There are more than 7 million humanities graduates in the U.S. workforce, in every occupation.
As Jenna Finfrock, Manager of Alumni and Donor Affairs, has connected and cultivated relationships with College of Humanities alumni over the last decade, she's heard time and time again about how their humanities stills have given them a unique advantage on the job market.
In 2019, the College launched its Love Your Future event, a multifaceted career readiness workshop that brings alumni and students together to discuss how to translate a humanities education into a real-life career. And that’s just one component of this event, which invites current humanities students and recent graduates.
"We all know that humanities students are passionate about their studies. But they’re also gaining the most in-demand skills on the global job market. Love Your Future helps students learn how they can best articulate those skills on cover letters and during interviews," Finfrock said.
Experts like Stephanie Springer and Brittney Crawford from the Department of Public and Applied Humanities have presented on strategies for internship and job searches, including how to interview. Alumna Jessie Bustamante, Chief Advancement Officer for ACCEL, has presented on the secret value of networking. Alumna Dolores Durán-Cerda, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at Pima Community College, has presented on how to make a difference in the community with a humanities degree. Andrea Holm, Director of the Writing Skills Improvement Program, has demonstrated best practices in resumes and cover letters. And the College is archiving all those resources to offer to new students, year after year.
"By designing a humanities-specific series of career-oriented presentations and workshops, we’re giving our students additional support at crucial moments in their educational journeys. And we’re connecting them to the best resources we know – fellow College of Humanities alumni who’ve been there and done that," Finfrock said.
This year’s event will take place on March 21. Email jfinfrock@arizona.edu for more information.