Katie Moss: Marketing Copywriter & Coordinator

Name: Katie Moss

Age: 26

College & Majors/Minors: AA Communications, BA English/Minor French, MA English Lit.

Current Location: Boston, MA

Current Form of Employment: Full-time Marketing Copywriter/Coordinator, Part-time Freelance Writer

Where do you work and what is your current position? 

Recently, I secured a job as a marketing coordinator/copywriter for a retail IT consultancy firm. I am the first official member of the marketing team, so I have a broad range of duties, ranging from coordinating company events, to handling social media initiatives, to writing content for the company’s focus reports and organizing/contributing to our website.

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

My first “real” job after graduate school took six months to secure, but it was a great first job. I worked at a technology company that built websites for automotive dealers. My position was that of a copywriter in an SEO department. I had to take a writing test to secure this job, as well as go through three interviews. The entire process from application took about four months.

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

My freelance writing has been an important part of growing my career. I take writing gigs across a variety of different industries and create many different types of content. This looks great on my resume and shows that I am a go-getter!

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

I WISH I had gotten an internship. It’s one of my biggest regrets. I expected to obtain a job more easily after college than I did because I had always done so well in school. Turns out, it’s really difficult to get your first job. I did do part-time work during grad school as a professional notetaker, so it was nice to have some work experience.

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

Take an applicable internship, if possible. It’s a great way to show you have related work experience. Write. Write a lot. You’ll need a variety of samples for your applications. You should also market yourself online with a blog or portfolio. An online presence is super important in today’s job market.

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn! 

Kasey Lee Carter: Internal Communications Specialist

Name: Kasey Lee Carter

Age: 24

College & Majors/Minors: BA in Journalism, Minor in Writing

Current Location: Wilsonville, Oregon

Current Form of Employment: Internal Communications at Xerox Corporation

Where do you work and what is your current position? 

I currently work as the Internal Communications Specialist for the Channel Partners Organization at Xerox Corporation. My main responsibilities include coordinating, editing and writing a bi-monthly newsletter, managing internal social media as well as external social media marketing to end-user and through partner. I also write ad hoc communications sent to internal employees (about 1,400 employees). And I have to do all of this in the VERY SPECIFIC Xerox brand.

In the past, I’ve worked freelance for Sirius Digital Advertising, writing and editing website content and advising on website organization. I also did a little search engine optimization (SEO) work.

My last semester at George Fox University, I held an internship with The City of Newberg, Oregon as Public Information Officer. In this role, I researched, interviewed for and wrote a comprehensive, online and interactive document describing everything The City of Newberg does for the people of Newberg.

How did you find your first job?

I count my Xerox job as my first “big girl” job, and I found it completely by accident. I had been job-searching for about 7 months, and one morning before I went to work, at my in-between job at a spa, I got a call from a recruiter for a position I had applied for that same morning.

She said my resume jumped out at her and that I seemed just right for this internal communications job at Xerox. She did say that I needed to “beef up my resume a bit,” and by that she meant, add loads of text to it to display my writing ability. She said that employers looking to fill writing positions want to see resumes that display writing abilities.

This was so different from what I’d learned about resumes being only one page. So I rewrote my resume, was interviewed once over the phone and then in-person by three people. About two weeks after that initial call, I was putting in my two weeks with the spa and moving to Wilsonville, Oregon, to work for Xerox.

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

My senior year (2011-2012), I was the Editor-In-Chief for the student-run newspaper, The Crescent. This position not only required writing and editing, but also leadership and management skills, which I valued learning as much as the writing and editing stuff.

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

In college, I sought out as many writing opportunities as I could.

I was asked randomly, at the beginning of my sophomore year, if I would be willing to write an article for the student newspaper. Flattered, I accepted and started writing about one article per issue.

The next year I took on a Section Editor position with the student newspaper, and the year after that (my senior year) I was the Editor-In-Chief. My senior year, I also had an internship doing public relations for the City of Newberg, Oregon.

In addition to my work with the student newspaper and my internship with the city, I also became the resident editor wherever I lived in the dorms. Constantly, I offered my editing services to floor-mates and roommates and other students in class. They would always look at me funny, kind of like they didn’t believe me, and then be pleasantly surprised when I returned with thoughtful edits.

All of this extra writing and editing experience I chased after taught me the importance of versatility. It seems like employers and people in general want you to be able to do five things instead of one.

I also learned how to be hungry for more experience and knowledge, which is still a huge part of my life both professionally and personally.

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

Make sure your resume reflects the job you’re applying for. I had no idea a resume for a writing job needed to include so much text, I thought that’s what the cover letter was for. So research the resume type best suited to the job you’re applying for. Don’t forget to write and rewrite that sucker until you’ve crafted it just right, and for each position you apply for.

When it comes to quality over quantity, that’s true too. I applied for over 50 positions in 6 months, some of which were quality, but for some, I was just throwing my resume at a job listing. Oddly enough, my big-girl job came from one of the listings I just threw my resume at, which is, supposedly, not usually what happens. I received more responses from employers of positions I put more effort into the application.

Another piece of advice is to broaden and enhance your skill set. Before I got my big-girl job I was doing some freelance content writing with a new digital marketing business, and I asked to learn more about websites and search engine optimization.

When I started at Xerox, I was armed with writing, editing, communication and social media-type skills. Since I started, I’ve taught myself HTML, and learned to use new software programs (on my own). To learn more about marketing, I’ve been chasing down some of the more tenured employees.

I think it’s important to keep your options open and make yourself more versatile. Employers want to see that you’re willing to go above and beyond what’s asked. Nobody likes someone who just sticks to the status quo, or worse, a slacker.

Connect with Kasey on LinkedIn, and check out BloomsFlowerStudio.com, a website she created content for!

Vincent Rendoni: Email Marketing Copywriter

Name: Vincent Rendoni

Age: 28

College & Majors/Minors: Chatham University, MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) & Western Washington University, BA in English

Current Location: Seattle, WA.

Current Form of Employment: Advertising/Marketing

Current Occupation: Email Marketing Copywriter

Where do you work and what is your current position? 

I am currently an email marketing copywriter for the GreaterGood Network, a charity website. In the past, I was a copywriter for the mom-and-kid focused zulily when it was still a start-up.

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

I was waiting tables when I found the copywriter posting for zulily on Indeed.com. I was a bit nervous about applying as I knew nothing about moms and kids. They must have saw something they liked. It wasn't long after I applied that they sent me a time-sensitive copy test for five different items. After submitting, they had me in for a long interview with the three leads. That's when my future boss gave me a test on the spot. It wasn't long after that they hired me.

My current job was found on Craigslist. The GreaterGood offered a more challenging position and more responsibility for causes (Animal Rescue, World Hunger, The Environment) I truly care about. Despite a lackluster first interview with HR, I had some wonderful conversations with my future boss and colleagues during the second one. To my surprise, I was hired later that day.

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

Funny thing: I never wanted to be a professional writer. I always sort of thought I should keep work and passions separate fearing it would all become work. Sometimes it feels like that. But copywriting keeps me sharp. There are worse things that constantly practicing your craft and getting paid for it.

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

In my undergrad, I actually didn't do much to prepare for post-grad life. Failed to network, content to pass instead of excel. To be honest, I was a bit of spoiled slacker. It didn't bode well for what happened afterward. It was 2006 and the recession was in full swing. When I couldn't find a job at Kinko's, that's when I got a TEFL Certificate and taught English abroad.

I don't want to go into too much of a tangent here, but teaching English abroad is something I highly recommend for English Majors— for anyone with a college degree, really. You get to experience a different culture, contribute to an emerging economy, and make money instead of blowing through savings. It's not always easy at times: Not every country is hiring and the schools that hire you don't always have your best interests in mind. Homesickness can be crushing. It's not an adventure you can easily pull out of. If you decide to do it, consider placement carefully. That being said, I wouldn't take back any of my experiences. I student-taught in Italy and later taught courses in South Korea, Turkey and eventually the United States. It was a good thing for a really long time, but definitely something I couldn't do forever. When I got into Chatham's MFA program, I decided it was time to head back home.

When I got into graduate school, I changed it up. I said yes to everything. Maybe too many things. (Readers, be mindful with internships. You don't work for free, you hear?) But I'm glad I did. Went to readings big and small, read for my school's literary magazines, interned at the county jail, worked with Chatham's international community. I just tried to absorb everything I could before it was time to hunker down and get to work on my thesis.

One instructor in particular prepared me well for copywriting. Novelist Sherrie Flick taught me a lot about sentence structure. I tend to be long-winded and say nothing in particular quite often. Her classes helped me get to the point of what I wanted to say. Turns out if you can write succinct, active sentences in fiction, you can do quite well in the copy world.

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

Don't let people tell your degree is useless. Our world is not as literate as you think. A moderately well-spoken person who reads is an asset in any business. Take advantage.

You won't use your degree for what you want. Not at first, anyway. Acknowledge that you will have to write about lingerie for pregnant women, breast-pumps, and tulle-laden tutus. You will just have to. But soon enough, you may get to write copy about helping dogs in Sochi, rescuing horses and how people can help feed the hungry.

Check out Vincent's resume, portfolio, and connect with him on LinkedIn. 

Chris Strom: Marketing Copywriter

Name: Chris Strom

Age: 28

College & Majors/Minors: B.A. & M.A from Central Washington University

Current Location: Seattle, WA

Current Form of Employment: Marketing Copywriter

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I'm pleased to say that I have just accepted a new position working as a marketing e-mail copywriter. I suppose, though, I could speak more to what I had been doing prior since I've not gotten into my new digs just yet.

I have been working as a copy editor for zulily.com, where I edit all kinds of copy that goes onto the site or into e-mails. In a nutshell, my job is to uphold voice and style according to brand and make sure writing looks presentable for the public. I also work one-on-one with writers to help them develop their own work copy and dabble in some special projects.

Currently, I work with designers and other copywriters to put together marketing e-mails for clients.

What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life? What kinds of extracurriculars did you participate in?

Is it extra-curricular if you got paid? I guess I'm not sure. I wish I had more to present here, but I don't. To be honest, a lot of the extra things I put into my college experience were really helping me to prepare for teaching, which was my interest for a very long time. I worked in the writing center, acted as a TA and taught my own composition courses. Additionally, once I had gotten into grad school, I submitted several papers to literary conferences. If I was looking to actually become a college professor, I was on a great path.

However, this isn't to say that none of this shaped my career now. These were instrumental in developing my editing abilities, and I believe wholeheartedly that learning the basics of tutoring, teaching and public speaking also made me into a much better coworker and communicator, and I've prided myself on my interpersonal skills. They translate over!

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different). What was it like applying?

At first, terrible. I did not expect it to be so hard. If you think you're the only one struggling in your job search, you're not. I use this as a way to preface my statement with a ray of hope. As hopeful as it may make you feel to know that your misery is in company. It's just that I had to learn this the hard way once my morale had taken quite a beating. I looked very hard for a couple of months, and all the responses back were rejections. And that prompted me to, well, give up. I thought that it was me and that I wasn't talented all along, and this is where I mean it would have been nice to know I wasn't alone.

Finally, I took a chance and decided to get in contact with an old college friend of mine. My preliminary message was just to ask for advice on where to look and maybe get some other contacts. She was very nice and insisted I send in my resume to her work because they were looking for an editor. I got very lucky. It kicked off the entire interviewing process where I did phone screenings, an editing exercise and eventually an in-person interview.

I've had other interviews since then, including the one for my new employer. It definitely got easier as I built up my own professional confidence, but I still don't think I know what people are looking for. Of course, they want all of the normal things like multitasking and great under pressure. In fact, it's listed right in their job postings, but that makes those things boring. You should be able to demonstrate basic professional skills, but they shouldn't be your focus. I think employers want to see you beyond the cookie cutter responses they're used to getting in interviews with people hellbent on impressing them. You have to be you. The person you're meeting face to face is also human, and they're going to be looking to make a personal connection as much as a professional one.

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

Everyone is going to tell you to connect, connect, connect. Get out there and network, and it's true that the two main jobs I've been able to grasp onto first started out with my own professional/personal connections. So, always keep people in mind down the road.

I think, though, judging from my own experience and past, I'd most like to say don't be afraid to start small. If you expect to get your dream job straight out the gate, well... you might, but chances are you won't. Those people want experience, and your name will get shuffled right out (maybe/all speculation/educated guessing). My first job out of college was not my dream job, but it certainly got a better job to look at me after getting a year+ experience under my belt. This is the beginning of your dream, so don't try to get to the end so quickly.

Joe Kreuser: Associate Marketing Manager

Name: Joe Kreuser

Age: 33

College & Major: Carleton College, BA in English (Carleton doesn't do minors); Oxford Brookes University, MA in Publishing.

Current Location: New York, NY

Current Form of Employment: I am currently an Associate Marketing Manager at Taylor & Francis, an academic publishing house.

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I am an Associate Marketing Manager at Routledge (which is part of Taylor & Francis). I'm responsible for promoting textbooks across a number of different subject lists in the social sciences and built environment. This involves working to market the books externally, commenting on book proposals that are in various stages of development, and presenting relevant titles to members of our sales teams in the US and UK. T&F is an international company, and have their main offices just outside of Oxford in the UK. So I work with members of our team on both sides of the Atlantic, and promote our books worldwide. For the most part my duties are handled digitally, either sending or responding to emails, or creating online catalogs, but I do travel to attend relevant conferences 2-3 times a year.

Previous to this role I worked at the main T&F offices in the UK as a Marketing Assistant for two years. I also worked for a couple of months at Oxford University Press, and have done internships with three different publishing houses (a medical publisher in the UK, and two small literary presses in my hometown of Minneapolis).

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

At Carleton I worked for The Write Place, where I helped provide advice to students on the structure and form of their papers. I also worked over two summers for Carleton's Summer Writing Program, which brought in high school juniors and seniors to help prepare them to read, write and think at a college level. These experience helped hone my editorial eye, which had naturally developed writing papers for my degree, and got me interested in the idea of editing.

The two internships I did in Minneapolis convinced me that working in publishing was something I wanted to pursue. But given that it can be a hard field to get into, I decided to take part in a program to help me prepare and network before I started. I applied to the publishing programs at Columbia and Denver, but I ultimately decided on the Oxford Brookes program because it would give me the opportunity to live overseas, and because it would give me a Master's degree as opposed to just a certificate (it was also early 2009 when I was making this decision and giving the world economy a year to recover before I started looking for a job didn't sound like a bad idea).  

The Brookes program was great-it introduced me to the whole publishing process (editorial, marketing, design, production), and also to the many issues that crop up in the field (I can't tell you how many talks we had about eBooks and other digital products). It also highlighted the difference between trade and academic publishing, which are pretty significant. Because of the breadth of the Brookes course, I was able to apply for jobs in editorial, marketing and production.

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

After the Brookes course I applied for, and interviewed for, a lot of jobs. It took me about 6 months to get hired, but that's because I had to get my new visa-living and working internationally is great, but it comes with a lot of headaches! For editorial positions I usually had to do some sort of proofreading test, and there were a couple of 'how would you prioritize the following tasks' sort of things. If I got to a second interview, there was always a task involved there-designing a short marketing plan for a prospective book was a common one.

I got my first job after refining my interview approach over the course of 10+ interviews (stupid visa issues), and off the strength of the course's reputation. I eventually had to leave the UK because my visa ran out (stupid visa issues!), but I had impressed the people I worked with, so when a new position became available in the New York office I was notified and invited to interview. It was a lot easier that time around.

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

You really can do anything with an English degree-the skill set that you learn as an English major transfers really well to a number of different fields. The best advice I can give is to have a solid idea of what you want to do, figure out what it takes to break into that field, and then find some way to supplement your skill set with practical experience. This can be more difficult in some areas than others-getting into publishing can often require you to do unpaid internships, which can be tough depending on your economic situation.  But I think that for a lot of jobs, if you can figure out the specific skills they're looking for and emphasize them in the interview, you're halfway there.

If you're thinking about publishing as a career choice, I definitely recommend internships to see if you really are interested. A certificate or degree program definitely helps pave the way as well, although it's not necessary. It's a good idea to look at industry publications like Publishers Weekly or The Bookseller to get an idea of what sort of issues the industry is dealing with, as well as some of recent news. Also, be sure you know what sort of books the company you're applying to publishes-if you want to see a book you've worked on in Barnes & Noble, academic publishing is less likely to give you that pleasure. There are also recruiting agencies that work specifically in the publishing industry that could potentially help you.

Abi Humber: Non-Profit Communications Coordinator

Name: Abi Humber

Age: 22

College & Majors: Communication Arts (placed my own emphasis on writing)

Current Location: Chicago, IL

Current Form of Employment: Communications Coordinator at 826CHI (a creative writing non-profit)

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I work as the Communications Coordinator for 826CHI, a non-profit that brings totally-free creative writing programs to Chicago Public School students. I create content for the organization's web site, write our monthly e-newsletter, manage our Facebook and Twitter, and act as the Creative Director for the promotion of each of our signature events and fundraisers.

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

Well, for a really long time (like 7 years) I was a bi-weekly columnist for my hometown newspaper. I wrote about hiding in lockers from seniors, refusing to try cottage cheese, moving away from home, and Canadians. In college, I took a ton of expository writing classes, honing my ability to synthesize giant amounts of super-dense information and turn it into something readable. I thought I wanted to enter the world of journalism and felt really stuck when none of the news-related internship opportunities seemed interesting or inspiring to me. I stumbled upon 826CHI's web site one random afternoon and applied for an internship during the Fall of my senior year. I immediately fell in love with the organization and its mission—it was the perfect marriage of my love for written expression and inspiring/affirming the voice of young people. Thankfully, the love was mutual and I was hired into my current position about 2 months into my internship. I also spent a lot of time cat-and-plant sitting for my professors and trying to impress boys during dumb intramural sports tournaments. That last sentence very adeptly sums up my collegiate experience.

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

This is the part where I talk about how lucky I got. I was a Programming Intern at 826CHI in the Fall of 2012, working directly with our amazing students on a variety of writing projects. My supervisor sometimes had me work on copywriting or social media projects for the organization, because I understood its goofy, irreverent voice and worked quickly. At this point, I considered being on staff at 826CHI my "dream job." I planned on extending my internship into the spring semester, and was starting to look into entering the Americorpos VISTA program as a way to stick around even longer.

Then, out of nowhere, a staff member informed me that the organization's Communications Coordinator position was open and encouraged me to apply. Euphoric and frenzied (my quintessential self), I pulled together my resume, stumbled through a cover letter, and borrowed a blazer from my roommate. My interview was held in a busy coffee shop, where I sat surrounded by the organization's five other staffers who, just 10 minutes before, were my internship supervisors. They were mostly interested in my ability to work in a wildly collaborative environment, and the degree to which I understood and could convey the organization's culture and voice. The writing component of the interview involved writing a fake event listing and a few social media posts for a super quirky event...the rest is history, I guess, and now they let me make jokes on the internet all day.

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

You need real-world experience. I would suggest starting an internship—not matter how informal or infrequent—as early as your sophomore year. Some advice I got from a mentor: There is no such thing as a wasted internship. Even if your experience is miserable...well, now you know that's not something you want to pursue! Also, try not to be so focused on what you think you're looking for that you fail to recognize other opportunities as they arise. I found out about 826CHI via the "Chicago Artists Resource" blog when I was scouring the internet for journalism internships. I am so glad I clicked the link even though it initially seemed unrelated. Also! Find a mentor. Or two. Or three. Everyone who is currently a "real adult" or a "contributing member of society" was once just like us—wandering, unsure, scared. They didn't become their successful selves overnight, and it is really important to hear from people who have been where you are, but found ways to move forward.

Connect with Abi on LinkedIn. 

Sara Shepherd: Freelance Writer

Name: Sara Shepherd

Age: 26

College & Majors/Minors: English Creative Writing & Theater

Current Location: Portland, OR

Current Form of Employment: Freelance Writer

Where do you work and what is your current position? 

I am currently working as a freelance writer for a few companies. My “bread and butter” jobs are pretty uninspiring; I recently completed a job where I wrote 400-word pieces concerning the demographic information of different area codes. Not exactly the next greatest novel, but hey, I am making money with my writing and I am able to do it from my home. It's especially great because it allows me to stay with my eight-month-old daughter while continuing to build a professional career.

In the past I have held a couple of marketing positions, one for an engineering company and another through the Department of Defense while my husband was in the Army. In both of those positions I was responsible for turning technical information into readable and engaging content for the public.

Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job.

I found my first job through Craigslist while I was still in school. It was as a marketing and office assistant at an engineering firm in Seattle. The position was entry level, but I gained the marketing skills and experience that lead me to the freelance positions I hold today. The company was a small engineering firm in Seattle owned by some really nice people. They felt my personality was just as important as my skills, as well as my willingness to learn new tasks. The interview was far more personable than I expected. They were looking for someone who could help them create marketing materials as well as update their website, and were happy I knew a little bit of HTML, Photoshop, etc. That was a really great job. I ended up having to leave when my husband and I were moved to an Army base across the country.

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

At Fort Stewart I worked as a clerk for the Department of Defense. It's not as exciting as it sounds– I was actually working at the front desk of a school-age childcare facility. The work could be downright dull at times, because I had to prepare a lot of government documents with very specific guidelines. Eventually a new manager was hired who recognized my skills in marketing and design, and I began taking on more creative assignments. I ended up designing the center's activity calendars, fliers, and I co-authored a 30 page customer handbook. The position taught me a lot about following strict guidelines, preparing official documents, and gave me a low-level security clearance which could have been applied to other jobs, had I pursued it.

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

One of the most important activities I did while in college was work for the school paper. The job forced me to learn how to write on a tight deadline and made me more outgoing as I was always having to interview people I didn't know. I also picked up some very marketable skills like Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. Many freelance positions ask specifically for writers with news-writing and journalism experience, and I am continuing to write journalistic pieces for my own website.

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

It took me a while to realize this, but writing is actually really hard for most people. I used to say “I should of gone to college for something practical, like a trade skill,” but writing IS a skill! Since entering the workforce, I have encountered some really terrible writing from folks who are professionals in other fields, but simply can't organize their thoughts on paper. As English majors, we have the education and experience to create high quality content that most people simply can't. We also the ingrained ability to think creatively. Don't sell yourself short – you do have a professional skill to offer, and every business needs someone who can write.

Visit Sara on her newly launched website, PvE Portland! It features nerdy businesses and individuals who live in and around Portland, Oregon. You can also connect with her via LinkedIn.

Erik Hanberg: Self-Employed/Writer

Name: Erik Hanberg

Age: 33

College & Majors/Minors: Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. English degree.

Current Location: Tacoma, WA

Current Form of Employment: Self-Employed/Writer

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I am a business owner (a marketing and design company I own with my wife) and a self-published writer with six books published (three mystery novels, two non-profit guidebooks, and one sci-fi novel).

My professional background has mostly been in non-profits, especially in communications and marketing. Every job I've had needed extensive writing skills. I wrote the tourism brochure for our county in marketing for one job, and edited a high school alumni magazine for another.

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

I had one business internship, but my most helpful preparation for a professional career was temping in a big corporate office during the summer. I made pretty good money and I learned very quickly how a corporate environment works. I haven't worked in the corporate world since, but the professional experience was important.

I also worked during college at the Career Center, which gave me a good idea of the diversity of jobs available. There really is a lot you can do!

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition

$6.93

By William Strunk Jr., E. B. White

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

I have volunteered my way into most jobs. I have a lot of experience in the non-profit sector, and in two cases, volunteered with an organization before getting hired. As to writing, I've never taken a writing test, but having a portfolio of work has been great. Keep magazines, letters, or any other piece of writing you're proud of in a folder. It will be helpful later.

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

First, you can get practically any job with practically any major. The key is talking about skills versus degree or title.

Second, EVERY business needs writers. If not writers, then communicators. I promise your skills are in high demand. Work for a nonprofit in marketing or development (fundraising) for awhile and you'll amass a good portfolio of writing. You can either move up the chain in nonprofits or find your experience will be valued in a better paying corporate gig as well. Strunk & White's book on writing, The Elements of Style, was a great help to me post-college. Writing an academic paper and writing a fundraising pitch are not the same things!

Visit Erik at erikhanberg.com, follow him on twitter and check out his books on Amazon!