One of the most transformational shifts in higher education over the last two decades has been the increased desire to nurture the connection between teaching and employability. The more closely related skills students are given in a particular course of study, the better off they will be in finding the best-fit job upon graduating. That’s strong rhetoric among educators, and the college and university career service departments tasked with preparing students for the world of work. Realistically, however, a noticeable gap remains between students and their “dream” job, partly due to the skills detachment between majors and the abilities students are expected to have upon earning a degree in a specific major.
There are countless, impressive statistics about the power of earning a college degree as it relates to a graduate’s ability to climb a chosen career ladder throughout a lifetime while earning an income they are comfortable with. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported early this year that the unemployment rate for college graduates was just shy of 2.5% — half of the unemployment rate for individuals who had only a high school diploma. The disparity grows even more when college graduate unemployment rates are compared to those who did not finish high school, reducing to just one-third. In today’s job market, it is difficult to argue against the fact that a degree means more prospects for employment. However, a disconnect remains. Only 27% of college graduates are working in a career field closely related to the major they studied. This leads us to believe that while the goal of employability is being met, a graduate’s learning and skills may not be clearly aligned with broader business needs.
The vast majority of students select which career field they’d like to pursue before checking the box of which major they will participate in throughout their college experience. That isn’t all that surprising given the widespread goal of being highly employable, from both a student and faculty perspective. Having a greater chance of landing a job in a field students have some interest in that offers a respectable starting point for income is necessary for today’s college graduates. Many leave the confines of a college or university with a student debt burden that they can’t easily quash without the prospect of gainful employment. So, developing skills in a specific major like engineering or political science means they’ll have an easier time securing a job in that specific field. Faculty teaches on the premise of these truths. A technology company is more likely to hire a computer programming major or an information technology graduate than someone who majored in architecture or art history, right? Well, that isn’t necessarily the case.
In looking at today’s business environment, there is a common thread that runs throughout multiple industries: an individual’s ability to earn a degree often far outweighs what he or she majored in while at school. However, there are certain skills nearly all employers look for in new hires. Companies are in need of a workforce who are a strong fit for achieving business outcomes, and those business outcomes are more and more based upon bringing on new clients, garnering interest in a new product or service, and delivering exceptional service to stay ahead of the competition. Having majored in computer science is helpful in developing specific skills needed for building out new technologies or processes for businesses to use in ultimately reaching these outcomes, but what does a computer science major have to offer to a business trying to achieve other goals?
Let’s take a closer look at sales – a subject rarely discussed in college lecture halls but nevertheless a highly portable, beneficial skill for graduates to take with them throughout a lifetime that can be used in almost every field. When people hear sales, most automatically sneer in disapproval or shudder at the thought of the slick, used car salesman type with whom no one ever wishes to interact. There is a perceived griminess to sales folks like they will do anything to make a commission, whether it is in the best interest of the customer or not. Of course, there are some bad actors who push the boundaries of the sales process, but the stigma of being a salesperson is all too often a dark cloud placed over an entire set of important capabilities.
Within any career field, graduates need to be able to sell to some degree, regardless of their major of choice. Interviews require a recent grad to sell herself and her abilities to a potential employer; after being hired, the underlying skill set to be deemed a good salesperson runs through multiple facets of a business. Building relationships not only with customers but with stakeholders (internal and external) and investors have a direct impact on business outcomes, as does the ability to speak confidently about the mission of a company, or being an effective negotiator. Sales skills are not an apparent aspect of an engineering major or a technology-related degree, but graduates are acquiring these types of capabilities during their stint in school whether they know it or not, all which can be transferred to gainful employment with relative ease.
The same can be said about other transferrable skills that do not have a clear link between a student’s major and a chosen career field. A graduate with a degree in economics may not have the ability to deliver the latest and greatest computer code, but he can work for and contribute to a technology company just the same. But it’s likely that graduate has blinders on in terms of where he can find a career that perfectly aligns with his major. Faculty can play a very critical and empowered role in higher education to break through the walls keeping students confined within the perceived silos of their degrees, encouraging them to recognize and expand upon the skills they are learning simply by working toward and ultimately finishing a degree program.
While it may not be realistic to incorporate sales skills into the course of study for all college students, across all majors, there are several ways educators can build a wider bridge connecting graduates and employers. Focusing on the needs businesses have to achieve lasting outcomes and then encouraging students to develop and cultivate soft skills needed to reach those outcomes, including sales, negotiation, and relationship-building should be paramount in today’s education environment. Giving students a path to expand their idea of where their degree can take them is the next necessary step. Companies need and want graduates who can deliver on the many promises businesses give to their stakeholders, and a student’s employability should be built on that premise rather than their choice of major.
