Ugnė Stankevičiūtė, a graduate of the New Media Language study programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities of Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), and Vakarė Gedžiūtė, a fourth-year student of the same programme – both confirm that humanities and information technologies can interact harmoniously and that linguistics skills are relevant and necessary in the age of technology.
Knowledge of how people communicate online is instrumental
Currently, Ugnė and Vakarė are successfully working for CyberCare, a company providing customer service in the field of cyber security. Stankevičiūtė believes that language studies and technology are much closer related than it is commonly thought.
“It may not seem clear at first, how language studies can be related to IT, but cybersecurity is the bridge between my studies and my work. For example, the way people interact in the cyberspace helps us to spot potential risks and patterns of thinking that could be harmful if no extra effort is made, and this needs to be communicated to our clients,” she says.
Speaking about the KTU New Media Language studies, the girls say that the main focus of their studies is on how people communicate online, and why do they do it in a certain way.
“Our attention to the way people speak and our in-depth knowledge of the basic structures of communication is a very important part of customer service. Especially in the world of cybersecurity, where it sometimes seems so difficult to navigate,” they say.
Balance of work and studies
Gedžiūtė admits that it is not easy to combine studies and work, but the skills acquired at work can often be applied in lectures, and the knowledge gained in lectures is valuable for work.
“In a job that requires a lot of attention and persistence, the most important thing I have learnt is time management. No one ever said that being a working student was easy, but with a strong desire, anything is possible,” says the KTU student.
She adds that since New Media Language study programme is in a field of linguistics, students are taught how to use language properly and how to produce texts of different genres, such as press releases, articles, as well as more technical texts, such as correct, informative, and clear letters.
She is also happy to expand her skills: “It’s easier for me to see what my client is dealing with, even if they find it difficult to express themselves in emails or conversations.”
Creativity is an important skill for the market
Giedrė Gudauskienė, Head of Communications at CyberCare, a colleague of Ugnė and Vakarė, also notes that the staff with humanities’ background can provide valuable insights in the IT sector.
“What audience to reach, how to communicate with them about the IT products so that the information is heard, what channels to use for spreading the news, what is the socio-political and geo-political context, and other important things in the public space – are the aspects these graduates are well aware of,” says Gudauskienė
She is convinced that the participation of people with a humanities background in the IT sector expands its capabilities. According to Gudauskienė, linguists such as the two KTU New Media Language specialists have a very important mission in this company.
“This mission is not related to correcting mistakes. The mission of language specialists is to get people to talk to each other and to make a seemingly difficult language fluent and clear for everyone, regardless of their education or profession. Information technology needs content creators, marketing and public relations professionals, translators, and other specialists,” says CyberCare the Corporate Communications Manager.
