will liberal arts degree get you employed?

At this point in ball game, it's no secret that a job shortage has meant a huge push to go back to school in hopes that upon graduation the economy will have recovered making gainful employment possible. Right? Maybe - the more important question is - will a Liberal Arts degree help you get employed?

All things considered, Liberal Arts programs (amongst others) are facing heavy scrutiny in terms the actual job market worth for the holder of a liberal arts degree. As a result, college administrators are faced with defending the value of a liberal arts degree. With what position? The position that liberal arts will provide the student with the life skills required to work with people - in other words - help the student get the job indirectly. Certainly life skills or people skills are an essential element in any workplace environment. The million dollar question is - does such soft skills override the need for hard skills or competency in your career field or profession?

Of course, the short answer is that it depends on your occupation. Otherwise, it would be like saying its better for your doctor to have bedside manner than it is for your doctor to accurately diagnose and treat illness. Of course in an ideal world we would prefer both, but this is not an ideal world. So it might be worth your while to look into the marketability of a given career field before jumping in head first, regardless of whether you could receive a Federal PELL grant or borrow via a Federal Student Loan. Of course, it goes without saying that being burdened with student loans with employ ability issues is like buying a car with no engine. Would you really want to do that? Probably not. So the verdict is still out on whether or not a Liberal Arts degree will help get you employed.