I’m Josie Murphy, and I graduated from the course-stream M.A. Philosophy program in the spring of 2015. Currently I am a student at St. Clair College enrolled in the public relations program, as well as the Vice-President of the Public Relations club, and the Vice-President of a local board of directors.
While a degree in philosophy hasn’t directly benefited my career since I’m not currently employed as a philosopher, the indirect effects have been countless. The degree I have has helped me in many ways in my current endeavours.
The conference circuit I did in my last semester, as well as the numerous seminar presentations, fostered confidence in public speaking. Without it, I would not have the confidence to be an anchor on St. Clair’s MediaPlex Live at 1 television show.
The classes that focussed on ethics and argumentation taught me different ways and techniques to convince an individual to see my side of things without breaching anyone’s ethics. In public relations well-crafted, ethical arguments are a huge part of the business. After all, the goal of public relations is to convince an audience of the position to take on something.
The dense material that we were trained to read as well as the intense workload taught me how to effectively skim material and manage my time. This is the only way I’m able to juggle so many different activities at a time on my plate.
Even though I’m not teaching philosophy or actively employed as a philosopher, I would still recommend a degree in philosophy to anyone who is interested because the sills that you gain from a degree of that calibre are useful in all areas of life.