According to Rosalind Hoffa, director of the Career Center, graduate school admissions officers and employers making hiring decisions typically focus on the versatility and diversity of a liberal arts education, rather than a student's specific area of study.
Hoffa said that being a double major will not be of great help when seeking employment. "Double majoring to most employers is not important," she said. "It is more important for the student to have more than one interest, to develop knowledge and depth."
Rather than taking classes in order to meet the requirements for a second major, Hoffa suggests that students only take classes they find interesting.
Hoffa believes that many skills learned with a liberal arts education attract employers to graduates of the College. "There is an assumption that people will learn on the job and the other skills you have learned though your education and time [at the College] will help you do well in the professional world," she said.
"Amherst is a liberal arts college, not a school for professional training," Professor of Fine Arts and American Studies Carol Clark said. "Students learn among many other things to think broadly about a wide range of topics, to reason, to experiment, to write persuasively, and ... to look with care and intensity."
Some students do, however, choose majors with at least some degree of concern regarding their career. "I'm [an] American Studies [major]," said Lauren Sozio '04. "I picked it because it would embody what I plan to go into, which is journalism, and it has a varied focus-I've been able to take classes on a lot of different topics."
Sarah Bergman '04, an anthropology major, plans to incorporate her field of study into her future career, though she is not sure of her plans yet. "I had thought about doing anthropology before I came to school-as a mode of looking at the world–and also because there are possibilities for things when I get out of school."
If a student were to take several classes in one field of study, rather than double majoring, he or she would likely still impress a future employer with the evidence of focus. "When you present your skills to an employer, you can do that in so many ways without necessarily having the second major," said Hoffa. "You can say 'concentration' or 'additional emphasis' to describe the many classes you have taken in a specific subject."
Hoffa encourages students in the process of choosing a major to select a field of study in which they are interested, rather than a major that is directly related to their future plans. "A recommendation we always make is to choose something that you are interested in and that you will do well in, and employers are interested in that," she said. "In general, what employers want to see in a major is that there is a concentration of knowledge and learning."
Professor of French and European Studies Ronald Rosbottom said majors don't have that much of an impact in the end. "Majors don't really determine a young person's professional life. It's the serendipitous coincidence of living in the right place, meeting someone at the right time, and liking what you do when you do get the first job you like."
Professor of Philosophy Thomas Kearns believes that a liberal arts major can provide students with endless career opportunities. "[Philosophy] is great preparation for the study of law ... many of our graduates have gone on to
impressive careers in business, investment banking and government service," he said regarding the past paths philosophy majors have taken.
Kristen Raverta '06, a double major in economics and psychology, is not only interested in both subjects, but thought they would both be applicable to her future plans. "I think that I want to go into management. There are not any management classes offered here, but I thought that psych would incorporate the human aspect and economics would help with the business side," she said.
Another consideration for students is the flexibility the major affords. Jacob Heim '04 chose math with this in mind. "The reason I chose a math major was because of the flexibility it afforded me [in employment]," said Jacob Heim '04. "I couldn't pick ... [any other] major that I really wanted to commit myself to." When asked about his post-graduation plans, Heim said, "I'm [currently] looking for a job that requires liberal arts skills and quantitative reasoning."
Andrew Gillette '04, another mathematics major, said he chose it because he enjoys math. "[I] was pretty sure [I] ... wanted to be a science major, but [I] ... liked math, academically, more." Gillette is currently applying to graduate school in mathematics.
Hoffa does note, however, that certain occupations do require specific majors or courses. "For certain positions and fields, employers do look for a specific major. For example, a position as an economic researcher will entail an economics degree," she explained.
"Where it becomes important [to have a certain major] is if you are interested in pursuing the field of study itself. If you want to be an English teacher in a public school, you should probably be an English major," said Hoffa.
Hoffa added that to apply to medical school, students need to complete the pre-med requirements, but do not necessarily have to major in a science.
Employers, rather than placing primary consideration on the major, are interested in the composite of a student's performance and involvement both in and out of the classroom. "There are many skills that employers look for that can be learned and demonstrated through the student's extracurricular [activities]," Hoffa said. "One of the key skills employers look for is the ability to write well."
Kearns agreed. "Part and parcel to the study of philosophy is a relentless emphasis on logical precision and clear, careful writing," he said.
Hoffa encouraged students to take advantage of the many opportunities that they have both at the College and in the job world to learn about different types of jobs. "What I would say to any student is to get a handle on what you like to do and what you are good at," she said.
Hoffa said she thinks that utilizing summer vacation to explore the business world is the best way to narrow or define a student's interests. "Use your summers wisely and well," she said. "They are a good time to assess the field and your compatibility with that field."
Hoffa's most important piece of advice for students looking for summer internship and jobs: "It's never too late to get started."