For years, liberal arts majors have been the subject of mockery and even ridicule from other professionals. The running joke is that liberal arts majors –– art majors, English majors, (etc.) –– are unable to find meaningful employment after graduation. Indeed, many still think that liberal arts majors will only be able to get a job teaching, or in academia in some capacity. This, however, is simply not the case. Here, we’ll list five surprising ways liberal arts majors can put their degree to use and make lots of money:
Social Media Management
Businesses crave eye-catching social media posts. Given the cluttered (overcrowded) nature of social media, a business needs to create compelling posts if it’s going to engage with followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Thankfully, liberal arts majors tend to have a great eye for creating and curating images –– as well as a propensity to churn out a few quick witticisms to go along with them.
Copywriting & Editing
The most obvious way that English majors can enter the marketing arena is through copywriting and editing. Most of the time, this will mean writing and editing blog posts. However, there really is no limit to what kind of content an English major can write or edit. Everything from web-page content to a sample automated attendant script is a possibility. Heck, some freelance writers are hired solely to edit important business emails!
Web Design
A stunning website is key to a business’s long-term viability. As such, it makes a lot of sense for entrepreneurs to hire individuals with strong graphic design skills. Liberal arts majors who understand how to coordinate colors, images, and other graphic elements can provide tremendous value to companies seeking to update their look.
PR or HR Representative
Liberal arts majors are great at working with others and have excellent soft skills like empathy. As a result, they’re perfect candidates for PR and HR positions. Plus, many liberal arts majors possess strong language skills, which means that employers can trust them to say the right things at the right times.
Employee Training Instructor
Is there anyone more qualified than a liberal arts major with prior teaching experience to spearhead a fledgling training program? We doubt it! Liberal arts majors are dynamic communicators and educators, and they’re adept at teaching soft skills, company policies, and industry best practices.
The Bottom Line
Liberal arts majors are excellent at applying critical thinking skills and learning new things quickly. This alone makes them ideal candidates for a number of positions. And, odds are, you’ve already worked alongside a liberal arts major and didn’t even realize it!
