As spring semester moves forward and summer creeps closer, students begin to look beyond the next assignment on their to-do list; whether post-graduation job searching or seeking a summer internship, the question of “what’s next?” feels increasingly present. For many humanities students, this season also revives a familiar, dreaded question from skeptical — albeit often well-intended — friends, family, and acquaintances: what are you going to do with that degree when you graduate?  

The Ohio State University’s Departments of English, History, Linguistics, and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies aim to address this uncertainty with their first ever Humanities Career Exploration Fair on March 5 in the Great Hall Meeting Room, Ohio Union, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair is designed for humanities students and recent graduates to connect with local employers, learn what organizations look for when hiring, ask questions about the best skills to highlight on a resume or what cocurricular experiences are most valuable, and more.  

Elizabeth Falter, undergraduate studies program manager for the English department, notes that even though “coursework in the humanities helps students develop skills that are useful and in-demand in the work world,” it can sometimes be challenging to translate those skills: "our majors don’t sound like job titles, so a major in the humanities doesn’t always point to a specific career path.” A career fair specifically focused on the humanities provides a unique opportunity for these students to work on bridging that gap in translation and “learn firsthand how the work they’re doing in their classes is valuable in a wide range of fields,” Falter explains.  

The importance of a humanities‑focused career fair is echoed by Meg Brown, director of children’s education at Thurber House, one of the organizations attending the fair. Brown emphasizes that a humanities degree “gives a breadth of understanding about the greater world and is something that we will always need and should celebrate,” noting that employees benefit from having deep thinkers who will help identify and solve problems. “The fact that there is a career fair highlighting and celebrating what you can do with these incredible degrees makes me endlessly happy as it is a field that is so necessary and yet often overlooked,” reflects Brown. Steven Andersson, a docent for Thurber House and instructor of humanities at Columbus State, notes that humanities students “learn to appreciate and articulate nuance” and “develop their critical reading and writing skills,” all useful skills for the workforce. “It's nice to see humanities get that attention, and that people realize they have great value,” Andersson adds.  

Lillian Felkner, a current Ohio State English student, is excited to attend a career fair catered specifically toward her degree and skills. She explains: “A lot of the times I've gone to career fairs at the Union before and it's like, wow, this is a law firm that doesn't want me, or this is a company that's trying to [manage] sewage and I have nothing to give to this.” Felkner is particularly interested in talking to the University Libraries, as it aligns with her desire to work in academia, do research, and “have access to EBSCOhost and our library stuff without having to pay hundreds of dollars a year.” Students like Felkner can expect to visit with several local employers who share a similar interest in the value humanities students can bring to their organization, such as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio History Connection, Ulliman Schutte Construction, and Highlights magazine.  

The Ohio State Humanities Career Exploration Fair will be set up slightly different from a typical career fair, as most organizations attending aren’t actively hiring. “At another event, you might be talking primarily with recruiters or human resources folks about jobs that are currently open across an organization,” explains Falter. “At this event, you’ll have the opportunity for more in-depth conversations with folks in a wide range of roles at different organizations.”  The goal is to create a low-pressure, welcoming event for students of all levels across the humanities looking to elevate their humanities skills on their resume, cover letter, or in a job interview. It will also give students “concrete examples of job titles and industries” to explore as they prepare for life after graduation. “This fair is for any and everyone in a humanities program, whether you’ve been to several career fairs before or are just starting to think about what you want to do post-college,” Falter emphasizes.  

The Humanities Career Exploration Fair is jointly organized by the Departments of English, History, Linguistics, and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and is supported by the Arts and Sciences Center for Career and Professional Success.