So You Want My Job?: The Power of a Social Science Degree

Last night the Career Center, in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences, UO Libraries and the UO Alumni Association, presented “So You Want My Job?” a panel discussion featuring recent UO grads from Social Science majors.  

Larry Singell, associate dean of Social Sciences, provided introductory remarks focused on illuminating the skill development and collateral learning that comes with pursuing a degree in the Social Sciences. He expanded on how valuable the knowledge students develop at University of Oregon is to potential employers. Students from Social Science majors graduate with the ability to think analytically and creatively, synthesize information, deal effectively with ambiguity, and to research and retrieve information.

The program then focused on a question and answer period with our panelists mediated by Deb Chereck, director of the Career Center. Our panelists included:

• Shawn Halsey (2001, Political Science), emergency management communications coordinator, Umatilla County
• Amy Lodholz (2005, Environmental Studies), event and volunteer coordinator, A.C. Newberg Area Habitat for Humanity
• Jennifer Matteson (1992, International Studies), course developer, Xerox
• Carmen Rubio (1999, Political Science), executive director, Latino Network

Despite being from a variety of types of organizations, the panelists all had some similar advice to share with students:

Get involved. Take advantage of the opportunities available to you here at University of Oregon outside of the classroom. Join a group, pursue a leadership position, work with a professor. Discover what you’re passionate about.

Volunteer. It’s a great way to build up your resume and test out different interest areas and you’ll meet lots of new people. The UO’s Service Learning Program is a great place to learn about volunteer opportunities available to students

Network. Whether it’s someone you volunteer or internship with, friends, family or a new connection you’ve met for an informational interview, people are almost always excited and willing to help someone else succeed. The Career Center can help you become comfortable with networking etiquette and has some great networking events coming up including The Art of Conversation and the Fall Career Fair.

Identify your strengths. As Larry Singell pointed out in his introduction, successful people aren’t ususally the best at one thing. Most often, they are in the top twenty-five percent of a few different skill areas. The Career Center can help you discover where your strengths lie and get you ready to express those strengths to potential employers.

“So You Want My Job?” was an inspiring presentation and hopefully put at ease some of the anxieties that students are feeling about entering the job market. A Liberal Arts degree really does prepare you for the world of work and the Career Center can help you learn to express your passions and skills to potential employers.

Don’t worry if you weren’t able to attend last night. We will present a “So You Want My Job?” both Winter (Thursday, February 11, 2010 focused on Science majors) and Spring (Tuesday, May 4, 2010 focused on Humanities majors) terms too. We look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events or in the Career Center office (220 Hendricks Hall) sometime soon.