Liberal Arts to STEM Career
All over the United States, manufacturing plants, engineering firms, technology companies, and science labs are brimming with talented professionals working in STEM who also happen to be historians, writers, philosophers, musicians, and psychologists. That’s because while STEM majors such as engineers and computer scientists are highly likely to step into a job soon after graduation, liberal arts majors often find the journey to employment more difficult. A study by the Pew Research Center found that only 43% of liberal arts majors said their current job is related to their major in college or graduate school. Liberal Arts to STEM Career.
A report by Strada Education Network found that although liberal arts students may not be headed down their ideal career path until their 30s and 40s, they tend to experience rapid wage growth from this point and — crucially — “learn to articulate how their skills translate to technical fields.”
Combined with the fact that STEM jobs are simply more plentiful and will continue to grow in scale and number in the foreseeable future, lucrative salaries are another compelling reason for stepping across the gap; average lifetime earnings for students who major in STEM fields are higher than those who study liberal arts.
Why STEM Employers Value Liberal Arts Majors
The great news for liberal arts majors is that companies in STEM fields are increasingly interested in hiring workers with these educational backgrounds.
While STEM skills are critical for specific jobs, liberal arts skills are an essential ingredient for companies looking to drive growth. With this in mind, liberal arts majors planning to make the leap should highlight the transferrable skills that make them attractive to technology companies and other STEM employers.
Specifically, STEM employers value the following soft skills that are hallmarks of liberal arts degrees:
- critical thinking and analytical abilities
- strong communication skills (written and verbal)
- ability to share ideas for maximum impact
- creativity
- collaboration
- cultural understanding
- leadership
- interest in continued learning
The multidisciplinary nature of a liberal arts degree is also valuable, as it produces graduates with a broader knowledge base rather than specialists honed in a narrow area of expertise.
How Liberal Arts Majors Can Succeed in STEM Careers
In an article written for Quartz, Tim Marshall described the time he attended a tech-sector dinner with high-profile representatives from Facebook, Grand Central Tech, BetaWorks, and other household names. Marshall was struck by the realization that every person invited to the dinner happened to have a liberal arts background. Many of the tech sector’s most famous leaders, entrepreneurs, and CEOs have liberal arts degrees, including the founders of LinkedIn, Flickr, and Slack, along with the CEOs of YouTube and Alibaba.
The very encouraging point to take from this is that even though a liberal arts major may not be suitable for a highly technical STEM role such as biomedical or aeronautical engineering without extensive re-training, a graduate with that background can flourish in positions of leadership or entrepreneurship.
Liberal arts majors can also be invaluable in STEM-related roles like being a Product Manager, but it does help to gain some knowledge of the technical aspects of the product before moving into that position. A combination of liberal arts soft skills such as communication and a working knowledge of the STEM side can create a skills sweet-spot.
Keep in mind that some jobs will have educational requirements: undertaking a short course or gaining a certificate not only enables entry into a chosen STEM field but will also help you speak the same language as the technical colleagues that you will work alongside.
Use Your Liberal Arts Background to Land a STEM Job
Your liberal arts background should not be something you hide or downplay on your resume when applying for a STEM role.
Instead, regard it as your competitive advantage over the pure-STEM candidates applying for the job and be ready with an elevator pitch about how your transferrable skills (critical thinking, communication, creativity) will help take the STEM company to the next level of growth.
Source:
https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/why-your-liberal-arts-degree-could-make-you-a-great-fit-for-a-stem-career/?utm_content=featuredstory&linktype=readmore&channel=email&campaign_type=thomas_industry_update&campaign_name=tiu240805&utm_campaign=tiu240805&utm_medium=email&utm_source=thomas_industry_update&tinid=224620531