As a liberal arts student, you're already ahead of the career curve, because liberal arts grads have the skills employers are hungry for. These skills are foundational to career success: they keep you nimble—ready to evolve, adapt, and thrive in an ever-changing world.
"Obsolete" has no place in our vocabulary, because a liberal arts grad is always finding new ways to add value and make a meaningful impact on the world. So, follow your interests and choose to do what you love—knowing you'll have the skills to carry you through every boom, bust, and blip.
A degree that's designed to thrive
Pursue impactful experiences
The road to your dream career rarely goes in a straight line. The key is to discover what you love and make a plan to find a career that aligns with your values and interests. But, we can't plan for what we don't know—so, how do we learn what our values and interests even are?
The first step is to start getting experience! You'll develop self-knowledge about your likes, dislikes, and "must haves" for a career (and you'll acquire marketable skills, too).
What are these experiences?
How do you start to get experience if you've never had any before? Let's take a look as some potential opportunities available for students like you:
A job shadow offers the opportunity to spend time observing someone working in a field you find interesting. While you won't be doing hands-on work, you'll get a chance to preview the work and see what a day in the life of the career looks like.
An informational interview is an opportunity to ask a professional questions that lead to a conversation about the type of work they do. This is a good chance to learn about the tasks, duties, perks, and challenges of working in the field, as well as the path that leads to that particular career.
Service work is a chance to give back to your community while trying out a career, gaining meaningful experience, and developing skills. Learn more about the many service opportunities available to you right here in Bloomington and across the globe.
Joining a student organization allows you to expand your network while gaining meaningful experience. Many organizations offer leadership positions that allow you to expand your skills and add clout your resume, like treasurer or marketing chair. Even intramural sports are a great way to build connections! View the complete list of IU student organizations through BeInvolved.
A part-time job is a great way to gain experience while earning money. Even if your job doesn't exactly match up with your career interests, you may still be able to find opportunities to take on projects and responsibilities that better align with your goals after you've gained credibility with your supervisor. IU offers many part-time opportunities right here on campus, including resident assistants, orientation assistants, campus tour guides, and undergrad teachers assistants. Learn more about how to find the right part-time job.
Engaging in research with faculty is a great way to build skills sets that not only look good on a resume, but that will help you learn about the types of work that interest you. Learn more about the many research opportunities available to our students, which may include scholarships and grants.
The College of Arts and Sciences offers many opportunities for students interested in studying in another country. You can choose short-term or long-term experiences that allow you to practice another language, explore different cultures, and get a taste for international careers. Learn more at College International or the IU Office of Overseas Study.
Internships are formal opportunities to work with employers in a particular field. This is a great chance to build your network and get a real sense of whether you are interested in that kind of work. Learn more about the many internship opportunities available to our students.
Walter Center Success Network (WCSN) Projects are micro-internships led by alumni volunteers in the Walter Center Success Network. These short-term, high-level virtual projects allow students to gain meaningful experience and real connection in the fields that interest them most.
Parker Dewey micro-internships allow students from all majors to execute professional assignments, build and demonstrate skills, and explore a variety of career paths. Oh, did we forget to mention that you get paid for all of this?
When you're ready to take on a full-time position, the Walter Center team is here to help you research companies, find jobs, and help you apply for the position and ace the interview.
