By Julie FrenchThe Daily Northwestern

Josh Gregersen, Weinberg ’06, finally got serious about his job search during Winter Quarter of his senior year.

His friends, with majors in economics and engineering, had job offers in October, but Gregersen still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.

“I was very fearful that I wouldn’t have a job when I graduated,” he said. “I thought I could be happy in a bunch of different places, but I didn’t feel very directed.”

The job search for liberal arts majors often takes a different path than that of those who go into the corporate world, said Lonnie Dunlap, director of University Career Services, but there are jobs out there for people who major in everything from engineering to philosophy.

“One of the things that adds to that myth is that it often is harder to track where liberal arts graduates end up,” Dunlap said.

More than half of 2005 Weinberg graduates – 59 percent – had found employment by graduation, according to the most recent Career Services statistics. Sixteen percent were still seeking employment, while the rest went on to further education, volunteer work or military service. Weinberg statistics almost mirror the average for all undergraduate schools, with about 54 percent employed and about 17 percent still searching.

Because they have so many options, liberal arts majors need to focus on fields that really interest them, Dunlap said. Recent graduates also need to tailor their strategies based on the size of potential employers, she said. For smaller companies, students might hear of offerings through networking or word of mouth, she said, while larger companies are more likely to use online databases or attend career fairs, like the two that Career Services is hosting this week.

After he was rejected from Teach for America and decided he wasn’t well-qualified for a consulting job, Gregersen, who majored in history and completed an adjunct major in international studies, decided law would be a good fit and sought the advice of his adjunct legal studies professor, Bill Schiller. A month later, Gregersen received a job offer in the immigration law firm where Schiller was a partner.

“Law is a good outlet for liberal arts majors because it’s writing- and detail-focused,” Gregersen said.

He said he does not intend to have a career in immigration law, but his job as a legal assistant is a good way to expand his liberal arts training and is a potential stepping stone for law school, graduate school and future jobs.

“So many times, people are hung up on that first job, but if you have a liberal arts background, you have a strong preparation for a lifelong career,” Dunlap said.

Liberal arts skills such as critical thinking, writing, research, communication skills and professional presence are valuable to every employer and more specific skills can often be picked up on the job, she said.

“Our employers come (to NU) because we are liberal arts,” she said. “Very rarely are they looking for a specific major.”

Teaching, consulting, communications and finance were the most popular fields for 2005 NU graduates, according to a Career Services survey, though specific data for Weinberg graduates was not available.

Students also can make themselves more attractive to employers through hands-on experiences such as internships, research and study abroad, she said.

Julie Gamble, Weinberg ’06, developed an interest in HIV advocacy through her coursework in history and gender studies, but she sees that only as a starting point.

“I think you have to do things outside of class,” she said. Gamble said the advocacy work she did at NU, along with her liberal arts background, prepared her for her job at the National Minority AIDS Council in Washington, D.C.

“When you’re pre-professionally focused, that limits you in your scope in really seeing what’s out there,” she said. “I think it’s more important as an undergraduate to study what you’re interested in and not what’s going to be your career.”

Once you do have to find a job, though, Gamble says it’s important not to set your sights too high.

“You’re not going to get your dream job,” she said, “but it’s important to write down your list of wants and expectations.” Like Gregersen, she sees her first job as only the first step in a career.

“All liberal arts students have to come to grips with the fact that when they graduate, they’re going to have to find a line of work,” said Weinberg Assistant Dean Richard Weimer. But that does not mean there aren’t jobs available or that a liberal arts major is a waste of time, he said.

Reach Julie French at [email protected].