Many humanities graduates become professional chameleons of sorts. We leave university with these highly developed critical thinking and communication skills ...
What did you find beneficial about your program at McMaster?
Aside from the critical thinking, writing, analysis, research, and diplomacy skills, the most significant benefit gained from studying the humanities at McMaster is undoubtedly the people. The history department in particular has some of the most passionate, kind, and dedicated faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students. While I certainly learned a lot academically from them, I learned so much more personally. Some of the best parts of my time at McMaster have very little bearing on my day to day job but everything to do with who I am while I do it.
What advice would you give to a current student who is thinking about career options?
Approach every aspect of your university experience as an opportunity for growth. The skills and experiences you gain will make you an asset to any business or government agency, even if they aren’t obvious to future employers. Practice explaining why critical thinking, writing, analysis, research, and diplomacy skills are vital to the success of any business. Practice explaining how participating in or facilitating seminars taught you about public speaking. In my experience, working with people and working with the public is more or less a combination of critical thinking, public speaking, and education.
In your opinion, what is the value of a Humanities degree?
Learning for the sake of learning is a beautiful, wonderful thing. For most of us, however, our degrees are a very expensive investment that we need to see concrete returns on, and the value of a degree in the humanities is not always apparent. I think this is in part because folks tend to think of the discipline you study as “what you do” since they often think of the popular professions you intentionally study. For example, you study to become a lawyer and you practice law. You train to become to become a welder and you weld. Humanities degrees aren’t always that linear. Many humanities graduates become professional chameleons of sorts. We leave university with these highly developed critical thinking and communication skills and can apply them to any number of industries. Never underestimate the value of the writing, analysis, research, and diplomacy skills that a degree in the humanities gives you. You have a holistic view on things that others with highly specialized degrees may not have. Because I work with engineers, I see the value of my humanities degree every day. My colleagues provide their highly technical knowledge and I provide my communications expertise. Together, we develop reports, proposals, and other documents that are accessible to both technical and non-technical folks. We make a great team!
