Why Hire Students from a Liberal Arts College?
Written by Natalie K. Kent
Since 1990, jobs in STEM have seen an unprecedented 79 percent growth, totaling in 17.3 million occupations in 2018. Yet it may surprise you to learn that a survey of CEOs from the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that 74 percent of employers preferred liberal arts majors to create a more dynamic work environment. Two employment recruiters from Goldman Sachs recently noted, “[When hiring, it is important] for us to have people who are good communicators and who can distill complex information into understandable terms, and we’ve found that this is a strength for many liberal arts majors.”
So what are the liberal arts? And why is this method of study so hotly debated?
At Hillsdale College the liberal arts are not just menial classes students are required to take to graduate. There is a specific core curriculum for all majors that is designed to introduce students to inescapably relevant ideas.
Some educators believe that educating a person is like filling a cup with water; information needs to be disseminated into the individual until they are “full” (i.e., until that student has passed all of her classes and earned her degree). Hillsdale takes a different approach. We believe that there are certain universal truths and that discovering them is an extremely difficult and academically rigorous pursuit—one in which students must learn to think critically and logically, challenge their own perspectives and biases, and employ this process to every area of their lives. You’ll find that students at Hillsdale love the journey. They simply love learning.
Simply put, Hillsdale College teaches students how to think but not what to think. Our students are uniquely qualified by merit of their rigorous academic curriculum to examine any given issue from multiple perspectives and formulate a well-reasoned, persuasive point of view. An ability to approach problem solving in this way, we believe, is extremely difficult to find. Combine this with a strong emphasis on moral character, and Hillsdale students represent the best of the best academically and ethically. According to the Princeton Review, in 2018 Hillsdale College students outranked top universities including Stanford, Duke, and Yale academically .
It’s easy to see why Christine Nishinaga, an account executive at Yelp and Hillsdale alumna, when discussing how her educational background is perceived professionally, stated, “My team knows that they can count on me to fight until the end on every deal. ‘Strength rejoices in the challenge’ [Hillsdale College’s motto] means to never settle for mediocrity.”
So, why hire a Hillsdale College student? Simple. Their education prepares them to be a lifelong learner. They are better equipped than most to take on new and challenging ideas in an ever-developing marketplace, synthesize that information, and rise to meet the occasion.
If you are interested in recruiting Hillsdale College students to fill your internship and full-time opportunities, reach out to Ken Koopmans in Career Services at [email protected]. #HireHillsdale
Natalie K. Kent is a native of Maui, Hawai’i and six-year resident of Ave Maria, Florida, Natalie has always enjoyed the tropical climate and beauty around her. However, this Fall she traded palm trees for parkas to begin her freshman year at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, MI.
This summer, Natalie jumped at the opportunity to work as an intern with Hillsdale’s Career Services Team. She is thankful for the chance to explore her career interests, while also getting to know Hillsdale College and it’s impeccable staff in a unique and personal way.
Published in October 2018