Sara Kincaid: Manager of Philanthropic Communications

Name: Sara Kincaid

Age: 33

College & Majors/Minors: University of Missouri-Kansas City; B.A. English – Creative Writing (Minor in Classics); M.A. English – Literature

Current Location: Kansas City, Missouri

Current Form of Employment: Manager of Philanthropic Communications at Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I just started my new job in the Philanthropy department at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Children’s Mercy was founded in 1897 by two sisters who dreamed of opening a hospital that took care of all children. Children’s Mercy still lives by this creed today and turns no child away, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. There are few people in Kansas City who have not been touched in some way by this award-winning hospital, myself included.

In my role, I am responsible for helping the various parts of our department (major gifts, planned giving, donor recognition, special events, etc.) communicate with our donors, potential donors and volunteers. I write endowed report updates, content for event programs, call scripts for our donor thank-a-thon, thank-you letters and more. I also edit invitations, programs and a myriad of other content. I work across print, web and digital communication methods to help tell the story of Children’s Mercy and its patients.

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

I didn’t get my first full-time job until 2011. I graduated with my Master’s degree right as the recession hit (2008) and there were no jobs anywhere. It took three years of submitting resumes and cover letters with no results. In spite of this, I kept trying.

My first job was at Hallmark Cards. Yeah, that Hallmark Cards. They’re headquartered here in KC! I applied via their website and got a phone call. Their HR department is pretty traditional. They love behavioral style interviewing, just FYI. I did a phone interview first with HR. Then, I went in for a round of in-person interviews and a writing/editing/InDesign test. And then, I got the job! I worked for three years producing business-to-business sales catalogs. I got to work with every product/card line that the company produces. I had a lot of fun there.

““Every job I’ve ever interviewed for has required some sort of writing test or project, by the way. So, be prepared for that.””

Fast-forward to 2017. A former colleague from my previous job (post Hallmark, pre Children’s Mercy) reached out to me via Facebook and urged me to apply for a job with Children’s Mercy. I applied on their website and was contacted later and asked to do a writing project. (Every job I’ve ever interviewed for has required some sort of writing test or project, by the way. So, be prepared for that.)

I went in twice for a series of interviews and then was offered the job! My best advice from this experience is: you never know who’s watching. The person who urged me to apply for the job, as I mentioned, was a colleague at my last gig, but we didn’t really interact much. I think I did one or two projects for her before she left. I was surprised and flattered that she reached out!

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?

My previous job at the University of Missouri-Kansas City was pivotal. Switching from the for-profit sector to the nonprofit sector can be tough. There’s a lot of skepticism of people who make that switch. But being an alumna and having really good references helped me land the job.

"The first local bookstore that accepted my book and put it on their shelf!"

At UMKC, I began to learn the nonprofit ropes. I wrote letters for the chancellor and the vice chancellor, produced newsletters, wrote articles, video content and event scripts, managed multiple websites, ran the alumni association’s social media and anything else they threw my way. This job is absolutely the reason why I got my current position. I learned so much about stewardship and the nonprofit style of communication. Plus, I met important colleagues who educated me and helped me prepare for my ultimate next step.

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

Internships were very important for me and taught me a lot about how the working world functioned. I did two internships, one in undergrad and one in grad school. The first was at a local PR firm. The second was with Andrews McMeel Publishing in their PR department. In these positions, I got my first few writing samples for my portfolio.

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

I went into the “business” world and not education simply because every time I told someone what I was majoring in they’d ask me (as we’ve all heard): “Oh, so what are you going to do? Teach?” While I love educators and have great respect for them, those questions made me determined to prove that there were many things I could do.

If you’re an English major and you want to work in the “business” world, you have to be prepared to fight. I’ve had to fight hard for every job I’ve ever had. Maybe people in other fields and with other degrees feel this way too. I don’t know. But, from the writing tests to get my foot in the door, to getting opportunities once I’m there, I’ve had to fight, network, volunteer for extra projects and make my voice heard every step of the way. Often people won’t understand the things that we English majors know we bring to the table without us telling them. They think all we do is read novels all day. While that may be true in some respect, we bring our analytical skills, writing skills, a great vocabulary, passion, discourse skills and more. You have to be your own advocate and your own spokesperson out there. No one else will do it for you.

You can check out Sara's blog, Writer vs. the World, here. To learn more about Children's Mercy Kansas City, click here. You can also connect with Sara on LinkedIn.

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Lauren Pope: Marketing & Communications Associate

Name: Lauren Pope

Age: 26

College & Majors/Minors: English Literature / Creative Writing

Current Location: Kansas City, MO

Current Form of Employment: Marketing & Communications Associate

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I’m currently the marketing and communications associate for a non-profit organization here in Kansas City. I work closely with the Director of Advancement to ensure the integrity of our brand, as well as manage and create all of the marketing materials. I work in both traditional and digital media maintaining the website and social media accounts and writing stories about our donors.

My favorite thing about marketing is that every day is like working a different job. It’s nice for someone like me who is creative and free-thinking to have a different task or project every day. One day I’m writing copy for our direct mailers and the next I’m visiting the Kansas City Ballet to write a story on our Youth Advisory Council. You never know what you’re going to walk into and I find that thrilling.

““I found the opportunity on LinkedIn. In fact, I found all three of my jobs I’ve had since graduation on LinkedIn.””

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

My first job out of college was as a social media strategist with a small marketing company in St. Louis, MO. I found the opportunity on LinkedIn. In fact, I found all three of my jobs I’ve had since graduation on LinkedIn. It’s an amazing resource that allows you to put yourself in front of employers you might not dream of working for otherwise.

Last year I picked up and moved to Chicago on a whim after getting an offer with a University to run their social media accounts. Now I’m in charge of all of the marketing efforts at my current position. LinkedIn is a great way to market yourself and tailor your experience to get the job you want. Put those writing skills to use! If your LinkedIn isn’t reflecting your ability to write and tell a story about yourself, you’re not doing yourself any favors.

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?

I was a freelance copywriter and editor for a year after graduation. It helped me keep my skills sharp while I was looking for work. It’s more appealing to employers if you have work experience while you’re looking for a job as opposed to having a gap in your work history. It shows initiative. It also adds a layer of expertise to your work that employers will love. You can be a writer and an editor and employers love that because they’re getting two skillsets in one person.

““Your degree can get you in the door but your internship experience can get you a seat at the table.””

My internship with Fleishman-Hillard in St. Louis was probably my most beneficial experience. I had no marketing experience after graduating but was hired as the marketing intern because of my ability to write. I spent six months learning about marketing and specializing in social and digital media which helped launch me into my first full time job after college. Your degree can get you in the door but your internship experience can get you a seat at the table.

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

I researched! Nobody told me growing up about all of the career paths an English degree can lead to. You go through college with everyone making jokes that you’re going to end up being a bartender or a teacher and it can be frustrating. But there are so many avenues you can go down with this degree. I spent my time deciding what I liked about being an English major and deciding how I could turn it into a career.

Publishing, editing, ghost-writing, copywriting, social media, marketing, HR, internal communications, PR and crisis management, law school; there are so many things you can do. Find the thing that speaks to you and then find an internship in that field.

““The ability to write concisely and creatively will open so many doors.””

You can keep your English degree and work in a field unrelated to what you did in school. I believe firmly that an English degree teaches critical thinking, writing ability and creativity and those are all things that every employer is looking for. The ability to write concisely and creatively will open so many doors. Don’t let the fear of not being employable after graduation steer you off this path.

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

Internships: Experience will get you everywhere. Look at your English department website and see what they offer students. Contact local businesses and see if there are openings that interest you. Check out LinkedIn and see if there are volunteer opportunities that can help beef up your resume. No experience is bad experience. I interned in publishing for my entire last year of college and didn’t end up in publishing. But that experience still interested my future employers and the work I did there helped me later in my other internships and jobs.

Apply for Jobs You Don't Feel Qualified For: I applied to jobs that I was perfectly qualified for and sometimes over qualified for without hearing anything back. Once I decided to expand my job search I was given so many opportunities I'd never dreamed of. A lot of companies will ask for more experience than the job actually requires so don't be afraid to apply with less experience than they ask. It's about the skills you can bring to a position, not the number of years you've spent behind a desk. Even if you don't get the job, you will gain experience in interviewing. The more you interview the more comfortable you'll become with selling your skills as an English major to companies that might not have considered the value of having one on their team!

Have Writing Samples Ready: If you're going to say you're a writer, be ready to prove it. Write articles on your LinkedIn page, keep and maintain a blog. Any writing is good writing. I landed my first internship after sending in my senior creative writing piece about a murder mystery! The man interviewing me said that the sample was unorthodox but he liked that I showed creativity and the depth of my writing ability. You may even consider creating an online portfolio of your writing samples to have ready if employers ask for it.

Stay Focused: It's easy to get beaten down by the rhetoric you hear from people about an English degree. I found myself questioning why I had chosen an English degree a dozen times in undergrad. But if you're focused and determined to be successful, it will work out. Keep your head down, work hard and set yourself up for life after graduation.

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Kyle Hendricks: Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Name: Kyle Hendricks

Age: 28

College & Majors/Minors: Major - English, Minor - Psychology

Current Location: Columbus, Indiana

Current Form of Employment: Full Time

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I am the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for the United Way of Bartholomew County. I work closely with our Director of Resource Development on all of our donor communications and fundraising efforts to ensure that we are not just asking people to donate to United Way, but giving them opportunities all year long to engage and participate in the work of United Way and our partner nonprofit agencies in our community.

My daily duties vary but usually involve writing, editing, copywriting, graphic design, managing online platforms, social media, stewarding community relationships, speaking or giving presentations, and developing long term strategies for how all of these skills work together to help United Way raise money to help people in need.

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

““There is a similar story to every job I have found my way into—I made a personal connection with someone without trying to sell myself. I developed our relationship over time and reached out when I had questions or ideas.””

After graduating college I was bartending at a local spot in my hometown. One day a professor came in for a beer and we started up a conversation. He was starting a new design program in town and we had a good talk on art and literature. He left that day and we kept in touch. I reached out not long after to see if he needed any help with his program and it turns out that he did. I started off working part time at this design space, running errands and doing some low end administrative work (all while still waiting tables in the evenings). I went on to work with him on a national architecture conference and direct some educational videos that were made specifically for that project. My work with the design program gave me the small professional experience and finished products I needed to get me started on a career path in professional communications. 

There is a similar story to every job I have found my way into—I made a personal connection with someone without trying to sell myself. I developed our relationship over time and reached out when I had questions or ideas. I took their advice and explored to learn how new opportunities they presented could help me grow.

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?

I did an internship with a public relations agency in Indianapolis where I split my time promoting regional events and concerts and running book release campaigns for independent authors. This internship taught me important skills on the job, like how to write press releases, ad copy and online content. Every professional communications position that I have applied for has asked me for professional writing samples, and this internship gave me plenty experience and examples to use on my job search.

““If I had to do it over again, I would have worked more closely with my adviser to find a professional internship before graduation and I would have supplemented my class load with a few journalism and business classes.””

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

I'll be honest—aside from showing up to class and doing the work, I did not do much in college to prepare me for my current career. I took the route of an English major because I wanted to learn how to get to the root of stories and how the great ones were created. I was exploring art, poetry and literature as I'm sure a lot of you reading this have explored in your time at school. Those pursuits gave me incredible experiences, an invaluable worldview, eyes, ears, heart and mind for good storytelling, and some hard writing skills. I learned how to be an artist in school, but I did not learn how to focus my skills in a way that allowed me to make a living. That came after graduation in all of the experiences I mention above (and many more less successful tries) over the past six years.

If I had to do it over again, I would have worked more closely with my adviser to find a professional internship before graduation and I would have supplemented my class load with a few journalism and business classes.

““Every office needs some form of a good writer, so you have a good start, but you’ll need other skills to fully develop your attractiveness to potential employers after school.””

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

1) If you're still in school, get some professional experience before you burst out of the academic cocoon. No matter what path you take you will need to learn things in a professional setting that you can't learn in a book or in a classroom or by waiting tables. Talk to your advisers about opportunities that you can connect to on campus or explore internships that your school may know about. Talk to your family members and friends about their jobs and work to see if you can find some things that interest you about those particular businesses or organizations. Every office needs some form of a good writer, so you have a good start, but you'll need other skills to fully develop your attractiveness to potential employers after school.

Don't sweat if you are already graduated and still need this experience. If you're a graduate and you haven't done any of the above, just start now! There is always time to learn. I didn't start my first true internship until I was 24.

2) Graduation is just another step in your growth process—it does not determine your employment or even your career path. You determine your employment and career by how you use your time, talents and energy after graduation. All of these tools are flexible, and deciding not to explore them to the best of your ability is a choice within itself.

3) Always value your relationships over your resources and ambitions. Like I said, every good job I have had started by making a personal connection with someone without trying to sell myself as a potential employee. Build your network consciously but not selfishly. I know this is hard when you are unemployed and can't seem to find a break, but if you stay patient and friendly you will find those connections, too.

4) Keep learning; you don't yet know all you need to know to do your job well. No matter where you are going, you will need to pick up new tools and skills to progress or even just to keep up. Sometimes those skills are hard skills—like figuring out how to code a website. Other times those skills are softer—like learning how to relate to and work with your older co-workers. Stay open to new experiences and stay kind through the rejections and tough lessons.

Along with learning, find resources that you can keep coming back to for personal inspiration and growth. A few that I visit weekly are the Creative Pep Talk podcast, hosted by Andy Miller, and The Daily Stoic, a project spearheaded by Ryan Holiday.

5) Wherever you are geographically, get involved in the community you live in. Volunteering is the easiest way to make a positive impact for others while also building your skills and relationships. Find the people you are passionate about helping and go find the group or organization that's helping them. If there isn't a group or organization in your area helping people you care about, then build one yourself. Making positive contributions to others will help you through your harder days by giving you a different perspective on your struggles and also increases your value to potential employers by showing them that you care enough about your community to get involved.

You can connect with Kyle on LinkedIn or reach out to him directly at kyhendricks (at) gmail (dot) com.

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Meg Goforth-Ward: Adjunct Writing Instructor & Communications Specialist

Name: Meg Goforth-Ward

Age: 30

College & Majors/Minors: BA in Professional Writing from York College of Pennsylvania and MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR

Current Location: Bothell, WA

Current Form of Employment: Adjunct writing instructor and Communications Specialist

Where do you work and what is your current position? 

I teach college-level writing classes for Vincennes University's Military Education Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, WA and I am the Communications Specialist at nFocus Solutions.

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

I started working at a Subway in my hometown when I was fifteen. My brother worked there and got me the job. I stuck with it for about six years because they were flexible with my school schedule and it was a piece of cake job. I guess I'll admit that it was also pretty fun.

I got my current job as a Communications Specialist from applying for countless jobs after graduating with my MFA. This company was one
of only a few that contacted me and asked for an interview. When I was offered the position, I was told I didn't have all of the qualifications they were necessarily looking for, but they really enjoyed my personality and level of energy. So even if you don't have the skills, you have the energy! So fake it and you'll make it.

““When I was offered the position, I was told I didn’t have all of the qualifications they were necessarily looking for, but they really enjoyed my personality and level of energy. So even if you don’t have the skills, you have the energy! So fake it and you’ll make it.””

My teaching job came to me in a much more random way—at an AT&T store in a mall. My phone had broken (or I broke it on purpose because I wanted a new one, maybe) and I went to the local mall to get a new one. I sat at one of the tables reserved for people shelling out their left arm and their right leg for a new phone waiting for the sales lady to finish explaining all of the packages and extras I couldn't afford. At the table next to me sat a grey-haired man with kind eyes. He kept glancing over at me while I answered the lady's questions about what I did for work and school. I worked at a coffee house and went to grad school for writing, I told her. The man's ears perked up, and I saw him rooting around in his wallet. He leaned over, excused himself, and handed me his card. "We are always looking for writers to teach," he said. I told him I was new to grad school and wouldn't have my degree for another year and a half. "No problem," he said. "Hold on to my card and contact me when you graduate." I did as he said, he remembered me (or claimed to remember me) a year and a half after that new phone (of which I've had three since), and now I teach sailors how to write.

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career? 

An inside look at Meg's writing space and process. 

My time spent volunteering as a Grant Writer with a homeless shelter in Charleston, SC has proven to be valuable to me personally and professionally. I was fortunate enough to be able to volunteer my time and not have to worry about getting a paycheck, so I took advantage. I learned the ins and outs of basic grant writing and advanced grant writing. This year of my life allowed me to see what worked and what didn't work in terms of writing for a purpose. I had real results--dollars and cents--that measured how well I wrote a grant. Being able to work at a homeless shelter put me in a situation I had never experienced before. I lived a fairly sheltered childhood in a nice neighborhood with everything I needed to survive and thrive. Walking into the shelter each day, passed George who had a heavy limp and a brain injury but always asked me if I needed help with anything, opened my eyes to real life. The real world, if you will. From that moment forward, I knew my goal in life was to use my love of writing to help others in whatever way I could.

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

I did not do nearly enough, let me tell you. Whatever you don't, do more than what I did. Grad school was a tough two years for me. The schooling itself was incredible, and I highly recommend an MFA program if that is something that interests you. I met some of the best people I've ever known in the program. But I didn't write nearly enough. I did the minimum I had to to graduate. I was struggling with some mental health issues and my father passed away unexpectedly during that time, but I know I could have and should have done more. I had little to show other than a degree. Now I see my friends publishing work from their grad school experiences and talking about all of the books they read. I don't have those polished stories to send out to publishers and I barely remember the titles of books I skimmed. Luckily I was able to get a job with just the title MFA on my resume, but I would much rather have more pieces of writing that I can be proud of. So do your work, do it well, and read. Read everything you can get your hands on.

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

First of all, are you crazy? Why would you get a degree in English?! I kid, I kid. English is the best thing there is. Everything about it is wonderful. I could give you pages and pages of advice, but who has time for that?

““Go into a room with a desk and a chair. Sit your butt in that chair. Write. Write words that mean nothing. Write words that mean something. Write nonsense. Write a novel. Just write. Don’t stop.””

Turn off the TV and the computer and the phone and the tablet and the iPod (do people still use those these days?). Go into a room with a desk and a chair. Sit your butt in that chair. Write. Write words that mean nothing. Write words that mean something. Write nonsense. Write a novel. Just write. Don't stop. Don't add that comma you think you should have added two sentences ago. You'll fix that later. Right now,though, just write. Don't be afraid. If it's important to you, it will be important to your reader. As good old Ernie H, said, "Write hard and clear about what hurts." Don't be worried about people judging you. No one has to see what you are writing right now as it it yours. You never know what can come out of sitting down and writing, though.

And read. Read everything you can get your hands on. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, journalism, comics, graphic novels, children's books, everything. In order to write well, you need to read well. You'll learn more from reading than you ever can from a semester of a writing class (just don't tell your instructors I said that).

Most importantly, be yourself in your writing. Let your personality and voice shine. And make sure you have a little fun along the way.

To the graduates, congratulations and salud! To the current English majors, you are awesome. Keep going. It won't be easy, but, to be completely cliche, it will be worth it.

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Caitlin Anderle: Substitute Teacher & Executive Producer at a Radio Station

Name: Caitlin Anderle

College & Majors/Minors: English

Current Location: Laramie, Wyoming

Current Form of Employment: Journalism and Education

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I currently have two jobs! I'm a substitute teacher by day, and an executive producer at a radio station by night. I produce sports broadcasts (despite being the least sports literate person in the nation, if not the entire world). As part of my radio station duties, I also write for a local news website.

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

I attended a last minute job fair at my university towards the end of the school year. I had recently switched majors and didn't know what I wanted to do post-graduation. I ended up talking to a very nice woman who later became my coworker, and got invited out to the station for an interview.

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?

This is actually my first writing-related job, but I'm hoping that it helps in future jobs. I will say this though, writing all of those college papers definitely helped prepare me for the writing I've done here.

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

Honestly, there's not a lot that can prepare you for post-grad life. However, I was kind of an odd case, because I switched majors from English Education to English at the last possible second, so all of the preparation I did was for a career I didn't end up pursuing. That being said, I like to think that I am managing adulthood reasonably well.

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

Think about what you want to do after graduation, and no matter how silly it may seem, go for it. I spent the better part of six years pursuing an English Education degree and teaching career because I didn't want my life to become an Avenue Q song, and I was miserable. My life has become an Avenue Q song, but I'm a lot happier now that I know what I want to do and am taking steps to do it. Also, never underestimate the power of networking.

You can connect with Caitlin on LinkedIn, and check out her work on the radio here! 

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Cecily Garber: Communications Officer

Name: Cecily Garber

Age: 33

College & Majors/Minors: BA in Comparative Literature (English and Italian), MA in National and International Literatures in English, and PhD in English

Current Location: Washington, DC 

Current Form of Employment: Communications officer

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I work for a higher-education nonprofit association, the Council of Independent Colleges, which supports small liberal arts colleges. My (rather vague) job title is communications officer and American Council of Learned Societies public fellow. I work on a public information campaign to promote liberal arts education and liberal arts colleges. This means I comb the media for relevant articles, videos, and conversations, run a Twitter feed and Facebook page, update two websites, and collect and edit written and video testimonials. With several other coworkers, I am helping plan two conferences for about 250 people. I’m also part of the publishing process for other workplace documents; I draft, revise, copyedit, and proofread marketing materials, letters to college administrators, newsletter articles, etc.

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).

Right after college, my primary goal was to travel, so my job search process was haphazard—destination generally came first and the job second. During my senior spring, someone sent the Italian department at my college an email advertising an au pair position in Rome, Italy. I’d studied Italian literature in addition to English, and I wanted to learn the language and culture better, so I worked in Rome for a few months.

Then a friend in New York City needed a roommate, and I’d always been curious about the place, so I moved there and worked a number of part-time jobs in bookstores, publishing, and teaching. These positions I found through job ads, and I thought of them as temporary, just something to keep me afloat (barely!). I explored the city and plotted my next move.

The following fall, I took off to Europe again, working in a bookshop while completing my master’s degree, and then teaching English to college students and adults in Poland (it paid well for the area, and I was able to travel throughout Eastern Europe). When I wanted to return to the States, I took a job teaching 6th and 7th grade English in a Tucson, Arizona charter school. The job in Poland I found through Dave’s ESL Café website—not sure it it’s still around—and I learned about the Tucson job through an ad on a college alumni list-serv. I remember responding to a number of job ads posted on bigger boards, but those efforts were fruitless.

I wasn’t crazy about teaching younger kids, but I thought I’d like teaching college-level better, so I went back to school to do my PhD in English. I taught a lot as a grad student and still didn’t feel called to the profession, so I began trying other things. One summer I worked at the university press in town, which gave me some great experience. I volunteered for local public media and the community radio station and loved the communications work. I worked at the writing center, which I also liked better than teaching.

I eventually determined that I wanted to find full-time work in communications after graduating, and so in the last year of my degree, I looked for jobs and volunteer positions on campus that I thought would help build my resume. I ran social media for my student association, I wrote and edited the writing center’s newsletter, I started freelance writing a bit, and I produced short podcasts for the college of liberal arts and sciences. I did this in addition to working as a communications teaching assistant for the accountancy department and serving as a writing tutor. The last two jobs paid most of my bills, whereas the others paid little or nothing but were good experience.

It was a lot to take on while finishing up my degree, but it did help me secure my current position. In the first interview for my current job, I was asked if I’d used Adobe InDesign. I had used it to design the writing center’s newsletter (tutorials on Lynda.com taught me the basics, and I recommend that site for learning software, applications, etc.; it was free to use at my university). I was asked if I’d edited multimedia and run social media channels, and I’d done both those things—on a smaller scale, but having some experience made all the difference, I think. I also had writing samples from the freelance work I’d done. My years of reading English literature and writing criticism gave me excellent communications skills—and people skills too, I think. I just needed to add some technical skills and build a portfolio to make myself marketable.

I actually found my current position through the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), which is an organization that mostly awards grants to professors and graduate students to do humanities research. Four years ago, ACLS started a “public fellows” program, which places recent humanities PhDs in nonprofit and government jobs to show the versatility of humanities grads’ skillsets—much like what Dear English Major is doing, but of course in a different way. In addition to the fellowship, I also applied for other jobs, and got a few bites—i.e., interviews—so I think the part-time experience paid off.

What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?

Although I’m not working in publishing now, working at different publishers (part-time or full time over the summer) in the past helped me build valuable skills, like copyediting, and familiarity with software, such as Adobe Acrobat and email marketing software, that are important in my current job and will help me in future ones, I think. I like the communications work I’m doing now better than publishing because communications is faster paced (at least in my experience), but I don’t think I’d be as detail-oriented or as knowledgeable without the publishing experience.

““If I had to do one thing differently, I wish I’d thought more carefully in college about what kind of career I wanted—and didn’t want—to pursue.””

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?

Not much! In my own defense, I wasn’t a slacker (really!); during the school year, I was very absorbed in my studies, competed year-round in Division I sports, and did odd jobs, like delivering newspapers, working in a café, and teaching Italian at 8 a.m. in the morning (BTW my favorite teaching job ever!). I worked at a publisher one summer and taught 4th-graders reading skills over another summer, but I didn’t think much about what I wanted to do after graduating, and I wasn’t focused on building experience towards one kind of position. If I had to do one thing differently, I wish I’d thought more carefully in college about what kind of career I wanted—and didn’t want—to pursue.

What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?

First of all, be proud! As part of my job, I skim through hundreds of tweets and Facebook posts about liberal arts each day, and I know English majors face a lot of scrutiny from family, friends, and society generally. But it’s no joke to read 3-4 books each week, not to mention write a paper too—with a heavier writing load at finals time. So, number one advice is to ignore the haters. I firmly believe that it’s valuable to pursue something you love while you can, while you’re young.

The second thing I’d suggest to those still in college is to explore widely your first couple years, but then start thinking about what you might want to do after graduating, set up some informational interviews, talk to people in different professions, reflect on what you’ve liked and haven’t liked in previous jobs, classes, etc. Then in your final year of college be focused about getting work experience in the field you want to pursue. College campuses can offer lots of opportunities. You might even write or introduce yourself to different departments or staff members and ask if they’re looking for someone to do the kind of work in which you’d like to get some experience (that’s how I found my podcast-production job). This may sound obvious, but it was not how I was thinking in college.

““I really wish Dear English Major had been around back when I was in college—knowing there are so many different careers that English majors can pursue would have been helpful. So cheers to readers who’ve found it—that’s a step in the right direction.””

I don’t regret anything that I did right after I graduated because I got to travel then, and it would be harder to do so now that I’m a bit older, but I do wish I’d read some of the career books that I read in grad school (e.g., What Color Is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles, Targeting a Great Career by Kate Wendleton) or at least known about informational interviewing, different strategies to patch together work experience, and other basic things about career-hunting that those books taught me. I knew pretty early on that didn’t like teaching, but because that’s what I’d been doing for a few years, I felt like I should continue on that path. I really wish Dear English Major had been around back when I was in college—knowing there are so many different careers that English majors can pursue would have been helpful. So cheers to readers who’ve found it—that’s a step in the right direction.  

I really do believe that with some career-savvy and work experience, English majors are just as marketable as pre-professional majors. We should be proud of pursuing a subject we love and reflecting on the big questions in life.  

Explore more of Cecily's writing at Ultimatehistoryproject.com. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.