A LinkedIn post about the placement struggles of a Delhi University History graduate has resonated with many professionals and students. The post argues that while companies often talk about valuing critical thinking and communication skills, humanities graduates are frequently left out of campus recruitment drives.
The post was shared by founder Harshit Khare on LinkedIn. In the post, Khare spoke about a friend who graduated with a History (Hons) degree from Delhi University with 84 per cent marks and made the Dean’s List.
He wrote, “A friend of mine graduated with a History (Hons) degree from Delhi University last year. 84%. Dean’s List. She could debate colonial economics for hours and write better than most people I know.”
According to him, when she approached her college placement cell, she was told, “Sorry, we don’t have companies coming in for humanities students.”
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Khare said there was no follow up or alternative offered. He added that she spent the next eight months sending cold emails, attending interviews for roles she was often considered “not qualified” for on paper, and gradually questioning her career choice.
He said she eventually secured a content role at a small startup with a monthly salary of ₹12,000.
“Not because she lacked talent. Because a system decided, long before she even graduated, that her degree wasn’t worth a placement drive,” he wrote.
Reflecting on the issue, Khare questioned why organisations that frequently emphasise “soft skills” and “critical thinking” fail to recruit students who spend years developing exactly those abilities.
“We’ve built a placement infrastructure that serves engineers and quietly abandons everyone else,” he said.
He ended the post by inviting employers to share their experiences of hiring humanities graduates and encouraged students not to blame themselves. “Your degree is not the problem. The system just hasn’t caught up yet.”
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Internet shares mixed views
The post led to a discussion in the comments section, with many users agreeing that humanities students often receive fewer placement opportunities.
One user wrote, “I just graduated this week, and honestly, the timing is so ironic. Now that AI can handle basic technical tasks and coding, you’d think companies would be looking for people who understand human behaviour, nuance and communication. The market needs us. The hiring pipeline just hasn’t caught up yet.”
Another added, “Humanities changes perspectives and also encourages inclusivity. But sadly, after graduation, students are left with very few options.”
Not everyone agreed with the post. One person commented, “Sorry, but what’s the problem? A History student discussing colonial economies is not always the best fit when there are thousands of applicants. Companies don’t look for academic excellence alone. They look for the best fit. A better approach is to look for roles that align with the degree instead of blaming the system.”
Another user shared a personal experience, writing, “I’m an Economics graduate with an MBA in Marketing. A company I applied to changed the undergraduate qualification criteria to only BSc, BCom and BBA after I applied. It was a research oriented marketing role.”
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Others argued that the hiring landscape is gradually shifting towards skills over degrees, with one comment reading, “Over the years, we have heard about role redundancy. Now the trend is degree redundancy. In the future, the Indian education system may become more like the US, where the market focuses on skills rather than degrees.”
