Hello,

I'm from Spain and I've been living in Budapest and now I have to move to Basel. I have a degree in General history. It is true that if you have a degree in humanites means that you have something more and you are able to study.

But I it is quite depressing to search some jobs in internet and see how everything is related with: Finance & Accounting, Engineering, IT... I really don't know how those persons you were talkin about, who sutied humanities,had access also to this fields. I may try to apply for one, but the requirements are always some years of experience on the field and a related degree.

Here in Budapest, I have a customer support service job, one of theh few jobs that can be accessed without experience.

Don't live under the illusion that the working world is filled with people following their passion. Majority of people (regardless whether working in marketing, finance, sales, IT, etc.) at the end of the day are regular joes who work to earn money to pay the mortgage, feed the kids, and go on vacation every now and then.

If you find something you love and can make a living from it: great

If not, well, you'll have to sacrifice a little bit. Unless you win the lottery or are one of the lucky ones who becomes a sports star, a rock star, etc. then you'll have to make compromises. Part of growing up

Ive got a Humanities BA and have found it utterly useless in employment terms which is what most folks starting a BA already know unless your major is Psychology which enables you to practice as a psychologist or find work in a Human Relations Dept. Often a BA is just a prerequisite for further study ie Diploma, Masters in a more specific vocational area ie school teaching etc. Notwithstanding its vocational uselessness its a legitimate and stimulating area of study in its own right. Most universities in Australia now require students in all faculties to take some Humanities subjects as part of their degrees. The implied wisdom behind this is that studying Humanities helps form a more well rounded individual.

You'd be surprised the number of HR people who think it's some hideously complext thing that needs years of experience.

Which brings up my suggestion: go into HR. I've never seen anyone with a degree in HR so I can only imagine it's one of those things that English majors 'fall into' and pick up through on the job training. Your other option is to get an MBA, go into sales, start your own business, lots of things. You don't have to sit around waiting for someone to recognize your awesomeness and give you a job.

Thanks everyone for your interesting comments on this thread - I hadn't seen it before. I'm writing my PhD on the employability of Australian liberal arts students at an elite institution. Those who suggested that you don't need to work in a field directly related to your studies are right - by doing so you run the risk of severely limiting your options. Instead of just considering the job title, how about considering how your values relate to the workplace? Do you feel more comfortable working in a non-profit or a corporation? Do you like to work with others or alone? I'm not an expert in the Swiss labour market, however, from what I understand so far, it's much less flexible than at home, and that might make it more difficult to convince people that you're qualified to work in a diverse range of fields. In fact I don't think it's so much the labour market, but the attitudes of employers that seem to be created by a very vocational education system. From the literature, we know that liberal arts students are often their own worst enemies, so be proud to be an arts graduate and tell people what you CAN do, not what you can't! I'm an arts graduate and was truly inspired by the students I interviewed - I'd give them a job in a flash. Best wishes to all of you.

Quoted, resized for justice.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Quoted, corrected for justice. And to stop Dylan spinning