Career Options

"So... what can I do with this degree?" ...including How to Improve Your Future Employability

People know that it is advantageous to have a bachelor's degree; they frequently see employment ads that require one. They know that most successful people who are doing interesting work seem to have a college education. What they don't know is what exactly do you learn in college? As they attend courses in International Interactions, Family Violence, or Gender, Ethnicity, Class and the Media, students are engaged and stimulated—but often, in the back of their minds, is the gnawing feeling that they are not learning anything that will help them get and keep a "real" job.

Or are they? Between that first class and day you walk down the aisle at graduation, something takes place. What is it? To answer that question, career advisers will tell you to list what you do in class and for your homework-a lot of reading, memorizing, researching, writing papers, and speaking. Many people look at that and say, "All I'm qualified for is to continue on with school, or maybe work as a librarian or a film critic or open a bookstore."

But try putting it in a different kind of language-the language that the business world uses. A lot of reading becomes-synthesizing information, condensing information, turning it into useful bites. Memorizing becomes proficiency with concepts and knowledge of details. Research skills boil down to knowing where to find the answers, a facility with search engines, detection skills. Writing papers is the most powerful one of all-ability to clearly communicate with peers, supervisors and the general public. You have done big writing projects and handed them in on time-that is project management. Speaking is an asset in a business meeting, where making a presentation is going to come more easily to you, having done it in college. You have worked with others on group presentations-that is teamwork.

You will:

• Brainstorm, plan, organize, execute, and monitor team projects on a sophisticated level using the latest computer resources.
• Know where to look for up-to-date information and how to keep track of your work and others'.
• Give interesting presentations that deliver appropriate amounts of information to your audience.
• Figure out solutions to problems using available resources and networking abilities.

Pretty impressive.

Or is it? Obviously, not everyone who graduates from college has an equal degree of these skills. That is where you come in. You may have thought it was just going to happen like magic once you paid your tuition bill, but it does not work like that. Your education (and the rest of your life) is for the most part up to you.

The Do List

• Do your best work, not just enough to get by. See how good you really are. Do an extra edit, another version. Read the chapter again to see what you may have missed.
• Speak up in class, get used to explaining your ideas to others.
• Investigate, then do some independent study - including internships. This experience really can help when looking for work. It proves you have initiative and some practical experience.
• Work on skills you do not have yet (math, writing, speaking). Utilize the Teaching and Learning Center for the tutoring help.
• Talk to your adviser about career possibilities.
• Visit the Career Center-get acquainted with the resources and assessment tools they offer.
• Visit with friendly UWT alum who have jobs you might be interested in. The Career Center can help you find them.
• Take a workshop on translating your academic skills into job skills.

The Do Not List

• Do not take a class because it is "easy". Memorable experiences usually do not happen in classes you are trying to "skate" by in.
• Do not fall into a trap of taking courses just because your concentration requires them. Make sure you are studying what you want. It is only then you are going to do your best work.
• Do not take too many classes-schedule for the number of credits you can handle. While we want you to be challenged, we do not mean overwhelmed. No one can look back on that kind of quarter with any pride of accomplishment.
• Do not measure yourself by others. What you are trying to do is come up with a plan for your life-it will not be a successful plan if you are not realistic about your limitations as well as your strengths.

We are here to help you envision your future. Everyone will take a different path, but we are convinced that the UWT experience will not only give you the tools you need for a satisfying career, but will make your life an interesting one.

Note: More detailed career options are listed in the overview of each concentration.

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