Rebecca Sabogal says that students who focus on the humanities fields, such as history, psychology and philosophy, can bring special value to technology-based companies. She says that this is because “tools change, but people don’t.”

“All undergraduate students need to build what I call a ‘career kit,’” says Sabogal. “This includes skills such as systems thinking for analyzing data from multiple sources and storytelling so you can understand how data is interconnected in a system.”

Sabogal recently returned to Missouri S&T to give a guest lecture to history students about how humanities students can bring value to AI-focused companies as non-technical majors. She recommends students focus on getting proficient at their chosen course of study, then building “human enablement” skills in adaptability, emotional intelligence, pattern recognition and critical thinking so that a wider range of jobs are open to graduating students.

She also encourages students to intentionally build “key win” experiences during college through leadership in student organizations, campus jobs, or project-based work, noting that these real-world proofs of ownership and initiative often are a significant differentiator in future job opportunities.

“We will always need humans to win deals and facilitate change for companies,” she says. “Machines can find the shortest path to an answer, but humans find the right path – one that makes the most sense for all parties.”

She would know. A 2012 history major, she initially joined the workforce as a technical recruiter for engineering staff. Sabogal then joined Boeing as a staff analyst and eventual project manager. She then worked in startups and finance. She also earned an MBA from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri.

Sabogal, who resides in St. Louis, is currently working as Founder and Managing Partner of PIC Operating Group – a business that supports growing services businesses from advisory services to building turn key functions for strategy, sales, business operations and customer success.

Sabogal says that when she was a student at S&T, she discovered a love of event leadership and decided to pursue a career in that area of interest. Her first job on campus was supporting international affairs, where she was a part of the planning committee for the first Celebration of Nations event in Rolla, which has now been held annually for 16 years. In that role, she saw firsthand how to align people and purpose together to achieve a large-scale goal.

“Employers are looking for skills and key wins,” says Sabogal. “I encourage every student to learn how to both give and receive feedback from peers and supervisors – it is how you will grow and learn while on the job.”