KEY POINTS:
The BA, sometimes nicknamed "bugger all", may not lead to specific occupations such as medicine, law or engineering - but people do get jobs.
As a BA graduate, I see ex-university mates succeeding in roles as diverse as importing, information technology, teaching, human resources and foreign affairs.
According to Elizabeth Wilson, assistant dean at University of Auckland's Faculty of Arts, people often get caught up with the notion a qualification should lead to a specific job. But even vocational degrees don't always offer that.
"Look at law. Fifty-one per cent of law graduates don't practise law."
Arts graduates can go anywhere, says Wilson.
"They develop good employable skills such as critical and analytical commentary but also develop the capacity to understand the world around them."
Such richness is essential as people change careers 10 1/2 times on average, she adds.
"If someone is singularly focusing on an end job, they're often not open to other opportunities that pass under their nose."
Auckland University arts students' centre manager Martin Shepherd says more than 50 arts subjects are on offer, including traditional subjects such as English literature and vocational subjects such as economics, employment relationships and organisational studies. He says combinations open doors.
"Graduates say the combination of a language and Asian, European or Pacific studies is beneficial when looking for work internationally. English and political studies are a good background for journalism careers and so on."
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade foreign policy officer Leilani Burgoyne graduated 18 months ago with an MA. She majored in history but studied many subjects, including English literature, Pacific studies and politics. "All those humanity subjects gave me the opportunity to explore different themes and questions."
Her study developed skills in writing effectively and succinctly and in analysing and presenting well-formed and balanced arguments.
"I also developed effective research skills; knowing what to question, how to ask, and where to find information. It also gave me technical and personal skills to be an active, critical thinker in society."
She didn't study commerce or economics, yet Burgoyne's role involves assisting with foreign policy and administration to the offices of Foreign Affairs, Trade and the Prime Minister.
"I use arts skills to look at the policies and logic around an issue and then go to specialists to do the number crunching."
Burgoyne says many of her Auckland University peers are in policy roles in the public and private sector. A number are doing further study, some are teachers; some are journalists. Some took longer than others to find work, but she can't think of anyone not using their degree.
Michael Bowie, director of Jobmedia, an advertising and media recruitment company, regularly gets CVs from communication studies, graphic design and arts graduates.
"Employers are taking a risk with a new graduate. We want to reduce that risk, so we look at what the graduates have done on top of studying."
He's looking for the life skills developed by students that manage to juggle work and study and still have a life.
While Bowie feels communication studies degrees are more practical, industry-based and focused than arts degrees, he believes BA graduates can get good jobs. He feels there is value in the breadth of an arts degree - especially if specialised further training is added.
Leigh Peters, resourcing team leader of New Zealand Lion Nathan, added an HR postgraduate qualification to her BA (communications major) from Otago University. "I started a BA because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I did a couple of HR papers and decided to make that my focus. I also did education and management and other papers like film and media."
She says communications and HR is a common area to find arts graduates. She found her company's recent shortlist of 18 graduate applicants held just one arts graduate - and early elimination had nothing to do with degree choice.
Graduates aside, successful Lion Nathan applicants with arts degrees usually have several years' work experience and often postgraduate qualifications, says Peters.
Nick Goddard, corporate relations and communications director of Unilever Australasia, says arts graduates enter most sections of Unilever, aside from specialist areas such as innovation and technology management, engineering or science.
Goddard says Unilever is interested in people with self-motivation, who can set challenges, work in a team and get the most out of life. Activities outside study are important.
"It is more about the sort of person they are and the capabilities they have, rather than their degree choice, says Goddard.
ARTFUL MOVES
The NZVCC 2004 Graduate Employment Destinations Report says about 50 per cent of arts respondents are in fulltime employment compared with 50 per cent of science and 60 per cent of business graduates.
More arts and science graduates enter full-time postgraduate studies than business graduates.
Arts graduate salaries compared well: $32,000-$36,000 compared with $30,000-$37,500 for science and $35,000 for commerce.
- (Source: Arts Students' Centre at Auckland University)
SKILLS
* Creative and critical thinking.
* Research and analysis.
* Adaptability.
* Creative and technical skills.
* Team work and leadership.
* Writing and editing.
