Graduate in Humanities – succeed in technology?

A postgraduate Humanities degree could be the first step to a career at a cutting-edge company such as Google.

The respected UK magazine for the university sector Times Higher Education has reported on a conference on links between Humanities and technology at Stanford which featured a talk entitled: "Why you should quit your technology job and get a humanities PhD".

Damon Horowitz, director of engineering, and in-house philosopher, from Google was one of several Silicon Valley executives exploring the theme at the event that brought together academics with entrepreneurs and senior managers from some of the world's leading high-tech companies.

Google will be hiring about 6,000 people this year - and probably 4,000-5,000 from the humanities or liberal arts, according to Marissa Mayer, its vice-president of consumer products. It is looking for "people who are smart and get things done" from every possible background, she explains, yet the humanities have a particular relevance.

Fellow speaker June Cohen, executive producer of TED Media, claimed anyone who had studied for a PhD in any subject had "learned stamina and focus and how to listen" - and those skills would always be valuable to employers.

 

See Times Higher Education for further information