As the spring semester kicks off and graduation gets closer, many of you may be feeling the pressure of job hunting. If you’re unsure about where to go next or how to leverage your degree in the job market, you’re not alone. To help guide you, we’ve gathered valuable insights from recent graduates of Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. We identified key industries and career paths that have emerged for those with degrees similar to yours. Let’s dive into what we found.

Cultural Studies: Finding Stability in Advertising

Graduates with a background in Cultural Studies, such as Spanish, Latinx, Latin American Studies, Japanese Studies, French, and Italian Studies, have found that advertising offers significant career stability. While this category spans a wide array of industries, many cultural studies majors and minors are drawn to advertising because of its demand for understanding diverse audiences. A key part of advertising is crafting messages that resonate with different groups, and your expertise in navigating cultural differences is a valuable asset. Furthermore, being bilingual is a significant advantage in today’s global market, especially when it comes to developing international ad campaigns.

Creative Majors: Thriving in Entertainment

For those who pursued creative majors and minors like Graphic Design, Art, English, and Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI), entertainment has been a thriving sector. The skills you develop in these programs are applicable across a wide range of roles within the entertainment industry. For example, in creative writing or English, there’s a growing need for talented writers in film, script writing for television or other media, and script supervision. Entertainment is a vast field, with opportunities in film, television, digital media, and beyond. Whatever your creative specialty, there’s likely a spot for you in this expansive industry.

History and International Relations: A Path to Law 

For those of you who majored or minored in History, Art History, Peace and Justice Studies, Political Science, Law, and Liberal Arts or have graduate degrees in War, Diplomacy, and Society, or International Studies, a surprising but significant number of graduates have found fulfilling careers in law-related fields, which all require strong analytical thinking. Many graduates from these disciplines have found fulfilling careers in law, whether as legal researchers, paralegals, or lawyers.

Social Sciences: Public Relations as a Career Choice

Students who majored or minored in Anthropology or Sociology have increasingly turned to Public Relations (PR) as a career option. PR professionals are tasked with crafting messages and distributing them to the public, and as a social science graduate, you’re already equipped with a deep understanding of human behavior and societal dynamics. This knowledge can be invaluable when crafting press releases, managing crises, or curating public-facing materials for brands. If you’re intrigued by how people interact with media and society, PR may be a great fit for your skill set.

The Bigger Picture: Your Unique Skillset

Even if none of these industries align perfectly with your career aspirations, the skills you’ve developed here at Chapman University and, most importantly, Wilkinson College are versatile and transferable. Whether it’s critical thinking, creative problem solving, cultural awareness, or effective communication, you’ve been building a strong foundation that can open doors in a wide variety of fields. These are just a few ideas to help you start thinking about your next steps after graduation.

Take the time to reflect on your passions, strengths, and the skills you’ve gained over the past few years. Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all path to success, and your journey is uniquely yours. The stage has been set for you—now it’s time to explore your possibilities. Good luck!