Career Choices for Humanities Student

A typical mindset surrounding Humanities is that it has less
“Scope”. Here is a list of Career Options which would change the notion that, “Humanities
has very limited scope”.

Sociology

It is the branch of social sciences that involves the study
of society. It involves analyzing and understanding the social lives of people,
groups and institutions. Sociologists help in analyzing and drawing conclusions
on various topics like racial and gender identity, religious faith, family
conflicts, crime and law, poverty, population growth and migration, war and
peace, etc.

As a Sociologist, you can work as a Guidance Counselor in
the area of family conflicts, or work with the government as a Policy Analyst.
You can also work as a consultant in the HR department of private/ public
organizations. Market Research, Public Relations, and Media Strategy are also a
few other fields well-suited to Sociology majors.

Design

Design includes imagining, creating and
producing/communicating ideas in form of images, drawing, sketching, layouts,
etc. Design is a very broad field and includes different specializations like
Graphic Design, Textiles, Interior Design, Fashion Design, Product Design,
Animation, Furniture Design, Jewelry Design, Product Design, etc. If you are
someone who can easily convey ideas to others, then design is a career that you
should definitely explore. To understand Design as a career one should research
each of these options separately and go through the curriculum of top colleges

Political Science
& International Relations

If the idea of studying about your country both at national
and international level excites you, then you are meant for a career in
Political Science and International Relations. Political Science involves the
study of political history and political systems of a country. On the other
hand, International Relations involves the study of the relations of the home
country with those of other countries. Both of these subjects throw light on
issues like world peace, economic crises, poverty, unemployment, hunger and
malnutrition etc, and seek to find solutions to them.

Psychology

Knowing how the human mind functions or why people behave
the way they do has been a question of great interest to mankind. Learning
answers to above questions and more is a part of the world of Psychology!
Psychology is a multifaceted discipline, which includes topics like how the
brain works, how our memory is organized, or how people interact in groups.
After learning the basics, students of psychology are free to choose among
various specializations like Clinical Psychology, Industrial/Organizational
Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Counselling
Psychology, Sports Psychology etc.

Law

How good are your reasoning and problem-solving skills?
Because a career in Law requires exactly that. Another highly sought-after
career in humanities, Lawyers understand the legal structure of a country and
advise people on various legal matters on personal or professional levels. Each
legal case that you deal with requires extensive research and you must be able
to build strong arguments for the same. As a Lawyer, you will get to provide
legal counsel to individuals, companies, NGO’s, government, etc. and to keep them
out of legal disputes.

There are a variety of career options like Litigation
(fighting cases in court), Corporate Counsel, or Indian Legal Services. You can
also work in Law firms, Legal Publishing and Media or become a lecturer in law
schools. Many law graduates also choose their specialization/ area of work from
different options like Tax Laws, Intellectual Property Rights, International
Human Rights, Civil Law, Criminal Law etc.

Writing (Content/
Blogging/ Creative)

Writers express their ideas, opinions, or knowledge through
their words. Writing as a career comes in many forms. You can either develop
content for different companies (Content Writing) or even voice your opinions
about certain topics through blog articles. There are other more traditional
forms too, such as creative writing through novels, books, anthologies, etc.
You can choose your desired language that you wish to write in, be it English,
Hindi, or some regional language. The best thing about writing is that you
don’t always need a degree in specific field, but a never-ending passion for
writing.

You can explore career opportunities as a content writer by
working with different companies, online websites, blog portals, NGO’s, etc.
Not only that, you can also become a influencer, novelist, editor, columnist in
newspapers, blogger, etc.

Hotel Management

Taj Hotel, The Lalit, Le Meridien, The Leela – how nice it
is to stay at one of these hotels. But have you ever thought the work that goes
into making them the best in class? A career in Hotel Management requires you
to understand and manage the work of hotels, starting from the front desk to
food, catering and housekeeping. Not only this, you will also get to work on
the administration of areas like hotel operations, hospitality marketing
strategy, hospitality technology and financial analysis.

Career options include working in hotels, restaurants,
cruise ships, railways, resorts, airlines, etc. Fresh graduates in this field
start as management trainees and can work in different departments Like Front
Office Operations, Food and Beverage Production, Meeting and Event Operations
Management, Restaurant Operations etc. As you grow in this field, you get
promoted to managerial roles.

Economics

Economists study how the society distributes its resources,
such as land, labour, raw materials, and machinery, to produce various goods
and services. For this, they conduct research, collect and analyze data,
monitor economic trends, and develop forecasts on a wide variety of issues like
interest rates, energy costs, inflation, exchange rates, business cycles,
taxes, employment levels, etc.

As an Economics grad you can work with Banking Firms,
Research Firms, Financial Consultancies, Government Ministries or Insurance and
Accountancy Firms, as a Risk Advisory Associate, Analyst, Research Assistant,
Policy Maker, etc.

Event Management

This career puts to full use your managerial and
organizational skills to plan and execute social or business events. People
engaged in this field work with budgets, schedules, vendors, caterers,
decorators, etc. to plan best possible events for their clients. Event
Management is not just limited to planning concerts or weddings but includes
many other occasions like business events and conclaves, sports events,
parties, reunions, festivals, etc.

In terms of career, you can work with different Event
Management Companies, Non-Governmental Organizations, PR firms, Hotels/Resorts,
etc. In these, your main role would be to plan and organize different events,
meetings, weddings, charitable events, press meetings and so on.

Civil Services

It is one of the most prestigious careers as it gives you
the opportunity to serve your country by participating in its governance and
policy-making decisions. It gives you the authority and power to ensure
effective administration of the country. The duties and responsibilities would
differ according to the department that you have been allotted. In order to
pursue a career as a civil servant, you would first require a graduation from
any field, following which you’ll need to clear the UPSC examination.

You get different government posts based on your rank in the
UPSC exam. Some of them include Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police
Services, Indian Foreign Services, Indian Revenue Services, Indian Postal
Services, etc.

History

Do you ever find yourself asking questions about how life
was like a hundred years back, the way people might have lived, interacted and
survived in their surroundings? Well, History helps you find their answers!
Historians study the past by interpreting evidence from sources like texts,
artefacts, and other materials belonging to different time periods. After their
detailed analysis and evaluation, historians develop interpretations and draw
conclusions on the same.

After graduating in History, you can explore various career
options like working as an Archivist, Lecturer, Analyst or a Lobbyist. In the
field of research, Historians indulge in the study of different areas like
mythology, dynasties, civilizations, politics, culture, etc. Historians can
also work with various publishing houses as editors or columnists.

Social
Services/Social Work

This career is perfect for those who have decided to devote
themselves to the betterment of society. It involves helping those who belong
to the most vulnerable sections of the society and need help in situations like
fighting for their rights, dealing with abuse, or accessing proper sanitation,
etc. Social workers may work with different individuals or families to deal
with issues related to poverty, unemployment, education, etc.

You get to work with NGO’s focused on different set of
audiences, corporate sector in the field of CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility), healthcare sector (rehabilitation centers) or with the
government on various projects like creating awareness for health safety, basic
rights of the public, and fighting against social injustice and discrimination.

Archaeology

If you have a flair for studying about past events, you are
surely going to love what Archaeology has in store for you! Archaeology gives
you the chance to go directly to the source and analyze/understand ancient
cultures through artefacts, inscriptions, and other remains. Archaeologists
collect this information by digging up artefacts from the ground, and try to
arrange them in an order to form a sequence of events that might have taken
place.

After a degree in Archaeology you can work as a Numismatist
(studying old currency), Epigraphist (studying inscriptions or manuscripts),
Archivist (preserving information through proper documentation of evidence),
Museologist (studying museums) or contribute to the preservation of heritage
sites and monuments. You can also work towards Art Conservation and
Restoration, which involves preserving hundreds of years old artwork,
sculptures and manuscripts.

Foreign Languages

This career is for those who love to talk and not just in
one language! Many people learn different languages like Spanish, Korean,
French, German, etc. because of their interest in them. But the best part is
that you can actually make a career in them too! Many organizations require
translators in order to understand the intended message of the other party
using a different language. Being fluent in a foreign language can also get you
extra points if you are planning to settle in that particular country.

You can become a Translator, Lexicographer (compiling
material for dictionaries), Teacher, Forensic Linguist, Writer, etc. in the
specific language that you learn. As a language expert, you can get to work
with various foreign diplomats and embassies, international bodies (like United
Nations, World Health Organizations), publishing houses, etc.

Mass Communication
& Journalism

Do you have a strong desire to be up-to-date with the events
taking place around you and want to inform others about it as well? Here is
your answer! Mass Communication involves conveying relevant information to a
large number of people through various mediums of communication like
television, radios, newspapers, journals, magazines and now social media too!
Journalism being the subset of mass communication, involves gathering,
assessing, creating, and presenting news/facts and information to the public.

A degree in mass communication opens up various avenues like
Journalism, Public Relations, Content Writing & Editing, Advertising, Event
Management, Broadcasting and Production, Copywriting, and so on. You can also
work with various media production houses for creating documentaries, videos,
or short clips which could be covering an interview, social message, or just
for entertainment purposes.

Apart from above careers listed above, there are many other
exciting and upcoming fields in Humanities, such as Museology, Habitat Policy
and practice, Cartography, Criminology, Anthropology, Film-Making, Gerontology,
Rural Studies and Development, Photography, etc.

Now that you have such a long list of career options
available in Humanities, I am sure you are never going to say, “Humanities has
very limited scope” ever again.