When you think of potential corporate hires, you probably don't immediately think of people with degrees in the humanities. Surprisingly, though, more businesses are turning towards individuals who have degrees that aren't in traditional business fields. These individuals give businesses a chance to innovate, embrace new points of view and take advantage of years of experience that aren't necessarily related to the traditional business degree path.

Stand Out Applications

One of the major reasons that humanities majors are likely to be hired by businesses is because their applications are outside of the norm. HR representatives are often intrigued by the reasons why a person with a non-traditional degree would seek out a business and tend to give those applications a closer look. While many candidates with business degrees may be qualified for the position, it is unlikely that they will stick out in a recruiter's mind as much as an individual with a degree in a less common field.

Moving Away from Tradition

Businesses are always looking for a way to get a leg up on the competition. While most hires come from the business world, there are many businesses that look at the traditional business mindset as outmoded or non-competitive. Looking towards the humanities allows a business to invest in new points of view, which will hopefully help them to innovate in ways that their more traditional opponents can't match.

A Wealth of Experiences

While business degrees are very useful to businesses, many employers have needs that can only be met by people who have degrees in the humanities. Businesses that have a significant stake in the music industry, for example, might get a great deal of value out of an individual who has an online master's degree of music education. Likewise, a business that invests heavily in museums might get more out of an individual with a degree in history.

Second Careers

It's very common for those with Master's degrees to be sought out by those who have already made their mark in another field. In many situations, the degree field matters less than the individual who is obtaining it—and a degree in the humanities might be what's necessary to set him or her apart from the crowd.

In the end, businesses are looking for employees that bring value to their companies. In many cases, this means passing over people with business degrees in favor of those who have degrees in the humanities. As businesses continue to look for new ways to innovate, it has become clear that it is the individual and not the degree that matters.