Philosophy
Religious Studies
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Career opportunities and career planning for philosophy majors
"Wanted: Undergraduate Philosophy majors!"
While you're not likely to find this headline in the classifieds
section of your local newspaper, philosophy graduates find work
in a variety of fields, and they have unique skills that can make
them attractive to prospective employers. Click on the links below
for more information.
What sorts of skills will I gain as a Philosophy major?
Apart from the general training they will receive as liberal arts majors
(broad intellectual background, computer skills, etc.), philosophy majors
will also develop a set of very general skills in thinking and communication
that set them apart from most other liberal arts majors. These include:
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Logic and critical reasoning
A philosopher is, etymologically, a "lover of wisdom"
["philia" = love; "sophia" = wisdom], but
what makes philosophy distinctive as a discipline is its emphasis
on the role of logic and argumentation as a method for uncovering
truth. Philosophy students are taught to follow chains of reasoning,
spot bad arguments, and construct good ones. They are trained
to analyze problems, propose solutions, and then to evaluate and
adjudicate the competing solution
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Conceptual thinking
Philosophy students are taught to think at a high level of abstraction;
they are trained to "see the big picture", and discern
how facts about specific cases relate to general concepts and
principles. Further, philosophy students are encouraged to become
creative and imaginative thinkers.
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Communication skills
Liberal arts majors (ideally) have good writing skills, but there
is a difference between writing that is rhetorically well-structured
and stylish, and writing that accurately and effectively communicates
the content of one's thoughts, or the thoughts of others. Philosophical
writing places a higher premium on clarity and precision than
one finds in most other liberal arts disciplines.
Note: These skills are relatively rare among job candidates, and
are very much in demand in non-academic work environments. Unlike
many technical skills that may be very job-specific and that may
soon become obsolete, these skills and abilities are applicable
and necessary to virtually any career. Louis Gerstner, CEO of
IBM, states that "we can teach [employees] what they need
to run a machine or develop a marketing plan … What is killing
us is having to teach them to read, compute, … and to think."
The trick is how to advertise these skills to prospective employers.
How do I write a resume that emphasizes
my skills?
The special challenge facing the philosophy graduate is marketing
the valuable skills they have acquired. This is the function of your
resume, which is your primary advertising tool. In it you are marketing
your special skills, work and educational experience, and desire to
work.
However, it's nearly impossible to just "dash off" an effective
resume. Resume writing is both an art and a science, so here's your
first and most important piece of advice: GET PROFESSIONAL HELP. The
ISU Career Services center is the place to go. They have valuable
on-line information on resume writing, and they will give you personal
feedback and guidance in writing your resume.
(Don't think you need help with your resume? Do you know what "action
verbs" are, why they're important, and how to use them in resume
writing? No? Well someone else competing for your dream job does….).
Click
HERE to go to Student Services section of the LAS Career Services
web site for resume information.
I want to get a job where I can continue
to think and write philosophically about issues I care about. How
do I find a job like that?
There are more options than you might think. Much depends on personal
preferences and willingness to learn additional skills or acquire
additional training. On the other hand, jobs like this won't often
come "ready made"; thus, much also depends on your willingness
to work to CREATE the kind of position that fulfills your particular
intellectual needs and value commitments. But as a start, you might
consider the following:
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Business
There are for-profit businesses that are "progressive",
in the sense that they are partly motivated by a commitment to
social, political or humanitarian causes, and not exclusively
by the "bottom line". You may need to do some shopping
to find them. See www.greenbiz.com/
and www.ethicalexchange.co.uk/
for examples.
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Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit organizations are ideologically motivated, and they
have at least some, and sometimes many, paid employees. One of
the best internet resources on job opportunities in nonprofit
organizations is www.idealist.org/.
This site has links to organizations and job opportunities all
around the world.
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Politics
You might consider running for a municipal, regional or state
office. If being in the public eye is not to your liking, you
might prefer working behind the scenes as a speechwriter or consultant
for a candidate or organization that you support.
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Law
You don't have to sell your soul to become a lawyer. You can specialize
in areas of law that reflect your personal values, and a background
in philosophy may be a great benefit in researching and developing
arguments for causes that you believe in.
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Education
There is a growing movement aimed at bringing philosophy into
the lives of children and the young, and philosophy courses are
becoming more common in public school programs across the U.S.
You might consider developing curriculum materials for such courses,
or pursue teaching certification with the aim of teaching philosophy
or related courses (politics, history, etc.) at the junior high
or high school level.
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Writing/Editing/Journalism
You might consider working as an editor for a publishing company
that specializes in titles within your sphere of interest and
expertise. If writing is your passion, consider working for a
magazine or newspaper. Consider both print and electronic media.
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Religion/Ministry
How about becoming a minister, priest, or rabbi (this will usually
require appropriate seminary training)? Or you might consider
a staff position within a religious organization.
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Philosophical Practice
You may have read news or magazine reports about this growing
movement ("Take Two Plato's and Call Me in the Morning").
Philosophical practitioners use their philosophical training to
educate and help people with real-world problems and concerns.
Philosophical counselors function like personal therapists, helping
clients deal with psychological and intellectual issues through
rational reflection and discussion. Philosophical facilitators
meet with the public and moderate philosophical discussions in
bookstores, cafes, libraries and shopping malls. Philosophical
consultants work with organizations of all kinds – whether as
medical ethicists in hospitals, as code builders for professional
associations, as ethos enhancers for businesses and institutions,
or as ethics compliance consultants in the corporate world. For
more information on this interesting (and controversial!) option,
including training and certification, check out the web site of
the American Philosophical Practitioners
Association. Note: people interested in this line of work
will usually require either an M.A. or Ph.D. in philosophy.
All I want to do is get a job that pays
a living wage after I graduate. What are my options?
There are plenty of companies that are willing to hire and
train hard-working, motivated, humanities majors for management positions.
The professionals at the LAS
Career Services are the ones to see about pursuing such jobs.
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