Question:
A lot of interviewers don't seem to respect my liberal arts degree. Even
though I have a bachelor's degree, many of them feel that it just indicates
that I couldn't make up my mind on a career. It does make it hard to find a
job. Any advice?
Answer:
Don't be apologetic-- you have a degree! How many people do you know that
are working in a field totally unrelated to their degree? You might be
surprised to find out if you ask around. That's because employers view a
degree like this: what you learned in college is not as important as the
fact that you can learn. This is especially true in today's work environment
where needed skills change faster than companies can train for them. The
fact that you even have a degree shows that you possess the critical skill
of "learning".
Employers fill jobs because they have a specific problem. They are looking
for ability and attitude to solve that problem. Your degree tells them a
little about you. But what will be most important is how you can present
your accomplishments and skills in such a way to prove you "fit" with them
in solving the problem.
Think about this: Bill Gates never got his degree. Do you think he has the
skills to run a business?
Some fields do require specific degrees and there is nothing that hiring
managers can do about it. That puts the burden on the job seeker to study
different occupations before jumping in to the hiring process. If you
question your qualifications to do a job, try some online research starting
here:
http://myjobsearch.com/advance/exploration.html.
Also, talk to these hiring managers. If they appear to mock your degree--
ask them! Find out specifically what their objections are to your
educational background and what you can do about it.
--Kelly Stone, myjobsearch.com
