Welcome To The Liberal Arts Career Community!
The liberal arts is a broad field of academic study focused on areas like literature, history, writing, philosophy, and the creative arts. Liberal arts degrees teach useful skills that can be applied across many careers, including skills like research, analysis, critical thinking, and communication. You can read more about liberal arts degrees at SNHU, by reading this newsroom article: What Is A Liberal Arts Degree and What Can You Do With It?
Start Here: Liberal Arts By Major
Listen To SNHU Passion & Practicality: A Liberal Arts Podcast
Handshake Employer Collection: Liberal Arts
Handshake is SNHU’s job board for online learners and alumni! We’ve collected a list of top employers targeting talented Liberal Arts professionals like you. Browse and use these lists to discover companies and explore job opportunities.
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How To Gain Relevant Experience For Your Liberal Arts Career Search
You’re looking for your dream job, but you keep seeing that it asks for 2 – 3 years of experience. You might get frustrated and think: “How can I get experience for a job without landing a job?”
There are many options and strategies you can use to gain experience in your chosen field. Knowing the types of experiences available can help you determine which ones are right for you, based on your interests and career goals.
Internships and SNHU Challenges
Internships are short-term educational work experiences offered by employers which allow interns to receive hands-on experience related to their degree under the supervision and guidance of a qualified leader. Be sure to watch Internships 101 if you are thinking about doing an internship while you are at SNHU. SNHU also offers a number of smaller ways to gain experience, including academic challenges and virtual projects.
Short-term projects for liberal arts majors can be something you find offered by an organization or something you create for yourself. Projects could focus on research, creative endeavors, community engagement, or skill development, among other areas. Here are a few ideas:
Research-based projects:
- Local history analysis: Research and present a historical narrative about a local landmark or community event using primary sources from archives.
- Social issue analysis: Conduct interviews and surveys to explore a local social issue, then write a report with recommendations for improvement.
- Media analysis: Analyze the portrayal of a specific topic across different media outlets, identifying biases and perspectives.
- Literature review: Explore a particular theme or author within a literary genre and present findings in a written paper.
Creative projects:
- Social media strategy: Work with a local small business to help them update or improve their social media strategy, including updating their branding, posting, and client engagement strategies.
- Web site development: Design and develop a website for a local organization, group, or business.
- Start a blog or social media channel: Choose an area that you’re passionate about and then start writing, making videos, developing podcasts, or making other kinds of content about your passion.
Community engagement projects:
- Volunteer program design: Develop a volunteer program for a local organization, including recruitment strategies and impact assessment.
- Public awareness campaign: Create a campaign to educate the community about a relevant social issue using creative communication strategies.
- Community needs assessment: Conduct research to identify the most pressing needs in a local community, then propose solutions.
- Workshop facilitation: Design and deliver a workshop on a topic related to your major (e.g., writing, public speaking, critical thinking) to community members.
Volunteering is a low-commitment way to get a foot in the door and start to build experience. While internships are great when they are an option, some people do not have the time to do a full-time internship while in school. Volunteering can be a less intensive way to build skills, meet people in your future industry, and even land job offers. Best of all, no matter where you live there are places who need volunteers near you. Here are some places you can start your search, but don’t forget to look around your local area and ask family and friends for ideas:
Top Virtual Volunteer Opportunities for Students
Free and Charitable Clinics and Charitable Pharmacies – Healthcare
American Heart Association Volunteers
Social Work Volunteer Opportunities
Cyber Volunteer Resource Center
GitHub – Open source STEM projects looking for volunteers
Freelancing, or contract work, is a type of self-employment where someone offers their goods or services for a short or long-term project. Freelancing can be a great way to begin to gain experience in fields that require work examples or a portfolio. Some of the positives of freelancing can include things like setting your own schedule and rates, and gaining experience in a variety of areas. The possible downsides of freelancing include things like handling your own taxes, not receiving company benefits, or having times when work is less available. Here are some common freelancing sites:
Explore Careers By Major
What Can I Do With This Major? features 100 major profiles with information on common jobs and career paths, types of employers that hire in the field, and strategies to maximize opportunities. Scroll to the bottom of each profile for links to professional associations, occupational outlook information, and job search resources.
