Humanities Students: How We Can Help You!

"Winged Victory of Samothrace,"
marble, c. 200-190 BCE (Louvre, Paris)

As a fellow Humanities student I am excited to inform you all of the vast amount of resources available in Career Services for students in our faculty. Our faculty contains a wide range of subjects including various programs in Histories, Literature, and Culture. Skills developed by Humanities students include excellent written and oral communication skills as well as a strong ability to conduct intensive research and a general understanding of subjects ranging from philosophy, politics and history to literature, languages, and art. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of our programs we have the option of specializing specifically in our individual fields through graduate studies or branching out and finding careers in business and government organizations. We are unique because we are adaptable! Our transferable skills allow us to blend into many different types of work environments with ease - the sky's the limit!

So what do we have available for Humanities students in the Career Centre?

What Can You do With Your Degree?: Our number one resource that I recommend for all Humanities students is our Degree Exploration Guides (DEGs). Each program has their own DEG which lists Career Options, Professional Associations, and Job Search websites as well as other information pertaining to what students can do with their degrees after they have graduated from Brock. To find a copy of your program's degree exploration guide check out our website here and if you would like a hard copy of your DEG stop by the resource center! We are currently in the process of updating and expanding on the information found within our  DEGs so be sure to check back in September once the new versions are available to students!

Constructing Your Resume: A new resource that we have available for students is our Resume Samples for Humanities Programs binder. This binder contains resume samples that are specific to the various programs within the Faculty of Humanities. You can view the hard copy of the binder in the Career Resource Center or you can view the resume samples online on Career Zone under the 'Resume Samples' tab.

Books, Books, Books!: If you are a lover of books (which, as a Humanities student, you probably are!) then you should consider stopping by the Career Resource Centre to check out our wide range of career search books directly related to students within the faculty of humanities. Books available in our centre include:

• The Successful Artist's Career Guide
• The Music Industry Handbook
• So, You Want to Be a Lawyer, Eh? Law School in Canada
• How to Get a Job with Any Major
• Great Jobs For: English Majors, History Majors, Liberal Arts Majors, Theater Majors
• Opportunities in: Cartooning and Animation Careers, Foreign Language Careers, Interiors Design and Decorating Careers, Museum Careers, Music Careers, Speech-Language Pathology Careers, Visual Arts Careers 

Also available is our Careers in Video Games binder which is targeted towards all students in Humanities who wish to pursue a career as a programmer, artist, or writer in the video game industry. All of these resources can be used within our centre and the learning commons so be sure to stop buy and check them out!

Royal Ontario Museum,
Toronto, ON

Where Can You Work?: As a Humanities student, pretty much anywhere! Some excellent employment opportunities may include working for a museum or art gallery such as the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario - both located nearby in Toronto! Other opportunities for Humanities students include working for the Government of Canada, magazines such as Canadian and National Geographic, video game companies such as BioWare, and even Disney! As I said before, we are flooded with exciting and unique opportunities for our degrees - it's all about how we market ourselves to the world.

Some positions will require some sort of graduate studies whether it's a post-graduate certificate or a Masters/PhD. For more information regarding graduate studies check out Canadian University's website for a listing of various Masters and PhD programs.

What Can You Do Right Now?: Explore your interests, get involved, and ask questions of anyone you encounter who is working for a company or in a position you might be interested in! Your degree is extremely valuable and can open doors to discovery, adventure, and an endless amount of knowledge. Get to know your skills and learn how to market yourself to your ideal employer. Talk to your professors and TAs and establish connections with any other professionals your encounter.

Good luck! Feel free to stop by the Career Resource Centre in the Learning Commons if you have any questions about what to do with your degree, resumes, or any job search related inquiries. If you are currently living away from the campus you can email us at career@brocku.ca. Our summer hours at 9 - 4 Monday to Friday. I hope to see you soon!
 
Ashley Paolozzi
Lead Career Assistant
4th Year History of Art and Visual Culture (Honours)