It goes without saying that searching for a job in today’s economic climate is an arduous task for a recent college graduate, especially with a liberal arts degree. It is difficult to translate a liberal arts education into qualities that potential employers seek when hiring qualified candidates. A degree in the liberal arts is often joked about as being a “useless” degree, and for many graduating seniors it is easy to accept this cynicism when faced with such daunting obstacles. Liberal arts graduates are overwhelmed by the sheer variety of possible careers. Instead of feelings of exhilaration at your options, you’re instead left with fear and paralysis. The perceived ambiguity of a liberal arts degree can be a hindrance in a job market that places high value on specific qualifications and skills.

These were the feelings I felt as I approached graduation earlier this year. I had degrees in Political Science and Crime, Law, and Justice, and as I weighed my options late into my senior year I felt that my hard work in the College of the Liberal Arts had been in vain. Like too many liberal arts students, I had planned to enter law school after graduation. But after researching the costs of a law education and the unfavorable employment numbers, I realized that law school may not be the right option for me at this time. Law school seemed like an easy fix to my problem because I was completely unaware of what I could do with my liberal arts degree other than more schooling. This realization came to me two months before graduation. I had not thought to visit career services and had not received career advice of any kind.

So I made the difficult transition from student to job market. I had to learn independently how to write my resume, how to draft appealing cover letters, how to interview well and how to market my degree to employers. I learned these lessons the hard way by trial and error, missing out on many fantastic opportunities because of simple errors that could’ve been avoided. I struggled to translate my experiences in the classroom into qualifications that employers look for in potential employees. I didn’t have enough tangible work experience for most positions, a fact exacerbated by a tough economy flooded with more qualified unemployed professionals. I also had no guidance as to what entry-level careers were open to me with my degrees, and I was left to the mercy of cold calls, online job databases, unpaid internships, and whatever research I could find on my own.

Finally, I received an email from the advisors at the Crime, Law and Justice/Sociology Department. A Penn State Alumni from the College of the Liberal Arts had contacted them about positions as Paralegal Specialists with the Antitrust Unit of the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. It turns out the federal government values liberal arts majors because many of the skills learned – critical thinking, document analyzing, intellectual flexibility -are perfectly suited for government law. I asked for more information, emailed the Alumni, interviewed for the position and was hired last month. I never would’ve found this position researching vague government websites or entering keywords into an online job search engine. A simple email coupled with the advice of a Penn State graduate at the Department of Justice who guided me through the process was vital to my current employment. How many other students aren’t as lucky?

The value of a liberal arts degree cannot be overstated, but it would have been nice if the transition from student to workforce was a bit easier. In many ways, Penn State provides these tools through their career center, one of the best in the country. However, at such a large university the career center is limited in providing advice specifically for liberal arts majors and the correct counseling on how to market their degrees. It is also difficult to be adequately educated on all the opportunities that the College of the Liberal Arts provides to their students. The College provides so many exceptional and challenging opportunities that can greatly enhance a resume, but many students are completely unaware of these opportunities. It is unfair and easy to blame students for their own ignorance. How can even the most motivated students know about every opportunity at a university of this size (especially transfer and branch campus students)? And how many students look for opportunities and fail to find them? I know I would’ve greatly appreciated the guidance if I had been forced to think strategically about my post-graduate career earlier in my college career. And I’m sure I’m not alone.