Career Guidance : Top 5 Careers for Humanities Students: colleges and courses to look out for

Humanities as a field focuses on society, culture and the psychology of people Source: flickr

Nancy Jaiswal, TT, 10 Aug 2022: A good hold over the different humanities subjects can open up avenues for you to pursue careers such as technical writer, human resources manager, foreign language expert and many others

Humanities as a field focuses on society, culture and the psychology of as well as how people communicate and interact with each other. While these are all key aspects of human society, there is a notion that only students who pursue subjects like mathematics, science, computers or medicine eventually go on to high-paying careers. But the fact is that even people working in the humanities fields can have successful careers and high salaries. In fact, if you are someone who likes the humanities and wants to pursue them, but don’t know what, besides the the obvious academics, you could do after, here are the top 5 career choices you can consider.

Technical writer

Technical writers are responsible for creating documentation and training materials to improve user experience on digital platforms. This documentation may be in the form of user guides, integration guides, API developer guides, in-platform instructions, installation/configuration instructions, and system operations.

To communicate effectively with a large audience, technical writers must be experts in both technical and non-technical writing. They also have to look after ongoing editing and revision of the content, ensuring that a website’s users have the best possible experience and access to the latest information and instructions. Technical Writers should ideally have a bachelor's degree or equivalent professional degree in English, Communications, Journalism, or Curriculum Development.

Some of the top colleges to pursue these degrees are:

• Fergusson College, Pune
• Loyola College, Chennai
• Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Pune
• Mount Carmel College, Bangalore
• Presidency College, Chennai.
• Human resources specialist

Human Resource or HR specialists are responsible for many of a company’s day-to-day operations such as onboarding new employees, processing termination paperwork, drafting compensation packages in accordance with legally mandated company policies, and promoting healthy work practices across departments. Furthermore, HR specialists also provide tailored training plan for each employee, schedule quarterly performance reviews with managers, and report on progress of different employees.

Most employers prefer to hire HR professionals with a bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a related degree. A degree in management, backed with a part-time or dual degree in Human Resources or Business Administration can also prepare an ideal candidate for this profession.

Some of the top colleges offering degrees in Human Resource Management are:

• Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur
• Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon
• SVKMs NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies), Mumbai
• Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
• International Management Institute (IMI), Delhi

Graphic designer

Graphic designers are responsible for visually representing concepts, using pen and paper or computer software. A designer's final output is intended to captivate, inform, or inspire people and is often used in marketing and advertising campaigns, or as content. Graphic designers work creatively in both print and electronic formats. They are primarily visual storytellers, aiming to draw in an audience instantly.

Depending on the area of ​​graphic design you want to pursue, your course curriculum may include website visual design, studio art, computer-aided design, motion graphics, printing technologies, commercial graphic production, typography, or other design and graphic areas, as applicable. Such courses will also teach you the basics - design principles, design theory or the entire designing process.Some of the top colleges to pursue degrees in design and graphic design are:

• National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
• MIT Institute of Design, Pune
• International School of Design, Pune
• Unitedworld Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
• Lovely Professional University (LPU), Jalandhar

Digital Marketing Strategists are responsible for fostering, driving, and executing marketing initiatives Source: flickr

Digital marketing strategist

Digital Marketing Strategists are those individuals who are responsible for fostering, driving, and executing marketing initiatives to level up lead generation, while also improving brand exposure and product acceptance. They create an overall plan including for paid and free marketing strategies to achieve the organisation's or brand’s business goals.

An inherent interest in the field can go a long way, along with a bachelor’s degree in Digital Marketing, Business, or any other related fields.

Some of the top colleges to pursue the degrees are:

• UPES, Dehradun
• Quantum University, Roorkee
• Adamas University, Kolkata
• Pearl Academy, New Delhi
• Indira Institute of Management, Pune

Foreign language expert

A linguistic specialist is an expert in assessing language use. They are responsible for studying and practising language patterns and thereafter analysing how languages ​​are formed. Some experts also work as interpreters and translators, who mainly specialise in converting and transcribing conversations from one language to another. Others hold expertise in the technology industry, developing software applications that imitate human communication tactics.

A bachelor's degree in Linguistics, Language theory, or a foreign language such as French, Chinese, German, Persian, Russian, Italian, etc. can assist you in starting your career in the field.

Some of the top colleges to pursue the degrees are:

• Amity University, Mumbai
• Reva University, Bangalore
• RIMT University, Gobindgarh
• Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow
• Manipal University, Manipal

These 5 careers are highly in demand and they offer ample scope for growth and development as well. However, as an aspiring jobseeker, you must keep in mind that no bachelor’s course by itself can get you into a profession. It takes a genuine interest or passion together with determination. And once you have those in place, you must also look at additional training, certifications or wherever relevant, postgraduate studies or niche specialised courses to constantly upskill yourself. Remember, the Humanities are not only enjoyable, but also have scope for a wide range of interesting and fulfilling careers.