Book Review: "You Can Do Anything: The Surprising Power of a 'Useless' Liberal Arts Edu
I hope this post provides some vindication for fellow liberal arts graduates who have been asked to justify their college major a few too many times.
You know the refrain: "What is a major in Philosophy going to do for you in a 21st century economy?" With sky-high tuition and the specter of student debt to consider, majoring in a discipline like philosophy, literature, or history can seem irresponsible, if not foolish.
Pick a STEM major instead and let your technical skills prepare you for the tech-driven economy of the future. So we're told.
Within the pages of George Anders' You Can Do Anything: The Surprising Power of a "Useless" Liberal Arts Education, however, are numerous examples of successful graduates whose liberal arts education has uniquely equipped them to work at the intersection of humanism and technology—an area especially ripe for job creation as employers in technical fields search for people who "can bring a humanist's grace to our rapidly evolving high-tech future."
In other words, technology is great, but as Anders points out, it's empty without people to "coax, confide, persuade, debate, teach, agree, rebel, and interact."
If those verbs look familiar it's because they are pseudonyms of the oft-cited "soft skills" cultivated during a liberal arts education: skills like critical thinking, effective communication, and empathy.
It was particularly exciting to see Anders reference the work of career counselors and advisors who serve an important role in helping graduates translate these skills, too often dismissed as academic jargon, into an attractive story of someone prepared to tackle contemporary problems with depth, creativity, and gusto that isn't always easy to find.
Market research, genetic counseling, and social media management, are just some of the emerging job fields Anders points to as evidence of technology benefiting from human capital. Take heart.
Also encouraging was mention of consulting and financial firms, start-ups, and marketing companies that routinely interview and hire liberal arts graduates. The ability to tell a story, communicate abstract ideas, and learn on the fly, were referenced as reasons why companies like MorningStar, Qualtrics, and OpenTable continue to seek candidates from liberal arts backgrounds.
Anders doesn't ignore the challenges. Labor statistics suggest liberal arts majors should be prepared to earn less early in their careers. But stay on long enough to learn and adapt to industry needs and it's not uncommon for the annual salary of a philosophy graduate to outpace an accountant.
The final chapters of the book include practical tips for job candidates needing to craft their story, as well as advice for increasing earning potential and growing a professional network. Cover to cover, Anders provides a useful resource for the career services professional and anxious graduate alike. Pore over a few chapters and you'll start to recognize your liberal arts degree is more useful than you thought.
