Do companies truly focus on your college major when applying for jobs?

I've been working as a professional artist for almost a decade now. It's been my experience that when you are applying for jobs in the creative field, companies don't really care about your college major. They are looking for these 3 things:

• The quality of your artwork (so focus on assembling a great portfolio!)
• Whether or not the work in your portfolio looks like the work they'd hiring you to do (For example: If you're applying for a magazine design job, you need to show them examples of magazine page layouts before they'd consider hiring you)
• Whether or not you know how to use the right computer programs (it's almost always something in the Adobe Creative Suite line of products, but the software depends on the job)

Hope that helps!

Hi Rokaria,

It largely depends on what industry you want to work in. Since you want to work in the creative arts, a strong portfolio that demonstrates your skillset can speak to your creative talents much more than a degree in a specific field can. Additionally, some employers will explicitly state what kind of degree they want a candidate to have, so you can always weed those out when job hunting. As a hiring manager I interview and screen many candidates for creative roles in filmmaking, photography, graphic design, etc who majored in something completely unrelated such as engineering or biology. The individuals who were hired even though they didn't have a degree in the arts still maintained an impressive portfolio of creative projects which they did on the side. When applying for jobs, they made sure to link to their portfolio or provide files for me to view. Even candidates who DO have a degree in the arts are often still evaluated for a role on the strength of their portfolio or CV. No matter what major is listed on someone's resume, when it comes to the arts a solid portfolio and/or CV listing your experience in the industry can often get your foot in the door during a job hunt. A good portfolio/CV shows employers that you can implement creative techniques or use specific media and software relevant to the type of art you are making. People are multifaceted and it is common for individuals to have skillsets that span a multitude of fields regardless of their major in college.

Networking is important in any field but especially for the arts, sometimes moreso than talent. It's often about who you know and what connections you have to colleagues in your preferred industry. Honestly, this can be a downer if you're not the networking type or it can work very much in your favor! Attend events geared towards your industry and make yourself known. Connecting with others via collaboration can provide access to resources you need to further bulk up your portfolio and get creative with you projects.

I recommend that you look through job openings that match the field you want to work in. You can also browse LinkedIn profiles to see what qualifications other successful people in the industry have. You will find some commonalities to focus on. You can then see what employers are asking for from candidates and determine 1) what creative field will be the best match for you and 2) what you may - keyword being MAY - need to do to be successful.

Lastly, not everyone's journey is the same, so don't get discouraged if what you're doing doesn't match up to what everyone else is doing. If you're wondering what my relevant experience is, I have a degree in art, went to a graduate program for art, worked in the art industry for a while (internships, galleries, exhibitions, freelance) and now am a Hiring Manager for a digital media company. I am also a professional artist. There are multiple ways to succeed in the arts and as you get to know yourself you'll figure out what works best for you.

From what I can observe, this seems to be a major concern for you, and you may have hit a few road bumps along the way. As an Artist myself, with a very broad range of skills that do not fit neatly into any pre-packaged job, I know what you are feeling.

Now, to get straight to the point- the answer is Yes, your employer will absolutely look at your major, and it will score points. However beyond that, the employer is even more interested that you WENT to College. Why? Because all colleges have something called a "Core Curriculum" which cover ALL major aspects of education ranging from Science and Mathematics to the Arts. Educated employers know this. That means that you yourself as an English major probably completed an Art course or two in college. Use this as a spring point for when you apply for jobs.

First thing is first, if you are interested in a field, then that means you have enough experience in that field. So if you are interested in the art field, you have some sort of experience in your favor, whether you are aware of it or not. Gather 2- 3 relevant experiences and note them down. These experiences will highlight why you love the art field, what knowledge you have gained or problems you have solved. Use these experiences to formulate your cover letter.

In addition build a portfolio. More then anything in the Art world, a portfolio is everything. Yes resumes are great, but if you are applying for a visual field I need to see your visual work. Gather 5-10 good pieces or photos of your work. Make sure they have good resolution and accurately reflect the color intensity and saturation.

Good Luck moving forward!

Hello, my name is Malcolm and I am a 5th-year student at Clarion University studying the Bachelor of Fine Arts with a minor in Entrepreneurship Marketing Leadership. To answer your question it truly depends on the company that you are looking at!! I am currently applying for jobs in my field of study and outside my field. In my marketing courses and my professors at school are hiring people outside the business field to get a new diverse/creativities team to work for their companies/business. 

When applying for jobs you want to look over your resume and take out anything you feel that is not related to the job. Your resume can really help you when you are applying outside your field! If you have other work experience(s), organizations/activities, or volunteering work that you have done, and put that in your resume. I wanted to mention this because having information like can show a future employer that you may qualify for the job. Also when looking at job sites for opening positions it will look through their site for "keywords". Example if I go to Indeed.com and put in the search bar "English" it will show me opening positions for a whole list of openings and some jobs that seems not to be related to what I am looking for. They are showing me these jobs because in the job description or requirements it may have that word or words that are associated with it. If you find a job that you are interested in I highly recommend you applying for it. The best advice I got about applying for jobs outside my field is from my marketing advisor. He said "if you speak to their human resources department, representative, boss/manager, or whoever about the job and they question you about applying because its not your field. Tell them why you are applying for this position/company, what you can bring to the table, and make you different from the other candidates".

It honestly depends on the job and the company. I want to say no. I majored in media arts and animation but worked as a photo retoucher for over 8 years. The most important part is your portfolio and who you know.

The answer is: it depends. If you're looking to do fine art (i.e. painter, sculptor, photographer) and your goal is to sell art and get exhibitions, then your degree really doesn't matter. I'm an artist myself and have had several exhibitions, sell my art and no one has once cared about my degree. Furthermore, I have artist friends who are very successful (exhibitions at the White House etc.) and they are the ones who gave me this very advice years ago.

However, if you're looking to get into something such as graphic design/illustration or become an art director for a company, then degree is very important. Most of these jobs require a bachelors in a related arts field. A simple search on Indeed for jobs will show you postings to give you an idea of what is needed to book a position. Hopefully this helps! :)

It's not an absolute, just a start.

In my experience, your major only matters if you're going into certain professional environments. for example, if you're going into life insurance or anything financial, generally employers look at if you're majoring in economics, finance, entrepreneurship, communications, or anything similar. From what I've seen, what really matters is your transferable skills from other jobs, experiences, or school. Written communication is a big skill that employers look for, while technology literacy is one our generation (and younger) often forgets can be super essential to building yourself up. As an artist, I find that attention to detail, creativity, and emotional intelligence are transferable skills that prove to be quite useful when applying for jobs. For example, when you think about yourself in a group project, are you a person who goes with the flow and interjects when you feel needed? Or are you a person who takes the reins and steers the project in a way you think would be successful? After about 1 year out of college, people stop really caring what you studied, unless it's essential to that career.

If you have a hard time giving yourself credit for anything, like me, asking friends or family what you're good at can give you a direction. When you ask enough people, patterns start to emerge.

Hi Rokaria. I was a full time kitchen designer for seven years. In that industry employers want specific job skills, such as certain software programs.

As a former hiring manager for an operational unit of J.P.Morgan Chase, I would have to say that work experience and the right attitude out-weight the degree or major that the potential employee holds. During the interview process, I usually ask questions that will provoke answers to how one will employ their skills and knowledge from previous work experiences to a new job. I want to know what can we benefit from hiring someone like you. What are you bringing to the company? How do you get along with co-workers especially when there are differing opinions in completing a task or project?

It depends on the philosophy of the employer. I learned from my scientist uncle who hired people with a degree in any subject because it represented the ability to make the effort to complete something difficult. In the creative world, people have skills in creative problem solving which is an asset in all areas. Showcase your creative problem solving skills with examples and also highlight the skills learned while completing your college degree, such as following instructions and meeting deadlines.

There is nothing wrong with being broad, call it versatility, but your going to have to package yourself differently for each employer. It really comes down to what you emphasis to an employer in attendance with their preference. If you have work experience in A and B, but want to do C, you are going to have to harness that during your free time. It has to be able to compete with someone who has professionally done C.

I am learning this as we speak because I just graduated and I’m summarising all the feedback from my interviews.

Still, tough egg to crack, I’ll tell you.

If you're applying for jobs in creative arts with your BA in English, they will most likely just appreciate the fact that you went to college. Your resume would stick out more if you had a degree in something fine art related. Your relative experience and work history will be what they care about most in this situation.

I have my BA in Studio Art. I have found that, depending on the job you're applying for, certain companies WILL care about your major. STEM fields in particular usually require you to have a specific major. I know I have a good shot at any art related job because of my major. Often times, the manager will tell me they are interested in speaking with me because my art background makes me a unique candidate who perhaps holds a different perspective than all the business majors they see.

When applying for jobs outside the realm of your major, cover letters are your best friend. Explain how the major you chose helps you be the best candidate for the job. Never ever say something like "I know I'm not qualified" or "I lack the skills required", say something like "my experience doing ____ and _____ makes me a unique candidate as I hold a unique perspective" or something like that. Also take what you learned as an English major and find a way to make it applicable to the job you're applying for. "As an English major, I was able to explore ________ through writing and hone my ________ skills. As (Position) at your company, I will be able to ______________......... " and so on.

Short answer - NO.

If you want to be in the creative arts what matters is the quality of content in your portfolio, and who you network, and become allies with (you don't have to be sleepover friends that share deepest darkest secrets, but close enough to where you can feel comfortable asking each other for job leads and advice). Consider being an apprentice and interning if your starting out fresh. Don't ask someone to be your mentor. Mentorship begins on the friendship level, and is a two way street.

Employers like to know about your experience and how you went about creating your content. The subject will often come up of how you learned your skills, but they're mostly curious about knowing you as a person and why you got started. If you're self taught, it could be seen as a strength, given that you have the will, work ethic, and determination to learn on your own, by actively seeking out various sources of educational content (YouTube, other online sources, community library, etc).

That's not to say there's anything inherently wrong with going to University, but there is a financial relief and freedom of not having to pay for large loans, or hunting for grants and scholarships. It also depends on your learning patterns and pacing. You might find Universities are to rigid and hinder your personality; learning habits. The courses might be too fast or slow, depending on your learning curve. However this might not be the case, you may prefer the structure of a University outline, rather than fragmented learning sources on the internet.

Hello!

Your question is a very insightful one and something I would expect an honest person looking to become a professional artist to ask. To answer, no, people looking to hire artists are not looking at college majors; rather, employers will be paying attention BIG TIME to your portfolio! It doesn’t matter what you’ve studied or even if you have studied any form of collegiate diploma program- what matters above and beyond all else is what you can SHOW employers, your skills.

It is never to early to begin collectively applying diligent sound mind, including the ever-so painful criticism, known as “critiquing” in the Art World, to your portfolio. Take on a variety of disciplines to have a decent selection installed into your portfolio- it will basically be your calling card, which reminds me, as the front protective sheet inside your portfolio book, ALSAYS remember to have your name and contact information displayed well so that employers know to whom they return the portfolio to, if they happen to ask to borrow it for a few days.

You can also create your portfolio online. Seeing as you’re an artist, it is also never too early to buy your own name online, this way your name is secure for you to apply your artwork to once you design or have designed your online portfolio; check out a few from searching Google to get an idea of how other artists have chosen to design their own.

I hope my help serves you well and I am so excited to learn of young people still choosing to exert themselves artistically during a time when The Arts have been stripped from public education funding. I am really proud of you and for you!

take care and good luck!

Companies will generally look at your major to determine what your area of specialization is for the position they are looking to fill. What is important if your interested in Creative Arts is getting mentored or an internship within this field to experience so it can be put on your resume. Not only will this help you obtain experience, but connect you with networking agents that are professionals in the field. Make sure when networking with people that you ask "Do you have any other referrals?". The more work you do to occupy your time in your field the better off you will be in the long run. Just speaking to professionals in field can help. Faculty from your university or college can help also. Instructors who teach classes are in the field. Sometimes students forget about this key networking agent.