The university has been holding its inaugural Humanities Career Week this week, which included a careers fair in the university link building.
Hundreds of students got the chance to learn about not-for-profits, government agencies and other employers keen to hire people who might have a degree in an arts subject - which could range from psychology to anthropology, history or languages.
Careers adviser Petra Hass said the week - tailored to Otago's 4825 equivalent full-time humanities students - had gone "very well".
"We are really excited about this.
"Sometimes it might be a bit difficult to guess where a degree can lead to, if it is not particularly designed to lead into professional registration."
Examples of routes students might not have considered included theology degrees, where a degree in theology could lead into pastoral care, or
degrees in geography or anthropology potentially heading into planning careers or public sector careers, where analytical skills and the ability to communicate were in high demand.
When it came to working as a policy analyst or in policy development, there was the opportunity to develop a career path in different government departments.
"It's been very collaborative across different government departments."
Marketing and PR student Emma Clarke (22) said it was "really cool" the university was trialling the week.
"A lot of people don't know what they can do."
The public sector was also particularly searching for people of diverse backgrounds.
Among other events during the week had been a workshop where people had the chance to learn about careers in writing, including paths to becoming a self-published author.
Otago philosophy graduate Jonathan Manning was at the fair promoting the GovTechTalent programme.
The two-year programme looked at using new mindsets, skillsets, technologies and data to benefit people, government and the economy.
It also involved three eight-month rotations for students, giving them the chance to work in three different government departments.