
ing plans for a career workshop specifi
cally for history majors.
This workshop will be held next
spring. He hopes it will provide history
majors with information about career
options, not necessarily in teaching.
“Our goal is to show history majors
what (their education) can do for them
and what it can do for their employers,”
Stoll said.
Another way for liberal arts majors
to explore possibilities is at the coming
career fair, Stoll said. He said it was a
great opportunity to network with dif
ferent employers.
Andy Strowig, Career Counseling
coordinator, said he hopes this year’s
career fair will show the students exact
ly what their options are and that they
may have more to offer than they think.
“Sometimes arts and sciences stu
dents view themselves as less mar
ketable than they really are - they are
unaware as to what they can bring to
other employers,” Strowig said.
He thinks the events are good oppor
tunities for students to get their feet in
the door. He encouraged all to attend.
Strowig advised students to use the
opportunity to enhance their knowledge
of employment options for the future.
“Students should never hesitate to
introduce themselves to recruiters and
ask about different available positions
their organization needs to fill,” he said.
It is important to take it all in and
explore all the options, Schlievert said.
“There are so many different outlets -
take advantage of knowing about them
all,” she said.
Second language ups marketability
By Tiffany Chantee Alvoid
Staff writer
With the rise of the Internet and
the low cost of long-distance phone
calls, the world is quickly getting
smaller
Tina Cassler, study abroad adviser
for International Affairs, believes a
student must acquire intercultural
understanding and pick up a foreign
language to keep up with this chang
ing world.
“By the year 2005 the cultural
ethnic background of most Americans
will be more diversified,” Cassler said.
“Knowing how to speak another lan
guage can only help you.”
In the job market, Cassler said, this
is especially true.
“Knowing another language
makes a student more marketable,”
Cassler said.
Jake Kirkland, assistant director of
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s
Career Services, said that knowing
another language can not only
improve students’ chances of getting
jobs, but it also enhances their salaries.
Cassler added that companies
actually save money when they hire
bilingual students because they do not
have to pay for language classes or
cultural training. ;
Kirkland said he believed Spanish
is one of the most marketable lan
guages. Cassler agreed but also added
that German, French, Japanese and
specialty languages like Czech and
Italian are helpful to know.
Kirkland said studying abroad can
help students improve their language
skills.
“Studying abroad helps a student
feel the pulse of the people,” he said.
“In class, talking about Africa is a lot
different than actually going to Africa.
“(Studying abroad) gives you a
feeling of the culture, way of life and
the people. It also allows you to see
how other countries handle economic
tt
Studying abroad
helps a student feel
the pulse of the
people,”
Jake Kirkland
assistant director of Career Services
and social concerns.”
Cassler also said learning a lan
guage while immersed in that culture
rather than through a book helps a stu
dent communicate better with people
who speak the language.
“Go overseas to study, do intern
ships and work,” she said. “It will
increase your intercultural under
standing. It is going to be important in
not only the United Sates but overseas
as well.”
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