Every liberal arts major has faced the same dreaded question from nearly everyone they meet, “What are you going to do with that when you graduate?” They act as if “that” – a liberal arts major – is some sort of obstacle between you and a good career. These people are wrong; liberal arts programs have produced some of America’s most successful people. A liberal arts education helps to cultivate the skills that nearly every employer is looking for. This was the message of Peter Cloutier, a 1982 Penn State graduate with a degree in English. He recently visited my English 111 class, “The Possibilities of English.”
Mr. Cloutier is the President of Catapult Marketing, one of the country’s top marketing firms. He gave an awe-inspiring presentation that instilled in me a great sense of confidence in my own English major. Mr. Cloutier brought an unquestionable enthusiasm for the Liberal Arts with him. He stressed the importance of being able to perform a wide variety of tasks, rather than specializing in one specific area. The ability to adapt, a skill that is developed in a liberal arts education, is one of the most important things in the job market today.
Critical thinking, communication skills, and having a broad perspective were three of the things most stressed by Cloutier. These attributes are fundamental aspects of a degree in the liberal arts. Specifically from an English point of view, I know that I have to exercise each of these skills every time I walk into class. Trying to find new things to say about books that have been read by students for a hundred years is very difficult and takes a lot of careful analysis and critical thought. Once I have something worthwhile to say about the text, I then have to communicate it to my peers and professor. I have to do this through speaking in class and writing during exams. These communication skills are vital in the business world as well as many other professional fields.
The broad perspective is the most vague, but arguably the most prized aspect of the liberal arts graduate. Mr. Cloutier used a quote from Sue Kronick, CEO of Federated Department Stores (Macy’s, Bloomingdales, JC Penney) to describe just what it means: “You tend to get more narrow in point of view as time marches on. Liberal arts is about approaching problems from a broader point of view, taking into account the subtleties of the situation.” This kind of perspective is incredibly important, especially in a world that is evolving as fast as ours is today.
Mr. Cloutier was truly an inspiring and helpful speaker for somebody like me. As a sophomore and newly declared English major, I needed something to help assure me that what I was doing was going to have long-term benefits, in addition to the enjoyment I find in my current coursework. His presentation really stressed not only that is possible to get a job after I graduate, but also that in many cases my background will serve to help me in my job search. The talk definitely helped me to set my head straight for my future and how my major will position me for a career.
Take a look at some of the slides from Peter Cloutier’s power point presentation in the slideshow below: