Emily Ladau: Freelance Writer & Disability Rights Advocate

Name: Emily Ladau

Age: 22

College & Majors/Minors: B.A. in English, Adelphi University

Current Location: Long Island, NY

Current Form of Employment: Freelance Writer and Disability Rights Advocate

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I work from my favorite blue armchair in my living room, writing, researching, and emailing my heart out. I am a freelance writer, blogger, social media professional, and most importantly, a disability rights advocate.

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

Emily on Sesame Street.

If you want to get technical, my first job wasn’t writing-related at all. I appeared in several episodes of season 33 of Sesame Street when I was just ten years old. In the years since hanging out with Big Bird and Elmo, I focused on developing my voice as an advocate. For quite some time, my goal was to become an English teacher and incorporate embracing diversity and an attitude of acceptance in my classroom. However, mid-way through college, I found myself gravitating toward the idea of pursuing disability advocacy as a fulltime career.

Majoring in English certainly provided an ideal foundation because it gave me the opportunity to hone my writing and communication skills, both of which are huge facets of being a successful advocate. My skill sets and passion for activism led me to apply for a summer internship in Washington, D.C. with the American Association of People with Disabilities, through which I was placed to work at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. Not only did this internship prove to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life, but also it set me on my current career path. I was matched with a wonderful mentor who shared her wisdom on blogging with me, ultimately inspiring me to begin my own blog, Words I Wheel By. I’ve been blogging for nearly a year, and it has opened the door for all of the paid writing and social media opportunities that comprise my current work.

You've been published in so many places. How did you go about submitting your work? Did these publications seek out your writing? 

The first paid writing gig I landed was all thanks to a series of fortunate events. Soon after I began blogging, I delved into the professional side of social media as a means of sharing my work. After a couple months of connecting and interacting with other writers and disability rights advocates, a blog coordinator reached out to ask if I’d be interested in a volunteer opportunity writing a guest post on disability in the media. That process went so well that the coordinator put me in touch with one of his freelance bosses and recommended me to be a writer.

Once my first paid piece went live, I started to build up the confidence I needed to officially consider myself a writer. Since then, getting published in different places has been the result of both submitting my work for consideration and having people approach me. I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting my pitching skills, and it’s still something I work on refining whenever I can. I’ve learned that the trick to a successful pitch email is to get right to the point, keeping it short and sweet rather than filling the page with flowery compliments.

So far, persistence has been key – with pitches, with tweets, with Facebook posts, with networking emails, with every aspect of writing. Everything I’ve done, successful or not, has been worth it just for the experience and connections. My favorite example of the pay-off so far is that I was offered an opportunity to write for The New York Times website via Twitter. The end result of that exchange is one of my favorite things I’ve written to date: “One Daughter, One Mother, Two Wheelchairs and Nothing Remarkable.”

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

I was offered my first writing-related job by chance during my freshman year of college. There was a book response essay contest for the entire freshman class and I won. Part of my prize was dinner with the author and some faculty members, one of whom happened to be the director of my university’s Writing Center. We chatted throughout the meal and hit it off, so she approached me a few days later to let me know she had read my essay and wanted to hire me as a writing tutor.

Following a semester-long intensive tutor training course, I got to work with students from all over my school during tutoring sessions several days per week. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world, because it gave me exposure to immense diversity in writing habits that stemmed from different cultural backgrounds and learning styles. By reading the writing of others through a critical lens, offering guidance, and doing my best to help people comprehend an incredibly wide-range of grammatical and writing-related concepts, I was constantly motivated to consider my own writing and my understanding of the writing process in new ways.

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

I’ll be honest: since I changed career plans right in the middle of college, the real world intimidated me a bit. However, one of my primary goals was to make sure I graduated college with an already full resumé. All the clubs I joined, volunteering I did, and employment experiences I had during my time as an undergrad made it easier to transition to working after I graduated.

Also, once I realized that I wanted to shift my focus to advocacy, I began to explore possible options in case I decided to go to graduate school. As it happened, I took a year following graduation to focus on building my career, and just recently applied to a program that I learned about while I was still an undergrad. I’ll be pursuing an M.A. in Disability Studies starting Fall 2014 at the CUNY School of Professional Studies, and the program will allow me to continue my writing work as I earn my degree.

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

My first thought is, who am I to be spouting advice? Everyone will find a path that works best for them. That being said, I worry that far too many people make negative assumptions about what can be accomplished with an English degree, and I want anyone who’s ever doubted their decision to be an English major to know that there really is a world of potential out there.

In terms of practical advice, there are a few things I can’t stress enough:

• If your goal is to write, put yourself out there. Create a blog, pitch material, develop a writing portfolio. It doesn’t matter if you’re still a student; the earlier you work towards making a name for yourself, the better. Even if you begin by doing lots of writing for free, you’ll be paid in the form of a wealth of writing clips to show off to potential employers. My blog serves as one big writing sample that I can easily present to anyone who may be interested, and I also have a separate portfolio page with a list of pieces I’ve written for other publications. This gives me credibility as an experienced writer, and provides Google with plenty of material in case anyone searches my name.
• Social media can be a total rabbit hole, but it can also be your best friend. Some of my favorite work opportunities have come from simple online connections. It’s important not to focus only on one platform, though. I actively maintain accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and several other useful platforms (shameless plugs, I know). But the real point here is to diversify your social media outlets, because you never know where someone might stumble across your writing or you’ll find your niche.
• Learn your limits. I find myself constantly wanting to say yes to everyone, but spreading myself too thin is just not fair to anyone. Saying no always makes me feel as though I’m being unfair to people when I have to do it, but when I have more time, I can write pieces and do work that I’m genuinely proud to call my own.
• Most importantly, have faith in yourself. It’s super cheesy, cliché, and probably something you’ve heard a million times before, but it’s the advice that gets me through every day. Whenever self-doubt starts to creep in, acknowledge it, shake it off, and keep moving forward.

Visit Emily on her professional website and blog, Words I Wheel By. Connect with her on her Facebook and Twitter, too!

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Katie Plumb: Freelance Writer

Maggie Smith-Beehler: Poet, Author, Freelance Writer & Editor

Sam Slaughter: Fiction Writer & Brewery Social Media Manager

Sam Slaughter: Fiction Writer & Brewery Social Media Manager

Name: Sam Slaughter

Age: 26

College & Majors/Minors: Elon University - BA, 2009, English/Creative Writing & Anthropology. Stetson University - MA, 2014, English.

Current Location: DeLand, FL

Current Form of Employment: Fiction Writer and Brewery Social Media Manager

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I currently work as a social media manager for a small craft brewery in DeLand, Florida. Starting this fall, I will also be an adjunct professor at the institution that I received my MA from. In addition, I do copywriting or editing for a few different people in town on a client-to-client basis.

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

I fell into one, and for the other it was just as easy. I’ve always been interested in beer, wine, spirits, brewing, et cetera. From the time my college roommate and I attempted and eventually made abysmal homebrewed beer, I knew that it was always going to be something that I circled. In stories, I think Flannery O’Connor was the one that said you had to have your characters circle the same drain, or something to that effect. Alcohol, both making it and writing about it, is my drain. When I moved out to Montana for Grad School 1.0, I called all the wineries in the area and asked if they’d teach me. One place got back to me and did so. When I got down here, my boss’s husband knew some people that homebrewed and invited me over on a day they were brewing. I brewed, then did it again and then again. I stuck around. As they began to visualize a brewery, I was always there. I made the beer, I poured the beer, I drank the beer. With previous bar experience, I was/still am necessary to the brewery in the sense that I know more about the beer than most and I can also sell it better than most (an ability to play with words helps this out a lot). I may not be able to talk to strangers face to face on the street (the writer part of me coming out), but I sure as hell can sell you a pint of craft beer from behind a bar.

For the position with the university, I asked. After graduating, I was trying any and everything to find a job that would allow me to pay my bills. Teaching appealed to me—I’d co-taught a class while a grad student with my mentor and I have other teaching experience (City Year, an Americorps program)—so I sent an email inquiring about open positions with my university. Thankfully, they had some, I interviewed and now I’m preparing to fly solo with my first college class.

To address the last part, it all happens by networking. In such a small town, it isn’t hard to be known for your words. When you make enough acquaintances who then learn you can write and write better than most, copywriting jobs occasionally pop up. Business isn’t booming, but by asking people if they could use better copy for websites or whatever, you get a job here and there. It keeps me writing a variety of things and it, who knows, could lead to other freelance gigs in the future. I just keep asking and letting people know I’m available.

What was another job that was important in your career? 

Practically, an important job was working for a newspaper as a beat reporter. Two years after I graduated from Elon, I moved from Montana, where I'd spent a year floundering in graduate school, back home to New Jersey, where I took the job as a reporter. I learned a couple of things while at that position. First, I learned to write in the very basic, journalistic way that I had neglected to do throughout college. Working as a reporter for a small weekly, you learn to strip away any of the fancy bells and whistles of language in an effort to paint a simple portrait of, say, a town council meeting. In defense of town council meetings, though, there is no place for fancy bells and whistles. 

Not so practically, a job that sticks out for me is a summer I spent working as a gravedigger. You can call it a cemetery groundskeeper or a lawn facilities technician or some other fancy title, but I was a gravedigger. I used a shovel and I put people in the ground. It sounds harsh, I know, but it was also the perfect opportunity as a writer to learn. This job, and any other not-so-important jobs I’ve held over the years, especially ones that are more manual labor than intellectual labor, allow for time to think. I plotted stories while I worked, even if I never wrote them. I catalogued details of place. I tried out dialogue while I was out amongst the headstones weed whacking.

I try to balance practically and impracticality in my life if for nothing else than to remind myself that I need to make mistakes or I’m going to lead one hell of a boring life and more importantly a life not worth writing about.

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

I wish I could say I did something specific. I didn’t though. Like I said earlier, I just happened to circle the same drain a lot. Really, there were two drains, so maybe this has to turn into a simile more like two planets, some gravity, and a ball in the middle. I swung from one orbit to the other and back in a figure eight pattern for a long time. Similes aside, I knew from a young age (eighth grade or so) that I wanted to write. I knew later on that I wanted to be around alcohol. Whatever I was doing, I kept those two things somewhere in my mind. They weren’t always in the front, but they were there. If your passion is strong enough, you learn to mix it into your everyday life. That’s all I did. I made sure words and booze were around all the time. The booze part is more difficult than the words part, but you learn over the years how to do it. As long as you know you haven’t forgotten about it—and the sheer fact that you remind yourself not to forget about whatever it is being the proof of that ( I think that’s how that works)—then you’ll be fine. Find your passion and don’t let it go.

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

If you want to be a writer, try to have a job that does not involve writing. It may sound counterproductive, but I felt the least inspired (and the least energized) to write when all I did all day every day was write. When i got home, I had enough energy to go to the gym and then I'd sit around and complain about my job to my family. Instead, find some physical. Use your body and tire out everything, but your mind. Work somewhere where you will interact with people. Even if it isn't something permanent, it'll be useful. Work in the service industry. If you want to write in any sort of genre, this experience will give you settings, characters, you name it. The weird people you will meet when you work at a bar will provide an endless font of ideas for stories, poems, essays, everything. If nothing else, it'll provide an insight into how not to treat other people when you are out to dinner and that, I feel is quite useful in life.

[Sidebar: Working in a job where you write some, I think is also a good thing, though seeing as that is what I do, I recognize that I am bias. I like to think of it like an engine—writing all the time it'll overheat and you'll be left on the side of some lonely highway in North Dakota wondering whether or not a true crime show was shot in the area, but writing some of the time keeps the engine running, and running well so that when you do get to write you can perform optimally.]

To add to that, and this will sound cliché so for that I apologize, but try stuff. Live a little. When you spend all of your time with your nose in a book or sitting in front of a lit screen, you tend to miss out on things. I'm not saying go out every chance you get—that is probably as useless as never going out unless you take damn good notes—but don't be afraid to occasionally interact with others. Most won't bite and if they do, they're probably trying to be playful. If they're not, then you've got one hell of a story if you get out of there alive.

Finally, writing is a job, so expect to always (unless you're one of the incredibly successful and lucky ones) to always hold down two jobs. One you may never get paid for, but it deserves just as much attention if you want to be successful at it. Write and read whatever and whenever you can. Fail at writing and get rejected a lot. Get hurt by the rejection, fume over it, hug a teddy bear or a loved one, have a beer, strengthen your resolve to not let it happen again, then get back to it. It sounds a bit harsh, I know, but if you're not writing with a passion that can overcome that stuff, then why write?

Visit Sam on his professional website and follow him on twitter @slaughterwrites.

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Pam Elise Harris: Development Editor & Author

Name: Pam Elise Harris

College & Majors/Minors: Major: Communications Arts and Sciences. Minor: English (last minute decision!).

Current Location: Forest Hills, NY

Current Form of Employment: Development Editor/Author

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I am currently a freelance editor. I development edit novels and educational product. I also copyedit novels and do editorial tasks like art placement or checking Web sites. For development editing, I take a raw manuscript and sculpt it into the final draft that will become the book. This can involve working with authors or freelance editors to guide them in the direction needed. On occasion, it even involved writing. I've worked on a lot of educational Web sites and testing products. I loved writing activities! I loved the challenge of knowing that an activity had to practice this skill and had to be from an activity type that amounts to this many points. With novels, I have delved into the story finding aspects that needed more development, and others that needed to be altered. 

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

My first job in publishing was kind of an accident. I was working as a temp, and I just happened to be assigned to a publishing company. It was one of my first temp assignments where I actually had something to do. They were supposed to get rid of me when the summer intern came in, but I didn't want to leave, and they didn't want to have to find someone else when the summer intern left. So I made my case, and I was there for twelve years. 

I didn't find my current job. It found me. After twelve years of working at my previous company, they decided to discontinue my job. With no other option, I started taking in freelance work.

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

Funny you should ask. I don't really consider this a job, but it is writing related. Back in November 2012, I did National Novel Writing Month for the first time. This was the first time in a very long time that I had committed to writing. That novel will be self-published later this year.

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

This is going to sound bad. Nothing really, which is why I didn't have a job when I got out of college. Always prepare!!

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

Look for opportunities within your chosen field while you are still in college. If you can, do an internship. We had an intern that we liked very much, and he wound up in our freelancer database. We continued to send him work while he was still in school. Internships are a great way to learn practical skills and get your foot in the door. And if you're looking to be a writer, make connections with writer's groups. National Novel Writing Month has community groups on its Web site. They do in-person events. It's a great way to get to know other writers in your area. 

Visit Pam's professional website, connect with her on LinkedIn, and check out her Facebook page!

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Janet Schwind: Self-Employed Writer, Editor & Publishing Consultant

Elizabeth Kirsch: High School English Teacher

Sarah Scott: Public Library Professional & Writer

GetYourNerdOn Giveaway - Closed!

[EDITED: Sunday, July 20, 2014]

CONGRATULATIONS to the winner of our GetYourNerdOn Etsy Shop giveaway, Kim T.! Kim won an 8'' x 10'' print in any color from the GetYourNerdOn Etsy shop.

Stay tuned for our next giveaway announcement on July 27th. 

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We're excited to announce our very first giveaway! We're partnering up with GetYourNerdOn, an awesome Etsy shop that's all about celebrating the nerd in all of us.

Prize: The winner will be able to choose any 8'' x 10'' print in any of the color choices available from the GetYourNerdOn Etsy shop.

It's pretty simple to enter:

• Fill out the handy form below, which includes following Dear English Major on Twitter to enter.
• All entries must be received by Saturday, July 19, 2014 at midnight PST.
• The winner will be chosen at random using Rafflecopter. 
• If we don't hear back from the winner by Sunday, July 27, 2014 at midnight PST, another winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A note from GetYourNerdOn:

"Nerd life is just so much better than regular life." - John Green

I'm excited about this opportunity to partner with Dear English Major. Not only am I a lover of grammar and words, but I'm a big fan of nerds helping each other out and giving one another inspiration!

I really love all kinds of art, but couldn't even draw a decent stick figure if I had to. I also love nerdy things. I love learning new things about this amazing world we live in and the universe around us. However, I tend to forget things almost as soon as I learn them! This shop is a great way for me to combine these two passions. I really enjoy the creative design process, and I love learning about new things as I create new posters. And as it doesn't require a lot of free-hand drawing, or any tests about what I've learned, it's okay that I'm not great at either. ;)

One of my greatest motivations for this shop is just to promote the idea that being a nerd is cool. If enough adults can get on board with the idea that learning and being smart is cool then maybe it'll trickle down to the younger generation. I love it when kids get genuinely excited about learning something, and I'd love to see more of that. I think it would be great if the negative nerd stigma was taken out of our schools because kids are just so excited about learning that they're all nerds! (Is that hoping for too much?? I hope not!)

Thanks for taking the time to look around my shop. I hope you find something here that speaks to your own inner nerd!

:) -Jen Colby

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Top 3 Reasons for English Majors to 'Go Corporate'

One common trait most writers share is freedom of expression. Your thoughts, your words, your construction, your result—the liberal arts version of a never-before-seen chemistry experiment. Some (not all) writers manifest that philosophy into a defiance of Corporate America:

• “Why would I make someone else rich when I can work for myself?”

• “This is the exact reason I wanted to be a writer… I’m not into the 9-5 thing.”

• “I don’t need some MBA grad judging my work.”

Granted, these are legitimate reasons for being, at the very least, wary of swapping out your t-shirt and home office space for a collared shirt and cubicle. However, there are plenty of perks to working at a large company, and for those unfamiliar (and I certainly was at the start of my career), I hope to steer you toward your own decisions on whether a more corporate setting is your best fit.

Benefits: For What It's Worth

Chief among those benefits of going corporate are, well, the benefits. Many corporations will offer employees not only comprehensive health care plans, but 401(k) and other retirement account plans as well. Side note: younger savers may want to investigate the Roth IRA, which deducts slightly more money from your paycheck now, but at the advantage of paying no tax on your withdrawal later in life.

A smaller, more start-up type company could certainly pay more in cash—especially to Millennials, who baby boomers seem to hold in contempt—but for me, there’s nothing like the peace of mind of having strong health insurance, which is more likely to exist at a larger, more corporate entity. Breaking down deductibles, co-pays and HMOs is typically a job left to HR, which means less for you to try and discern. Knowing your options is still very important (as is having options in the first place), but if your corporate employer has a robust plan, you’ll appreciate the coverage.

Paid vacation and holidays are now considered part of an employee’s hygiene factor—in other words, a liberal vacation policy isn’t a perk; it’s an expectation. Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs, flexible spending plans and potential bonuses are great if they can be had, but their exclusion shouldn’t be dealbreakers.

Corporate Camaraderie 

Telecommuting and remote working arrangements are gaining steam over the last half-decade, but you’ll still likely spend the majority of your work week in a cubicle. Here’s why that’s not necessarily such a bad thing: people. When you’re having difficulty making coherent words appear on your screen, as we all have, collaborating with a manager or grabbing a coffee with a colleague can help take a sledgehammer to that wall of writer’s block.

You’re an Investment, Not a Number

Despite the United States’ recent plague of job loss and unemployment, or perhaps because of it all, corporations don’t take their hires lightly. In other words, if you find yourself at a solid company, don’t assume that you’re simply a number without a face, and the next market dip could leave your job vulnerable. In fact, a corporate job may provide you with some stability that may not be afforded to you at a smaller company. It can cost up to 150% of an employee’s salary to find a replacement, a statistic with which Human Resources people are undoubtedly familiar (and are being measured on), so they want to keep you.

These days, corporations far and wide acknowledge writers as soundly contributing team members, and not simply dismissed as people who don’t want to get a real job. Whether it’s copywriting, technical writing (not as creative, but still vital for industries like financial services and engineering), or the ever-expanding content marketing, versatile writers do have a role in the “real world.”

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About the Author

English major Mo Hall is currently a marketing writer and content coordinator at Michael C. Fina, a company located just outside of New York City. Read our interview with Mo here to learn more about his experience, career, and advice to English majors. 

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Brittany Shelley: Director of Content Marketing

Name: Brittany Shelley

Age: 34

College & Majors/Minors: B.S. in Journalism, Minor in English Literature from Florida A&M, Mass Communication - University of Central Florida

Current Location: Orlando, FL

Current Form of Employment: Director of Content Marketing

Where do you work and what is your current position?

When I was in high school and college, the Internet to me was nothing more than an AOL CD, a Geocities web page, and Napster. Back then, my internships and jobs had me writing press releases, designing flyers, putting together PowerPoint presentations, and producing a newsletter using a now obsolete desktop publishing software. Fast-forward to now where I can't survive without my iPhone, I use Google as a verb and the local colleges are offering online journalism as a degree. For almost 10 years I have been immersed in the world of Internet marketing from everything to writing copy for the web, creating and distributing e-newsletters, writing and distributing online press releases, acting as a social media manager, and more. Digital content is my life now and this is coming from a girl who used to think print would never die! (QuarkXpress anyone?)

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

I found my first job in Internet marketing through an agency. The job I currently have now— well, they found me on monster.com. My writing skills in traditional journalism is what got my foot in the door. I did not have to take any writing or editing tests but my portfolio from college and internships was full of everything from editorials, comprehensive PR plans and desktop publishing projects. My employers were looking for someone with basic writing skills that they could train up to write for the web. It was less competitive back then, because Internet marketing was still relatively new. Now, you need to have an extensive body of digital work under your belt. The interview process was smooth and what helped was the real world experience I had gained over the years.

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

Before I got into Internet marketing, I actually worked as an editor for a mystery shopping company. It was my job to clean up surveys and edit them while making sure to stay true to what the original author wrote. It paid peanuts but it taught me to pay attention to detail and enhanced my customer service skills.

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

In college I made sure I snagged internships related to my field so not one moment of experience was wasted. My extracurricular activities included the college newspaper, and clubs such as the student PRSSA. I had an internship most semesters and also during the summer. I worked in the public affairs office at my college and I worked for a non-profit organization designing marketing materials. They helped shaped my career because the work and responsibility was real—it was work that was actually going to get used, not just a faux project for me to cut my teeth on.

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

Always remember to follow your dream and not the money. Do what you love! There's the stereotype that writers don't make a lot of money—and most of us don't starting out—but no matter how low my pay was at one point in my life, I still loved my job because I love to write. I feel blessed that I get to do what I love while earning a great living!

Brittany Shelley regularly contributes to her company blog, and her other work can be found here.

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Rachel Wong: Content Specialist

Kat Clark: Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications

Melissa A. DeDomenico-Payne: Director of Development @ Big Brothers Big Sisters

Name: Melissa A. DeDomenico-Payne

Age: 45

College & Majors/Minors: B.A. English, B.S. Psychology, M.A. Psychological Services – Counseling, currently working on D.P.A. (Doctorate in Public Administration)

Current Location: Virginia

Current Form of Employment: Contracting part-time with Big Brothers Big Sisters as Director of Development

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I have spent much of my life working with non-profits to address social and/or mental health issues that impact families. I have served as Executive Director of three different non-profit organizations in Virginia, which has allowed me to develop a multitude of development, human services, crisis intervention, strategic planning, coalition building, intergovernmental relations, personnel, fiduciary, evaluation, event coordination, and public relations skills. In addition, my career also boasts a period serving as Grant Writing Coordinator with Centerstone of Nashville, Tennessee, which at that time was the largest provider of community-based behavioral health services in the United States. Additionally, I served as the first Quality Assurance/Compliance Specialist for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) for approximately a year before returning to the “field” of domestic violence/sexual assault. My departure was to an organization where I had begun my career, which had been experiencing tremendous financial strain. It had been my hope that my return to the organization with a combination of experience and renewed energy would be beneficial. While I was able to provide some assistance to the organization, the organization made the decision to close and I was asked to resign. This also coincided with some serious health issues, so I did not return to full-time work. Instead, I am currently continuing with pursuit of my D.P.A. and working part-time for the local Big Brothers Big sisters.

In my jobs, I have written many, many grants, as well as press releases, personnel and board policies, marketing materials (brochures, fact pages, etc.), by-laws and other organizational documents, material for web pages, appeal letters, speeches which were delivered to local, regional, state, and federal offices, curricula and tests for training, client information summaries, meeting minutes, newsletters, and correspondence to various individuals and organizations. I’m sure there are other things I have written as well! I also write a lot for my doctoral program. This is an online program, so discussions are written and the expectations for writing are pretty intense. If I didn’t have good writing skills, I’m not sure I would be doing as well as I am.

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

When I was in college, I actually couldn’t make up my mind between majoring in psychology and majoring in English. I decided to pursue teaching, which at that time required a discipline major like English. I later decided not to teach, but just to finish out with both degrees since I had significant coursework in both. When I graduated, it was a time of recession and I really didn’t know how to go about proper job hunting. I had also worked many part-time jobs through high school and college. In some ways, I think this was a disadvantage to me at that time. I lived in an area where the emphasis was more on work than college.

I ended up taking a subcontracting job for IBM as an administrative assistant. I wrote a lot of correspondence and learned a lot about computer systems at this time. I did have to take grammar and typing tests during the application process. These were really a breeze for me at the time. The job I had did not require college, so I had some competencies that most folks didn’t have and I did well at the job.

I got my current job through a connection I had made at my prior job. I had written a grant with this person and worked closely on trying to help their organization come to our community. When you write with others, they get to know you and your competencies, as well as build a rapport with you. This can prove invaluable.

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

As mentioned, most of my work has been in non-profits. Working in this area is not a way to become financially wealthy, but it affords a lot of independence and freedom to develop many diverse skills. As suggested above, I have also written a book, but had to put publishing on the back burner. Now I think I will be rewriting it. I feel a certain sense of pride in my grantwriting, which has established many worthy social service programs in several states. My skills in writing converted to helping humanity.

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

I did a lot of writing in college and the skill of typing in particular helped me to be faster than folks who did not have that skill. I entered and won a few college poetry contests, which helped me gain confidence in my abilities. My internships were more psychology focused, with direct service to persons with disabilities, as well as individuals with abuse issues. I found over the years that more often than not, my education and experience complimented each other well for the world of public service. To be an effective writer, your work must interest others and there is a fair amount of psychology in that as much as English.

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

• Read a lot. Think about what you like or don’t like when you read, especially in terms of subjects, style, and content.
• Write about what you know. Write as much as possible. Ideally you should develop writing habits that keep you writing regularly.
• Take criticism with a grain of salt. Be sure to incorporate feedback and suggestions as you can, without compromising your own happiness or ethics. I was always blessed with people who helped edit and provide feedback for my writing. It was something I got used to early on and used to my advantage in becoming better at my craft. If you truly have the gift of writing, be sure to view it as such and use it for good.
• If you can’t secure a paying job with writing, start by volunteering. Organizations are often grateful to have talented writers help them with things like newsletters, correspondence, marketing materials, etc. And volunteerism can sometimes lead to paid employment for the same types of activities. Most recently, by working on a voluntary writing project with a group, I got to know a few different folks who have been instrumental in helping this next stage of my career progress.
• Write for fun and enter contests that are free or have very low registration costs. Be wary of scams related to contests or publishing.
• Don’t be overly critical on yourself. Some things you write will be good and others will not. Some things will be liked by readers and others will not. You will likely evolve your opinions, style, standards, and competencies over time. That is o.k. and expected.

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READ MORE:

Drake Lucas: Grant Writer @ Human Rights Watch

Lisa Brunette: Manager of Game Narrative Design

Abi Humber: Non-Profit Communications Coordinator

Elizabeth Kirsch: High School English Teacher

Name: Elizabeth Kirsch

Age: 24

College & Majors/Minors: University of Puget Sound, Major in English Literature, Minor in Spanish; University of Puget Sound, Master of Arts in Teaching (Secondary Education)

Current Location: Portland, OR

Current Form of Employment: Teacher

Where do you work and what is your current position? 

I currently work for Portland Public Schools as a high school English teacher. This year, I taught Sophomore English, Junior English, and Essential Skills (a class that supports juniors and seniors in meeting their graduation requirements for reading and writing). Next year, I will be teaching Sophomore English, Intro Journalism, and Advanced Journalism (the school newspaper). 

From Elizabeth's classroom.

Tell us about how you found your job!

I graduated from my Masters program in mid August of last year. Throughout that whole summer, I applied to any high school English jobs I found in districts that were of interest to me. At the time, I was living in Tacoma, and looking for jobs in that area, but also thinking of moving back to Oregon, and looking for jobs there as well. 

The job application process was extremely stressful; applying and interviewing and all the prep that comes with it are things that feel very unnatural for me! I probably submitted around 10 applications, and I interviewed for three jobs at various stages towards the middle of the summer. At one point, I almost drove down to Springfield, Oregon for a final interview (that would have involved me giving an hour long presentation) the day before I had to present my graduate thesis in Tacoma. Ultimately, I decided that the job wasn't quite the right fit—I was taking a risk and it weighed on me, but I decided to keep applying. 

A graduate of Portland Public Schools myself, I dreamed of returning to the district as a teacher, but it is very difficult to get a job in PPS, and they don't hire many first year teachers. I applied to the district pool, met with my high school principal for advice, talked with my old high school teachers, and ultimately landed an interview for a last minute opening a few days before the school year started. The administrators called later that afternoon and offered me the job. I was very lucky to get this opportunity, and I remain so grateful for it! 

What has been the most surprising thing about your first year as a teacher?

The most surprising things have been how much fun it was and how much support I had. Well-versed in horror stories about the first year of teaching, I pretty much expected to be miserable all year (as excited as I was). Because of those warnings, I was not at all surprised by how stressed out I was, how hard I worked, or how deeply I felt the needs of my students (and how much that weighed on me, even on nights and weekends), but I was surprised at the warmth and support I encountered in my building from fellow educators, from students, from parents, and from administrators. It sounds cheesy and like something you might take for granted in another situation, but as a young teacher, I am very privileged to work in a space where I have support throughout the high and low points of teaching. 

From Elizabeth's classroom.

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

I avoided any talk of the future like the plague! Throughout most of college, I just focused on my classes, which was the best thing I could have been doing as a future English teacher. The mental practices I learned in college have been invaluable in my job, as I aim to teach my students to be questioning, critically-minded citizens. My professors made me question my assumptions, pushed me to think outside of my comfort zone, and stretched my intellectual capacities to far greater lengths than I had ever imagined they could go. They also supported me and encouraged me in those moments when I did not believe I could get there. Learning from them was the best practice I could have had! I strive to do all these things for my students.

I also built experience through jobs that I was passionate about; I worked as a Writing Advisor and Spanish Tutor in my university's Center for Writing, Learning, and Teaching. I did extracurriculars that helped me stay sane in between those early mornings and late nights at the library; my sorority sisters were integral to my college experience. Overall, I really just tried to experience college the way I wanted to experience it—always with an eye towards the future, but mostly trying to immerse myself in the present and take advantage of the academic community I had around me.

Towards junior and senior years, I began talking to professors (they can be incredible resources when it comes to soul searching, job searching, quarter life crises, etc.), meeting with the Career Center to work on my resume, and investigating graduate programs. Once in graduate school, I took advantage of opportunities that were built in to support us as we began applying for jobs (mock interviews, resume support, etc).

From Elizabeth's classroom.

What is your advice for students and graduates who are interested in becoming a teacher?

First, find a graduate program that is both supportive and rigorous. There is no shame in having a community of support as you are pushed to navigate the challenges and dilemmas of teaching. In fact, it is critical—if you don't ask for help, you will never improve. You owe it to your future students to be the best teacher you can be, and to do that, you need a teaching program that will help you get there!

Second, try to manage your discouragement during the job search. I won't say don't get discouraged, because that will inevitably happen. You will watch other people get interviews and wonder what is wrong with you. You will freeze up during interviews and dwell on it for hours. You will do well during interviews, not get the job, and wonder what happened. Here's what happened: You are a teacher with no experience—it is very challenging to get hired! There are lots of candidates out there with more life and work experience than you—so don't feel bad about yourself. Rather, do the work to be the best candidate you can be, be honest with yourself and others about the kind of teacher you will be and the kind of job you want, and put yourself out there in any way you can. 

Finally, be aware that everyone and their mother has an opinion on what is wrong with the education system today. Lots of people will want to tell you what to do and how to think. As a budding teacher, remember that part of your job will be to challenge your students, expose them to new perspectives and information, guide them in locating themselves and their views, and push them to back up those views with evidence and arguments. Remember to do the same thing yourself. Be involved and informed, and trust your instincts about what is right and what isn't. There are a lot of things to be disillusioned about in the world of education in the US today, and you should never forget to be critical. But it is also so important to be aware of the good things that are happening, and to know that even with the disillusionment, every day in my classroom is a gift. I might be sad, I might be exasperated, I might be angry, I might be proud, I might be ecstatic; it doesn't matter. All of those experiences are valuable.

People will tell you not to go into teaching, and you certainly only should if you are passionate about it. But if you are passionate about it, it is worth it. Those things that make you angry or sad are reasons to participate in the system, so you can inspire students to change what is wrong with it, not reasons to walk away. 

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READ MORE:

Abi Humber: Non-Profit Communications Coordinator

Sarah Scott: Public Library Professional & Writer

Chris Strom: Marketing Copywriter