September 29, 2022

By Melissa Paulsen

Are humanity and science degrees really useless?

As a college graduate with a BFA in creative writing, I’m familiar with the commonly searched question oozing with anxiety. For liberal arts majors, it may feel as if they must choose between making money or following a dream. However, the myth of the hopeless humanities degree can be put to rest because the job market still values liberal arts talent. By emphasizing the critical “soft” or “people skills” that form the basis of any humanities program, exploring in-demand career pathways, and adding industry-specific technical skills complementary to your major, humanities and sciences graduates can launch a fruitful career in the tech industry.

Know the Value of a Degree in the Humanities & Sciences

Skills taught in the humanities and sciences are highly sought after by employers. According to a 2020 survey of employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, some of the top qualities employers searched for on a resume were problem-solving and written and verbal communication skills: two core principles of the humanities and sciences.

Additionally, a background in the liberal arts offers a distinct set of transferable “soft” skills, or the ability to interact effectively and peacefully with other people.

Kymberly Corwin, Executive Director of the Aim Higher training program for Missoula tech consulting firm ATG, a Cognizant Company, earned her Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communications with an emphasis in Rhetoric from the University of Montana. Corwin said that humanities majors bring a unique perspective to the workforce through how they interact with others and problem-solve from multiple angles.

“I think so many people forget how important and valuable people skills truly are,” Corwin said. “In any role, the tech can be learned, but the soft skills are more natural and inherent. The ambiguous nature of problem-solving, the ability to think for myself and to think outside of the box to find a great solution is how my background in the humanities has really helped me succeed in my career.”

Stephanie Back, a Back End Software Developer Mentor for Promineo Tech, and a recent graduate of the Montana Code School, double-majored in Microbiology and Biological Sciences at the University of Montana. Her background in the sciences has helped her understand how to work with complex data sets and view computer code in a similar manner to how she learned about genetic coding.

Like Corwin, Back agreed that the humanities and sciences teach foundational soft skills that are crucial to long-term success in any career.

“Humanities and science programs help us learn different perspectives, how to form our own opinions, and [they] allow us to see other people's point of view,” Back said. “It seems like such a little detail but having those soft skills [and] being able to work on a team [and] being able to effectively communicate, can [help you] go far.”

Trends in the labor market favor liberal arts grads. As many quantitative or routine tasks are automated, the value of human-centered skills like communication and creativity rises in the job market.

Corwin suggested that humanities and science majors can market their unique set of skills by practicing their pitch, which includes a brief introduction and speaking confidently to their strengths with examples.

Explore In-demand Career Pathways for Liberal Arts Majors

While many liberal arts graduates end up finding satisfying careers in tech, students can accelerate their success by exploring high-earning occupations while they’re still in school.

Because the skills acquired from the humanities and sciences are widely applicable, keeping an open mind when applying for a position is essential. Corwin never planned on working in tech, yet she is nearing her tenth anniversary with ATG Cognizant and is grateful for her experiences working with entry-level talent and running the highly successful Aim Higher Program.

Similar to Corwin, Back never envisioned having a tech career, but said she is grateful for all the doors Montana Code School has opened for her.

“Tech is for everyone because your background does not define whether you fit into a role,” Back added. “Think of [your] skill set as a superpower. Maybe [you] know something from the business-end that nobody else would have thought of, and so you bring in that fresh perspective, which ultimately helps broaden and enhance the tech industry.”

In 2018, Burning Glass Institute identified the following ten career clusters as the best fields for employment and advancement potential for liberal arts graduates:

• Business Administration

• Data Analysis and Data Management

• Design (Graphic and Industrial)

• Finance

• Human Resources (HR)

• Information Technology (IT) and Networking

• Marketing and Public Relations (PR)

• Media Arts and Communications

• Programming and Software Development

• Sales

Jobs in business analytics, front and/or back-end software development, human resource management, project management, recruitment, and web design, are only a few of the many fields in which Corwin and Back said they’ve seen liberal arts majors excel.

Both Back and Corwin agreed that liberal arts majors should remember they are capable of learning and not fear growth opportunities.

“Don’t just look at one bullet on the job description when you should be looking at it holistically and thinking, ‘does this excite me?’” Corwin said. “Continuous learning doesn't end because you got your diploma, [instead] that’s where [your learning] takes off, [so] use your foundation and then go from there.”

Regardless of major, all students benefit from work-based learning experiences like internships and apprenticeships. In the tech industry, internships are paid, and they allow learners to try out career options and discover their own interests and abilities. Work-based learning also helps students gain insights into what skills are valued by employers and build relationships that can help them land a job after graduation.

Students can utilize their college career centers to better understand and build the skills employers are searching for when hiring. Programs like the University of Montana’s Elevate U and Montana State University’s Hire-a-Bobcat help students prepare for the workforce through internship opportunities, skill-building workshops, and career fairs.

Networking and mentorships can also increase your marketability. “Find a mentor,” Corwin said. “It doesn't have to be in your direct industry or field but get that person you can have conversations with and say, ‘Here's what I've done and here's what I'm looking to do. Will you please mentor me on this specific thing?’ [Mentors] help you stand taller [and] they help you present yourself more confidently.” 

Reaching out to companies of interest on LinkedIn to learn more about their company culture and the positions they hire, as well as to professors and friends, are other great ways to grow your professional network.

“Don't feel afraid or shy to reach out to anybody in the tech industry,” Back said. “There are plenty of people who are happy to be a mentor [and] want to help everybody break into tech, regardless of [their] background.”

Increase Your Job Prospects by Adding Complementary Technical Skills to Your Degree

Research shows that by adding workplace-focused technical skills to their chosen program of study in the humanities and sciences, students can significantly broaden their job prospects after graduation. A study conducted by the Burning Glass Institute based on LinkedIn data has found that coupling industry-specific technical skills with a liberal arts education can nearly double the number of jobs available to graduates while offering an average salary premium of $6,000.

Burning Glass also found that jobs are increasingly hybrids, combining skills from different domains. The growth of digital skills, like coding, has driven much of the growth in hybrid jobs.

Learning how to code can be a great entry-point into the tech industry for liberal arts majors. “Coding is for everybody,” Back said. “I encourage everyone to try it.”

Through coursework, minors, and internships, students in the humanities and sciences can still pursue their passions while also building essential technical skills that employers seek. Examples:

• If you enjoy writing, consider taking courses in technical writing or marketing to help businesses better explain their products and engage with customers.

• Learning technical skills in design programs like Adobe InDesign or Adobe Photoshop can make a resume for a Fine Arts major stand out to recruiters.

• Minors or certificates in programs like data analytics, finance, or computer science can also be great add-ons to any humanities degree as you learn how to work with large data sets and navigate the fundamentals of computer operating systems.

• Internships with local tech employers, where you can actively apply the skills developed in your classes, can also help add value to your liberal arts degree and make you stand out in the competitive job market.

Corwin also advocated for honing your technical skills as the world becomes increasingly digitalized. “If you think about what you learn in the humanities in general, and then you pair that with technology, you're truly unstoppable,” she said. “You can go forward and do literally everything.”

About the Publisher: Launched in 2014, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance is a nonpartisan nonprofit association of more than 200 high tech and manufacturing companies and affiliates creating high-paying jobs in Montana. For more information, visit MTHighTech.org or subscribe to our biweekly newsletter.

About the Author: Melissa Paulsen is the Communications Coordinator for the Montana High Tech Business Alliance. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2022 with a BFA in creative writing and a minor in history.