The University of Wisconsin’s College of Letters and Science has developed a new initiative to help students find an answer to the time old question of, “what the hell are you going to do with a degree in [insert humanities major here]?”
Aiming to ease the often difficult transition students endure from the classroom to “real world” careers, the L&S program is looking to create a structured approach to helping students jump-start careers stemming from their liberal arts degrees.
L&S alumni will be funding a program officially called the Letters and Science Career Initiative, set to debut next spring, Andrea Lowe, assistant director of career advising, said.
The UW Survey center helped the L&S college design their initiative and collect their data, John Stevenson, associate director of the UW Survey Center, said.
The college partnered with the UW Survey Center to look at alumni career trends. The goal by doing this is so L&S can better understand how its graduates compare to others in their career, Stevenson said.
This program is geared toward second-year L&S students uncertain of what they want to major in. One facet of the initiative is an optional one-credit course starting in January 2015 titled, “Inter-L&S 210 Second-Year Career Development Course.” This course focuses on the development of practical job skills, critical thinking, setting goals and reflection, Lowe said.
The goal of the course is to help connect liberal arts degrees to not only academic preparation, but career preparation as well, Lowe said. The course helps give students the resources they need to turn their skills and “real world” experiences into exciting and successful career paths, Lowe added.
Rebekah Pryor Paré, L&S career initiative director, is looking to bring in “highly successful” alumni mentors who will also be involved in this course, which gives students the opportunity to learn from the strategies used in the competitive job market, Lowe said. L&S career advisors will also be involved in the course, providing students with the chance to connect with resources throughout the department, as well as the campus as a whole, she said.
While this course is geared toward second-year and transfer students, the resources to get involved in career planning will use daily drop-in appointments that include résumé checks and help with cover letters. There are also “a day in the field” programs where a group of students, usually around 20 or so, go on a field trip to an employer, Lowe said.
“We also have career fairs and certain smaller events like mock interview days where we bring in employers and students can practice interviewing with them,” Lowe said.
First-year students can start building their résumé by joining student organizations and volunteering. Second-year and transfer students can sign up for the optional course. Third-year students can engage with alumni at “a day in the field” events, such as the “Day in the Field to Zendesk” Nov. 21.
In the future, the College of Letters and Science is planning to increase their number of career and academic advisors.
*An earlier version of this article stated “Letters and Sciences” instead of “Letters and Science”
*L&S is a college, not a program
