Career Paths for Recent College Grads With Liberal Arts Degrees

Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts deserves congratulations. But what happens next? For some grads, this can be a time of frustration. Perhaps you’ve discovered you don’t want a job in your field of study, or you are finding it difficult to land a job. This can be disheartening, but don’t worry; you are certainly not alone. There are thousands of other grads in the same boat, and every year, people who face this quandary end up kicking off a great career.

If you are a liberal arts grad in Boston wondering, “what’s next,” use these strategies to get the ball rolling.

Take a Self-Inventory

Take time to think about what you truly might like to do in your career. Consider classes that interested you in school, skills you know you rock, and fields that sound interesting. Once you have a handle on what interests you, research entry-level job requirements. In most cases, you’ll discover the subject of your degree doesn’t matter, employers only care that you graduated.

As you work through this exercise, consider these fields which have a solid track record of hiring liberal arts majors:

• Startups: Startups need a variety of talent, not just tech wizards.
• Higher education: Colleges and universities understand that liberal arts majors bring soft skills to the table and offer a variety of jobs and career paths.
• Mission-driven organizations: These are typically nonprofits that want to build passionate teams who drive that mission forward.
• Companies committed to diversity: Diversity isn’t just about gender, race or ethnicity. True diversity is about people’s backgrounds and perspectives, and these organizations understand the value that liberal arts majors bring to the table.

Be Open to New Approaches

In many cases, you’ll discover that experience matters far more than your degree, but how do you get experience? Simple. Find a Boston recruiting company that specializes in working with recent liberal arts graduates. Your recruiter can put you to work with great companies quickly, giving you the opportunity to build your skills and gain that all-important professional experience. Temporary and contract positions can be excellent starting points for figuring out what you want to do full time and they can be your foot in the door to an amazing organization.

Contemporaries, Inc. is the leading recruiting agency in Boston for liberal arts graduates. We can match you with roles where you will use your skills and make valuable contributions. In fact, 90 percent of our temporary replacements result in permanent job offers, thanks to our thorough and proven processes. If you are ready to kick off your career, work with a true expert. Contact our Boston recruiters today to find out how we can help you achieve your goals.