Panel Validates Liberal Arts Students, Offers Career Advice

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

For liberal arts students, both at Fordham and elsewhere, one of the most stressful parts of college can be figuring out how to translate skills learned in the classroom to real life. Such is the growing demand for real-world skills in colleges that, according to a New York Times article, many small liberal arts colleges are even considering moving away from their arts curriculums and shifting their focus “from a high-minded, education-for-its-own-sake approach to a more down-to-earth, job-oriented curriculum.”

Luckily for liberal arts students, however, jobs related to liberal arts majors do exist; it is just a matter of finding them. That is where events like “Internship Smarts for Liberal Arts: The Interview!” come in. Held Oct. 30 in Lincoln Center’s South Lounge, the event was a panel featuring representatives with various degrees of experience in liberal arts.

Kate Fields, associate director for Marketing and Student Engagement at both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center, said that major-oriented panels are among the most common events held by Career Services, because they offer students the specific information and relevant advice that they often need to pursue internships and ultimately, careers. “[Our goal is] connecting students to various companies that have cool internships,” Fields said.

A variety of people, including Rose Hill and Lincoln Center students, as well as alumni, attended the event for career advice.

“I was hoping to learn more about the types of questions employers ask liberal arts students during interviews and the best ways to answer them,”  said Jacqueline Gill, FCRH ’16.

The panelists were Lauren Bloch, a college recruiter from AOL, Shivani Amin, campus recruiting manager at JetBlue, Jenna LaMagna, FCRH ’15, who had a summer internship at New York 1 News, and Martin Pagels, FCLC ’15, a current intern at Madison Square Garden. Ashley Polynese, FCLC ’14, moderated.

The panelists all stressed the importance of taking skills from the liberal arts into the workplace. LaMagna noted that her internship experience had taught her that a degree in liberal arts is the foundation for any real world experience. Basic skills like writing, she said, are vital in the workplace and can be honed in majors like English and communications.

The rest of the panelists agreed. Amin added that one of the most important parts of any internship or job is simply being interested and committed.

“Speaking from a recruiters’ perspective, we are really looking for passionate people,” she said. “If you are passionate…we want you.”

The panelists also agreed that internships are invaluable tools for college students preparing to enter the workforce, and said that the skills learned in an internship setting are an important addition to those learned in the classroom.

“[It is important to] choose the internship that’s right for you,” Bloch said. “You want a place that both needs and wants you.”

That place does not necessarily have to be within a student’s major to be an important experience. According to Bloch, what you do with your education is ultimately more important than what specific classes you take.

“Having a major that isn’t exactly what you’re jumping into doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t jump into it,” LaMagna said.

Amin pointed out that a large variety of internships can be beneficial in the long run, as they offer students a wider range of experiences.

“It’s okay to explore, that [is] what college is for,” she said.

The panelists also discussed what technical skills liberal arts students need in order to succeed in the workplace. Different jobs often require different skills, but the panelists named Photoshop, FinalCut Pro, WordPress, Excel and PowerPoint among the programs liberal arts majors should be familiar with.

The speakers also touched on the topic of handling interviews. Amin and Bloch both conduct interviews with potential interns as part of their jobs, and they provided some insight into what recruiters often look for in interviews.

The panelists agreed that one of the hardest questions recruiters ask is the tricky “what is your biggest flaw” question. Bloch recommended answering by naming a flaw that can be spun in a positive way, such as “I triple check my work.” This “flaw” might be an issue because it means your work might be a little slower, but it also shows dedication and thoroughness, both very positive traits.

Amin suggested naming a flaw that is not relevant to the job, such as weak public speaking skills in a job that will not require you to give speeches.

They also advised that interviewees thoroughly research the companies to which they are applying so that they will be able to ask educated and insightful questions, and that they should always try to steer clear of any subjects that could be controversial, touchy or too personal.

Finally, both agreed that a little friendliness goes a long way in ultimately getting hired.

Both interviewers, as well as both interns on the panel, said that sending a thank you email, note or even a tweet is a small gesture that can make a very positive impression.

“I like it, it shows your passion,” Amin said.

“I’m not going to lie, I see so many [applicants] that it’s hard to always remember specifics,” Bloch said. “But I always remember a thank you note.”