Having graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English, I’ve had this joke sent to me by friends several times over the course of my college education. But it turns out the joke may be on them, as CEOs of tech companies are now emphasizing how the creativity, critical thinking and conceptual analysis learned in the humanities studies  makes a liberal arts student more appealing as an employee.

A recent survey from the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that 93% of employers valued an employee's ability to think critically and communicate over a specific undergraduate major. Thus, instead of having one particular skill, employers are now searching for employees who can adapt to and analyze a variety of business endeavors.

This intangible skill of creativity becomes especially relevant as other technical skills continue to be taken over by automated machines or outsourced overseas. As more and more start-up tech companies emerge, it becomes essential for them to differentiate themselves and hire team members who can brainstorm ways to make their product and/or service stand out to the public.

This multidisciplinary focus explains why critical thinking is the number one skill employers are looking for in their candidates. So while you wonder how your ten page essay on Ezra Pound's two line poem 'In A Station of the Metro' could possibly help you find a job (as I myself did), keep in mind the analytical skills you are cultivating with every thesis you craft.