

Alumni Spotlight: Lally A. Gartel (Attorney)
Lally A. Gartel is Vice President and Senior Counsel for Litigation at Guaranteed Rate, Inc. She graduated from Illinois in 2009.
The study of philosophy allows you to develop the core skills needed to succeed in a broad range of careers, as well as graduate school.
99% of Illinois philosophy majors secured a first destination within the last three years, with 42% starting a job and 57% pursuing additional education. The reported median salary for philosophy majors in this period was $76,500.
Law: lawyer, paralegal
The possibilities are endless. A philosophy degree gives you skills employers value most — like problem-solving, communication, open-mindedness, a strong work ethic, adaptability, self-management, teamwork, and leadership.
The skills you gain with a degree in philosophy are highly transferrable across a range of industries and professions. In a fast-changing world, the skills you build will be relevant to jobs that may not even exist yet.
Philosophy is a broad field that can prepare you for many different graduate programs.
Data shows that philosophy majors excel on the GRE, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT and other graduate admissions tests. Regardless of what discipline you choose to pursue in graduate school, the study of philosophy will help you excel because philosophy teaches you how to think critically, express ideas clearly and persuasively, and approach problems with logical rigor.
Lally A. Gartel is Vice President and Senior Counsel for Litigation at Guaranteed Rate, Inc. She graduated from Illinois in 2009.
200 Gregory Hall, MC-468
810 S Wright St
Urbana, IL 61801
Email: Philosophy@illinois.edu