How A Social Science Degree Influenced A Senior Vice President At Starbucks
Michael, a Senior Vice President at Starbucks, advises social science students lacking detail-orientation to proactively seek "summer internships or kind of networking," emphasizing the value of extracurricular activities and volunteer work in relevant fields to build experience and make their resumes stand out. The importance of developing strong "communication skills, written verbal, critical thinking skills, and analytic skills" is highlighted as crucial for long-term career success, regardless of initial job specifics.
Networking, Internships, Resume Building, Communication Skills, Career Planning
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michael Fink
Senior Vice President
Starbucks Corporation
University of California Berkeley
Harvard Law School JD
Economics
Food, Beverages & Alcohol, Law
Legal
International Student, Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Gain relevant experience through internships or summer jobs to make your resume stand out.
2. Network with people in your field of interest, even informally, to learn more and build connections.
3. Develop strong communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills, as these are valuable in any career and will be helpful throughout your career
Transcript
What advice would you give students with a major in the social sciences who are not detail-oriented about finding their first job?
This is a tough question because I'm not sure what "detail-oriented" specifically means. However, I'll do my best to interpret it.
Coming from a social science degree, economics is a bit different than, say, political science, sociology, or history. It has a more business-like aspect to it.
Even though Berkeley economics wasn't a business degree, and they had a separate business degree from the business school, it doesn't mean you're at a disadvantage. It's not like an engineering or computer science job where that's precisely what you were trained to do, or a business job where you learned finance or accounting.
Assuming the first job is in business, I'd recommend trying to get internships or summer jobs in a business during college. It doesn't really matter what kind of business, but simply having some work experience is helpful.
This experience gives you something to talk about. It's not necessarily going to lead directly to your next job, but it helps you stand out.
If you can't find jobs, participating in certain clubs or volunteer activities is also beneficial. For example, joining an entrepreneur or consulting club, or anything involving small businesses, can be valuable.
If you have a specific career interest, like working for the Nature Conservancy, getting involved with environmental clubs or similar activities can help. Anything that identifies you and gives you some experience will make you stand out.
Ultimately, it's about having something that differentiates you from just being a good student from a good school. Networking is also important. Everyone can network to some degree through family, friends, or friends of friends.
If you're interested in environmental work, perhaps a friend's parent or close friend works for the Nature Conservancy. Setting up an hour-long coffee chat to learn more can lead to a contact.
There are many small actions you can take during your undergraduate years. When added up, these experiences will put you in a better position than feeling overwhelmed and thinking you can't do anything, or just planning to deal with it later.
These scenarios won't set you up well for your first job, especially with a social science degree. However, engaging in internships, networking, or relevant club volunteering will give you resume items, connections, or more knowledge.
Don't be overwhelmed by the prospect of your first job. It can be daunting, especially when accumulating debt. This path isn't as natural as an engineering, computer science, or business degree.
However, a social science or liberal arts degree can be incredibly helpful. In fact, I think it's more beneficial than technical or business degrees. Developing strong communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills and applying them will benefit you in your first job and throughout your career. These are skills you'll always use and that won't change.