2. Can liberal arts students be successful in business?
Absolutely! Liberal arts students develop a strong set of skills that make them quite successful in business settings. These include but are not limited to: strong written and verbal communication skills, ability to learn new information quickly, an ability to research information and synthesize the material, an ability to work well with a variety of people, and creative thinking/problem solving. While some careers in business do require specific training, many positions require more general skills. In a 2005 survey completed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), organizations identified the top 15 personal qualities they seek in job candidates. These included:
- Communication skills
- Honesty/Integrity
- Teamwork
- Interpersonal skills
- Motivation/Initiative
- Strong work ethic
- Analytical skills
- Flexibility/Adaptability
- Computer skills
- Organization skills
- Detail-oriented
- Leadership skills
- Self-confidence
- Friendly/Outgoing
- Tactfulness
For more details on these, visit Skills Required for a Business Career.
Will businesses hire a student from liberal arts?
Yes! Here is
what some corporate professionals have to say about liberal arts majors
in business:
"The liberal arts degree is the best degree for a career in business."
Nick Burkholder, Assistant VP of Corporate Staffing, Cigna Corporation, Philadelphia Inquirer, May 13, 1996
"Liberal arts majors get an education of some breadth and depth which
is important as life moves along both personally and professionally. It
doesn't matter what you study; it is the enthusiasm and the perspective
that you bring to your studies that is important."
Dennis Reigle, Managing Director, Recruiting and College Relations,
Arthur Andersen and Company, The Black Collegian, Oct 1994 v 25 n 1
p111(7)
"We hire liberal arts graduates because they bring a little bit
different perspective to the company. We hire trainees with all
different backgrounds." Wesley B. Little, Personnel Representative, State Farm Insurance, The Black Collegian, Oct 1994 v 25 n 1 p111(7)
"Liberal arts grads enter all kinds of jobs that make a business or
organization run. Every business, no matter what its product or service,
is made up mostly of people who perform tasks such as marketing,
purchasing, communications, and sales." John Challenger, Executive
VP of Challenger, Gray, and Christmas Outplacement Firm, Chicago, IL,
Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, June 1998
"Most liberal arts graduates are recruited by consulting firms as
'analysts' for two- to three-year stints and then are encouraged to go
to graduate business school." Tom Rodenhauser, Consulting Information Services, The Boston Globe, November 22, 1998
"Having a liberal arts background helps in interacting with customers
and researching the best practices, as well as in my communication,
both written and verbal, of ideas with co-workers. I think my liberal
arts background will have a major impact on my ability to succeed in
management positions." Jarrod Gingras, Web Designer and Content Specialist, Tvisions Careerbuilder.com, December 2000
"We are open to people who have degrees from all disciplines -
economics, science, and the arts. We need people with good
communication skills, who like working in teams and have a commitment
to life-long learning." Lily Loong, Assistant Manager of Human Resources, Royal Bank, Montreal Gazette, February 28, 1999
Can I advance in business with a liberal arts degree?
Many people with liberal arts degrees move into upper management
positions during their careers. Below are some examples of individuals
with liberal arts degrees who went on to pursue highly successful
careers in business. Keep in mind that in some cases, to continue
advancement in a business, you may need to supplement your
undergraduate degree with a Master's in Business Administration (MBA).
Of course this is true even for those with undergraduate degrees in
business.
- Carlton (Carly) Fiorina, Chairman, President, and CEO for Hewlett-Packard, undergraduate major: Medieval History and Philosophy.
- Michael Eisner, CEO, Walt Disney Corporation, undergraduate major: English Literature and Theater.
- Alan G. Lafley, President and CEO, Procter and Gamble Company, undergraduate major: History.
- Steve Case, CEO and Co-founder, America Online, undergraduate major: Political Science.
- Meg Whitman, CEO, E-Bay, undergraduate major: Economics.
- Jill Barad, CEO, Mattel Inc., undergraduate majors: Psychology and English.
- Brian Lamb, CEO, C-Span, undergraduate majors: Speech and Communication.
- Steve Forbes, CEO, Forbes Inc., undergraduate major: American History.
Don't you need a business major to get into an MBA program?
No! Contrary to popular belief, the majority of those seeking MBAs are
not people with business as their undergraduate major. Approximately
two-thirds of MBA students had undergraduate degrees in something other
than business. For more
information on the University of Minnesota's MBA program visit the Carlson School of Management MBA website.
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