Vocational Opportunities for Philosophy Majors

Jobs in philosophy itself are primarily academic jobs requiring graduate degress in the discipline. At present these are scarce but predictions are that this situation will change in the next five to ten years. Jobs for which philosophy provides good background qualifications are available in a variety of fields. Philosophy majors graduating recently from Miami have gone on to further study or careers in such fields as law, government, medicine, education, administration, business, social work, the ministry, library work, and systems analysis. These careers, of course, require more than a philosophy major, but this major adds important dimensions to a person's preparation for work in these fields. Because philosophy is so useful in developing analytic powers and a capacity for clear and critical thinking, it is excellent background for any job that requires problem-solving or decision-making. Because it makes a person sensitive to questions of value and competent to deal intelligently with them, it is excellent training for anyone responsible for personal or group relations or who has to deal with issues in the social or political arena.

The vocational value of a field of study goes beyond its contribution to obtaining one's first job after graduation. Students are understandably preoccupied with getting their first job, but even from a vocation point of view it would be short signed to concentrate on that at the expense of developing potential for success and advancement once hired. What gets graduates hired may not lead to promotion, particularly since the needs of many employers change as rapidly as social and economic patterns. So it is crucial to see beyond the specifics of a job description. Though philosophy is often not mentioned among a job's requirements its benefits can be appreciated by the employer, and can be effective in helping one advance.

Recent studies show employers want, and reward, many of the capacities which the study of philospohy develops: the ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to assess pros and cons, and to understand complex data. These are skills transferable from philosophy to other areas. For that reason people trained in philosophy are not only prepared to do many kinds of tasks; they can also cope with change, or even move into new careers, more readily than many others.

The New York Times reported that "businessmen are coming to appreciate an education that at its best produces graduates who can write and think clearly and solve problems" (June 23, 1981). A long-term study by Bell Telephone Company determined that majors in liberal arts fields, in which philosophy is a central discipline, "continue to make a strong showing in managerial skills and have experienced considerable business success." A related point is made by a senior vice-president of the American Can Company:

Students with any academic backgrounda re prepared for business when they can educate themselves and can continue to grow without their teachers, when they have mastered techniques of scholarship and discipline, and when they are challenged to be all they can be." (Wall Street Journal, February 2, 1981)

There are people trained in philosophy in just about every field. They have gone not only into such professions as teaching (at all levels), medicine, and law, but into computer science, management, publishing, sales, criminal justice, public relations, and other fields. Some profesionally trained philosophers are also on legislative staffs. A sennior congressman said of them:

It seems to me that philosophers have acquired skills which are very valuable to a member of Congress. The ability to analyze a problem carefully and consider it from many points of view is one. Another is the ability to communicate ideas clearly in a logically compelling form. A third is the ability to handle the many different kinds of problems which occupy the congressional agenda at any time. (Lee H. Hamilton, 9th District, Indiana, March 25, 1982)

Finally, philosophy can yield immediate benefits for students planning post-graduate work. As law, medical, business, and other professional school faculty and admissions personnel have often said, philosophy is excellent preparation for the training and later careers in these fields.