Personality Zone

What Can I Do with a Non-Technical Degree?

Students from all majors seek out their college career center to ask, “What can I do with a major in…? “ This is usually not a problem for student studying engineering, architecture, or accounting.  But where do students in social science and liberal arts find careers? 

Surprising to some, it often does not matter to most employers what your major was.  They look for skills that set you apart from other candidates.  Today’s work environment needs employees who can communicate effectively and write clearly.  There is a great need for employees who can work well in a team and have respect for diversity of cultures.  Employers also need people who are reliable and trustworthy and do what they say they will do.  Employers need people who can research and analyze data, who can think critically and creatively, and above all, who can take initiative and get things done.  Your college experience can help you build these qualities and the career center can help you verbalize and write about these skills. Which of these skills come naturally to you?  Which can you improve?   

Verbal and Written Communication: If you scored E on the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, verbal communication likely comes easily to you—but are you easily understood and have you learned to listen to others?  Those who score I are often good listeners, but may need to polish up their verbal communication.  Good writers can be found in both groups, but the skill needs training and not everyone likes to write.  If you’re not a writer, emphasize the other skills that you have.   

Teamwork and Respecting Diversity: Usually the Idealists are the best for working effectively in teams and valuing diversity, but the skill is not reserved to them.  There are good books about working in teams if you want to improve your skills.  Having a diverse culture is no longer limited to the coastal cities.  You need more than simply tolerance of others different from you; you need to find ways of appreciating those who are different.  Knowing Keirsean Temperament theory can be a good start in helping you understand people of different personality types.  Now what can you do to learn to appreciate people with different cultural backgrounds? 

Reliability and Trustworthiness: Guardians are the most aware of being trustworthy and reliable and keeping their word, but they don’t have a corner on the market.  How are you doing in this area and what can you do to improve? 

Research, Analyze Data, Think Critically and Creatively: Those who score T usually have an advantage over the F’s in analyzing data and thinking critically.  But F’s may be even more dogged in research if the topic is highly valued. Creativity can be shown by many different types and can be too narrowly defined.  Having a good color sense and making the environment look pleasant and keeping people comfortable shows creativity.  Designing an improved process for getting a job done is creative.  Usually something creative for you is easy, but hard for someone else.  Ask your friends how they see you being creative and adding something new and effective to the pot. 

Taking Initiative and Getting Things Done: The J’s tend to have an edge over the P’s in getting things to completion, but the P’s tend to reach out more than the J’s and may show more pizzazz and get more credit for initiative.  How do you see yourself in this area?  How do your friends see you?  Are there areas in which you could improve? 

So what if your degree is non-technical? Here’s a list of job titles that have been held by people with non-technical degrees: Advertising Account Executive, Air Traffic Controller, Artist, Auditor, Bank Manager, Business Systems Analyst, Buyer, Child Welfare Officer, Communications Specialist, Computer Systems Specialist, Copywriter, Counselor, Customer Service Representative, Development Manager, Editor, Employee Relations Specialist, Engineering Planner, Financial Consultant, Graphic Designer, Hotel Manager, Human Resource Specialist, Industrial Designer, International Economist, Interpreter/Translator, Journalist, Lawyer, Legislative Researcher, Librarian, Lobbyist, Management Consultant, Market Researcher, Marketing Representative, Museum Coordinator, Non-Profit Foundation Manager, Paralegal, Photographer, Probation Officer, Product Specialist, Production Manager, Public Relations Specialist, Publishing Manager, Quality Assurance Manager, Recreation Director, Research Analyst, Retail Manager, Sales Representative, Social Worker, Speech Pathology, State Representative, Stockbroker, Strategic Planner, Systems Analyst, Tax Consultant, Teacher, Technical Writer, Therapist, Transportation Specialist, Underwriter, City Planner, Writer 

Did any of the job titles surprise you?  The bottom line is to complete your degree and network into the area where you’d like to be employed.  Emphasize the qualities that show the talents that employers need.  Think outside the box.  Emphasize that you know the organizational needs and that you are prepared to work for the organizational benefit.  Show that you have done in your life will be an asset to that organization.  Never think “I have a degree in _____, so that is all I can ever do.”  The world of work is more open than you may give it credit for.