Hi there, I’m Emily! 👋 Welcome to Hired Humanities, a biweekly newsletter devoted to helping humanities students build careers on their own terms.
Hello, readers! Have you ever had something stay on your mind like an Instagram ad that just won’t get out of your feed?
Right now I can’t seem to escape the topic of applying to entry-level jobs with advanced degrees. The subject first came up when I was participating in an alt-ac networking event for Classics graduate students, resurfaced again during a career panel at a university, and then bubbled up during a conversation with a friend earlier this month.
If you haven’t considered entry-level positions but are struggling on the job market, I would encourage you to keep an open mind. And, if you’re staring at a stack of entry-level job applications, you shouldn’t feel bad because taking an entry-level role is often necessary to break into a new industry.
To be clear, this route isn’t the only path. If you have some previous experience or connections, or are able to be patient on the job market, you may not need to start completely from scratch. But for the most part, having an advanced degree does not qualify you for mid-level or manager positions outside the academy. There was no way I could have walked directly into a mid-level role at a PR agency and done well. I had so much to learn about operating in a business environment and about public relations as a field. The first time I wrote a pitch, my boss sent it back to me and asked me to do it again. Why? It was beautifully written, she said, but no one was going to read an essay.
Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash
Yes, starting fresh when you’ve already worked hard to get ahead is frustrating, but the hardest part is getting your foot in the door. Humanities students often rocket up the career ladder because one of our greatest strengths is what Michael Zimm calls a “deep learning” instinct, or a drive to dive headfirst into a topic and go deep. This instinct helped me rise from PR coordinator to lead publicist to an entirely new industry and role within the span of a few years, and I’ve even heard similarly from others in academic-adjacent industries like publishing.
Below you’ll find few points to keep in mind as you’re evaluating entry-level roles when you have an advanced degree. Even if you have some industry experience on your resume, these are helpful things to look at when planning a career pivot.
Consider company size and industry
Smaller and rapidly growing companies tend to have less defined roles, which can allow you to expand your responsibilities and gain experience more rapidly. Additionally, industries like tech can be more open to candidates with diverse backgrounds and on-the-job skills training.
The flip-side is that small companies can be less structured and might not pay well. Be sure to do your research about compensation for the role that you’re applying to so you can negotiate effectively.
Look for companies that support career growth
Joining a company that supports its employees with benefits like learning and development stipends can help you boost your skills and knowledge. You can usually find a list of benefits on a company’s career page.
I also recommend poking around LinkedIn to see how other employees’ careers have developed at the company. What are their academic backgrounds? What is the average employee tenure at the company? Have people changed roles or departments? Websites like Glassdoor and Comparably also offer a window into internal mobility and how companies support their employees’ growth trajectories. Be wary if you’re consistently seeing a lack of support for employees’ career aspirations.
Be prepared to answer the Question
It’s extremely likely that an interviewer will ask you whether you’re overqualified for the role you’re applying to, so it’s good to have an answer at the ready.
I recommend using your response as an opportunity to acknowledge the skills gaps you have and highlight what you can contribute. For example, if you’re applying to an entry-level marketing job, you can say something like, “Yes, I do have an advanced degree, but I recognize that there’s a lot to learn about marketing. I see this role as an opportunity to contribute my qualitative analysis skills to your team while exploring a new industry.”
I like this approach because it allows you to redirect the conversation without completely sidestepping the question. I’ve heard others suggest saying that you’re planning to advance quickly at the company, but I would be cautious with this tactic as it can make you seem uninterested in the role you’re actually interviewing for.
A parting note
Thanks for tuning in this week!
I know this topic can be emotionally fraught because it encapsulates the fear, shame, and frustration many of us feel when leaving academia. I can still feel my stomach churn with the same embarrassment I felt when I attended a wedding and I had to tell my former academic colleagues that I was “only” a public relations coordinator. Some were supportive, others were puzzled, and still others looked pitying that I traded a spot in a top PhD program for a job where I spent chunks of my day calling FedEx to track down lost PR samples. I left the reception wondering if I had thrown away all my years of study for nothing.
Now I know it wasn’t a waste and my experience wasn’t lost, but I can understand if you’re feeling like I did five years ago. I hope that with time, you too can see that each step, no matter how small, is moving you towards something bigger and better, and all the work you’ve done in graduate school will continue to serve you well long after you’ve left the academy.
Reading List
A few of my favorite links
💡 This article about imposter syndrome by Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey on HBR is a must-read.
🍅 If you’re struggling to focus, check out this Pomodoro technique Chrome extension.
✏️ ICYMI, I created a free worksheet to help you determine the strengths and values that can guide your job search.