The American Studies Program held a special event teaching students how to begin preparing now for their careers.
PROVO, Utah (September 22, 2015)—No matter what you choose to study, life after graduation can be daunting, especially when there’s no traditional career path to follow. To assist its students in planning and then blazing their own trails, the American Studies program hosted a special event focused on preparing for employment.
Professors Jill Rudy, Jamin Rowan and Kristin Matthews, as well as assistant dean Dave Waddell and American Studies student Bryce Nobles (already employed at Qualtrics) shared advice and personal experience in career preparation. The career options available to American Studies students are many and varied; students only need to recognize this and learn early on how to apply their skills to the one that interests them most.
Each speaker stressed the importance of self-marketing (being able to communicate your worth to employers and contacts), networking (connecting with people in your desired field) and experience (internships, faculty research, etc.). Rowan especially emphasized that the major will hold benefits in personal spheres as well as professional.
“Translate the skills you have developed in the classroom to other settings, whether they have to do with employment or settings in the community, settings in the Church, settings in your home,” Rowan said. “It’s all about figuring out how your skills translate to those other environments, and then narrating – being able to explain – the value of your skills to those different constituencies, whether it’s an employer, mayor, presidency, calling or spouse.”
For more information on career planning, visit the Humanities Advisement and Careers Center website.
—Samuel Wright (B.A. American Studies ’16)
