Critically Acclaimed
A LIBERAL ARTS DEGREE PROVIDES CORE COMPETENCIES FOR OUR EVER-EVOLVING WORLD
By Lori K. Tate
When Arianna Shiraz ’21 clicked into a virtual recruiting event in early May of last year at Queens, she had no idea it would change the trajectory of her life. Shiraz, an art history major and chemistry minor, originally wanted to be an art conservator like her father, but when she wasn’t accepted to graduate school because she needed more work experience, Shiraz went exploring. Goldman
Sachs, an American multinational
investment bank and financial services company, happened to be at the recruiting event, and Shiraz made a connection. “I met a woman who was also a non- business [communications] major,” she recalled. “She encouraged me to apply.” At first, Shiraz was apprehensive, as the finance world was not on her radar, but after talking more with her new connection, who volunteered to review her resume, she decided to go for it. “I had five interviews. … Once it was time for my final interview, I interviewed with four different departments,” Shiraz explained. “Tey basically place you where they think you’ll be the best fit.”
ARIANNA SHIRAZ ’21 Goldman Sachs placed Shiraz as a consumer and
wealth management analyst in Salt Lake City, where she works within global fund management. “I wanted to work at a place where I have developmental and advancement opportunities and global opportunities,” she explained, adding that only one person in her three- person team has a finance degree. “Goldman [Sachs] ended up being the perfect fit.” According to a national survey of business and
nonprofit leaders conducted by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AACU), more than 75 percent want to see more “critical thinking, complex problem solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings,” and 93 percent of employers agree that “a demonstrated capacity to think critically and solve complex problems is more important than [a candidate’s] undergraduate major.” Te term “21st-century skills” is generally used to
refer to certain core competencies such as collaboration, communication, analytical thinking, creative thinking, problem-solving, visual, digital and information literacy,
24
MAGAZINE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
