Will I be able to find a job?
According to Job Outlook (published by National Association of Colleges and Employers), the top four skills desired for employment are listed as follows:
- the ability to work well with others
- strong written and verbal communication
- the ability to solve complex problems
- the ability to process information, organize ideas, complete projects, and analyze data.
Note that this list contains no specific occupational skills.
The Association of American Colleges and Universities states:
“while you may think that choosing the ‘right’ major is key to getting a good job, your long-term professional success will depend far more on acquiring the right skills for a rapidly changing workplace.”
Their top five include the ability to:
- work in teams
- write and speak well
- think clearly about complex problems
- analyze a problem to develop solutions
- understand science and technology in a complex environment.
If we are to consider seriously what these two organizations identify as desirable qualities in prospective employees, then the degrees offered by the College of Arts and Science are of great value. This is because the “skills” mentioned above are at the core of an arts and science degree or, as many people refer to it, a traditional liberal arts degree.
