My time at McMaster has been wonderful and has provided me with so many new experiences and connections.

What inspired you to select your program or area of study in Humanities at McMaster?

My time at McMaster has been wonderful and has provided me with so many new experiences and connections.

The humanities teach a breadth of soft skills that graduates need to succeed in the job market.

What did you find beneficial about your program at McMaster?

I had a wonderfully supportive committee and colleagues in the program.

What advice would you give to a current student who is thinking about career options?

Think about the skills, not the disciplinary knowledge, that you have. Explore career options through volunteering opportunities and informational interviews with alumni or people you find through LinkedIn or other channels. Asking strangers for interviews may sound incredibly awkward but it works! It’s a great opportunity to learn about career path options and develop a network of contacts and mentors.

In your opinion, what is the value of a Humanities degree?

The humanities teach a breadth of soft skills that graduates need to succeed in the job market: intellectual curiosity and critical thinking, persuasive communication, the ability to think and work independently, etc. The challenge for many grads is to think beyond the disciplinary knowledge to learn to identify their skill set and communicate it to prospective employers in “resumes.”

The “soft skills” we learn from a Humanities degree are incredibly versatile, and while we may not be specialized in one domain, we can adapt our knowledge to the job market.

What inspired you to select your program or area of study in Humanities at McMaster?

McMaster was preceded by its reputation, the quality of its faculty, and this program fit all my length and research topic needs.

How do you feel that your program shaped your personal and professional development?

Professionally, it enhanced a strong foundation in digital communication, media theory, and emerging technologies, which have been crucial in adapting to the fast-evolving landscape of my career in tech.

Being a TA gave me the strong foundation for becoming a people’s manager later on in my career, and leading with patience and empathy.

Personally, the program helped me refine my writing and critical thinking skills, while satisfying & encouraging for further thirst for knowledge and openness to new ideas. I also met wonderful people through my classmates and faculty, some I am still in touch with to this day.

What experience(s) were most impactful during your time at McMaster?

Most of my studies before I joined McMaster were in France, and I was happily surprised to discover a new way of teaching and learning that completely enhanced my educational experience. I loved the small cohort, the openness and creativity we get from sitting at a round table with our professor gently leading our seminars, encouraging us to discuss and learn from each other rather than telling us what and how to think. I felt encouraged, heard, valued.

Alternatively, being a teaching assistant taught me a lot about time management, patience, critical analysis, collaboration and compassion. Being on the other side of the graded paper was overwhelming at first, especially as I was TA for a 75-student class, grading full creative essays rather than “right or wrong” scientific questionnaires. I made the typical mistake of spending way too long on each paper at first, but I learned quickly to analyze writing skills, coherence, understanding of the themes & questions; while also honing on my own attention to details while spotting inconsistencies, errors, and areas for improvement. I had a great relationship with the professor I was assisting and I am grateful for the valuable experience.

How has the versatility of a Humanities degree enabled you to succeed?

The “soft skills” we learn from a Humanities degree are incredibly versatile, and while we may not be specialized in one domain, we can adapt our knowledge to the job market.

I value my communications, research and critical thinking skills that have helped me nail interviews, organize projects and teams, learn new roles without much supervision, assess when to ask questions and when to dig for information on my own. My degree has been, and will continue to be, useful in many aspects of my life.