Travis Klempan: Adjunct Instructor

Name: Travis Klempan

Age: 34

College & Majors/Minors: Bachelors of Science, English, United States Naval Academy (with a focus on philosophy); Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing and Poetics, Naropa University

Current Location: Boulder, Colorado

Current Form of Employment: Adjunct instructor, Naropa University

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I was recently hired as adjunct instructor for one of the undergrad core writing classes at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Students take Writing Seminar I (expository essays) and II (research papers); I'll be teaching a section of WS II.

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

When I was stationed onboard the USS Princeton, one of my collateral duties was Public Affairs Officer. This position usually defaults to young officers who majored in or studied English (or communications or something similar). Most midshipmen (naval officers-in-training, usually ROTC or at the Naval Academy) major in technical majors and have a self-imposed perception that they either aren't good communicators (and many aren't) or that things like public affairs are left to the "soft" majors. (I will say that I have a BS in English, and took 13 semesters of math, science, and engineering.)

Inevitably, though, my fellow junior officers would come to me with requests for help writing evaluations of their sailors, or awards, or help with other "soft" communications problems. I like to think that I had the best of both worlds—I could understand (to some degree) the technical aspects of working aboard a complex modern Navy ship, but I could also speak with laypeople and outsiders. I continue to balance these facets of writing —the technical and the personal, now the creative—as I prepare to teach up-and-coming writers and English majors.

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

I tried to work with extracurricular activities that focused on writing. I was a member of Labyrinth, our student-run literary magazine, as well as a writing center tutor. As a grad student I was again part of a literary journal (Bombay Gin, the Jack Kerouac School's 42-year old publication) and the writing center. Both of these jobs have helped me with the professional side of creative writing. I got to see "behind the curtain" of Submittable, which more and more journals are using for submissions, and see the editorial process from the other side. I also had to learn how to communicate my knowledge of writing in different ways when working with different writers.

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

This advice hopefully applies to English majors, non-English majors, grads, students, whatever: Be involved. I could have been far more active in some of the other extracurricular activities, and every missed opportunity is a chance to be a better writer, student, and citizen that I won't get again. If there isn't a club that fits what you're looking for, start one. If there is one, join it and learn everything you can about it. Read, write, and communicate - don't meet people just to put contacts in your little black book (or iPhone or what-have-you), but meet them to see what they can teach you or how you can help them. There is basically no job anywhere that doesn't involve working with others in some way, so learn how to be a part of a team, and have fun while you're doing it.

You can read a selection of Travis Klempan's work below: 

• Short story "Commit to the Deep," Ash & Bones
• Poem "Famous," Ash & Bones
• Book Review "Questions Raised By Monsters," Atticus Review (of Julie Doxsee's Little Monsters)
• Essay "My Own Private Boombox," Line of Advance
• Creative nonfiction "Colors," O-Dark Thirty

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Angela Nixon: Speechwriter

Name: Angela Nixon    

Age: 39

College & Majors/Minors: Clemson University, Bachelor of Arts in English, with a minor in technical writing (1999); also earned a Master of Arts in Professional Communication from Clemson in 2001

Current Location: Live in Seneca, SC; work in Clemson, SC

Current Form of Employment: Speechwriter

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I work at Clemson University as the speechwriter for the university president. I also assist the president’s office with other communication needs, such as correspondence.

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

My first “real” job out of graduate school was at Clemson in the Media Relations office. I was finishing up graduate school and had been applying for jobs for months, mostly looking at technical writing jobs (because that’s what I thought I wanted to do at the time). I was not having any luck at all with it and was getting really discouraged. I saw that the university’s media relations office was hiring someone to do media relations/PR work for the Division of Student Affairs. It wasn’t what I envisioned myself doing forever, and I really never planned to stay at Clemson after graduation, but I decided to apply. I got the job, mostly based on my knowledge and familiarity with the university and the fact that as an undergraduate, I had held two internships at a newspaper as a reporter. They were looking for someone who could write press releases in the style of news stories, so it was really the newspaper internships that got my foot in the door.

““They were looking for someone who could write press releases in the style of news stories, so it was really the newspaper internships that got my foot in the door.””

My current job as the president’s speechwriter happened fairly recently, in January 2015. Our president came to Clemson in 2014. The speechwriter for the previous president was retiring, so there was an opening to fill, and a need to get it filled quickly, as the president has a LOT of speaking engagements. I expressed an interest in the position and before I knew it, I had been promoted into the job. It was really important to have someone in this position who knows Clemson University backwards and forwards, especially since our president was relatively new. After being a student here and then an employee for nearly 14 years, my institutional knowledge, combined with my abilities as a writer, were what helped me get the job.

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

I mentioned it in my previous answer, but my internships at my local newspaper were definitely important in my career. I think it is safe to say that I never would have been hired to work in Clemson’s Media Relations office without that experience. The summer of my junior year in college I got an internship with my hometown newspaper, The Index-Journal, in Greenwood, SC. It is a daily paper, but it is a small daily, so the interns are treated like normal staff reporters. I was assigned a beat to cover and I was out there every day finding stories, interviewing people, writing stories, just like the full-time staff. It definitely was not an internship that involved making copies or getting people coffee. I was filing multiple stories a day, as well as taking photos for my stories, as the paper did not have a staff photographer at that time. (I also learned how to develop film, as this was in the dark ages of 1998, before digital photography was common.)

““Sometimes internships are valuable because they help you figure out what you don’t want to do with your career.””

The summer after I graduated, I interned at the same newspaper, but this time I was in the sports department, an experience that allowed me to add skills such as “keeping box scores for baseball” to my resume. Those two internships taught me so much about working under constant deadlines, how to interview people, how to find stories and pitch them to an editor, dealing with confrontational people (because not every news story is positive, of course, and not everyone wants to be interviewed), and lots of other great skills, in addition to developing my writing skills. Just as importantly, those internship experiences taught me that I did NOT want a career in journalism. Sometimes internships are valuable because they help you figure out what you don’t want to do with your career.

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

This one is a little difficult for me, simply because I don’t remember doing anything special to prepare for life after college. I did the internships that I mentioned above, I worked hard in my classes, and I also was involved in one student organization at Clemson — Central Spirit, which is like Clemson’s version of a “pep club” to support athletics. I became president of Central Spirit my senior year, which gave me a taste of leadership experience, and it allowed me to interact with university staff members and administrators more than most students probably do. It was a valuable experience for me. But my “post-grad life” consisted of immediately going to graduate school, which was always my plan, so I didn’t feel like I needed to do much to really prepare for it.

I will say this — graduate school was a completely different experience than being an undergraduate. My master’s program is also housed in the English Department at Clemson, so I figured it would be something of an extension of my undergraduate experience. I was so wrong. The level of rigor and sheer amount of work involved in graduate school was so much higher than it was for me as an undergraduate, and that was something I was not prepared for at all. I had a very difficult time adjusting to the workload and having a graduate assistantship at the same time. It was very overwhelming for me. I also did not have a clear idea of what I wanted to do with my master’s degree, so I felt a bit rudderless at times, which didn’t help. I was putting in all of this work, but I wasn’t sure what the end result would be. Looking back, I should have done more research on graduate degrees, both the requirements to earn a degree and which degree I really wanted. I don’t regret going to graduate school, I just wish I had been better prepared for it.

““Don’t get discouraged. The communication and critical thinking skills you are honing right now are so important, and critical thinking is a topic that is sorely lacking in a lot of disciplines right now. That’s what you’re learning, and it is something that employers do value.””

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

My number one piece of advice for English majors or recent graduates is this: don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you cannot find a job with an English degree. Don’t get discouraged. The communication and critical thinking skills you are honing right now are so important, and critical thinking is a topic that is sorely lacking in a lot of disciplines right now. That’s what you’re learning, and it is something that employers do value.

My other piece of advice is to keep an open mind about your career path and be willing to try things that may not be exactly in line with what you think you want to do. My original goal when I changed my major to English (I started out as a biology major, if you can believe that) was to become a technical writer. Looking back, I’m not sure why I chose that career path, but that’s what I wanted at the time. I minored in it, and I thought I had chosen a graduate program that would lend itself to a career in technical writing. But when I had an opportunity to intern at the newspaper, I decided to do it, just to try something new and to have some kind of relevant work experience for my resume. It wasn’t my dream job by a long shot, but it gave me the experience I needed to get a job after graduate school. I never envisioned myself in a public relations kind of job, and I certainly NEVER thought I would be writing speeches for the president of a major university, but I have loved my career so far, and now I can’t imagine being happy as a technical writer. Had I not tried those internships in journalism, though, none of it ever would have happened, and who knows where I would have ended up? So my advice is to not limit yourself to one specific career path and to be open to new experiences … because you never know where those other paths might lead. 

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Derek Wing: Associate Director of Media & PR

Name: Derek Wing

Age: 42

College & Majors/Minors: Oberlin College (OH) B.A. English; Syracuse University (NY) M.S. Journalism

Current Location: Kenmore, WA

Current Form of Employment: University Marketing/PR 

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I currently work at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA as the Associate Director of Media & PR.

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

My first job was in broadcast journalism – I was a TV news anchor/reporter, and I found that job from a website specifically for people looking for on-air jobs (medialine.com). I found my current job via Craigslist.

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

Whether it is in higher education communications or journalism, writing has always been a vital part of my work. Being able to get a complex message across to the masses in a way they will understand is a skill that is difficult to master. However, if you are able to do it, you will have incredible value in both the professional world as well as your personal life. Communication is key.

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

I wrote and read. A lot.

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

Be open to any and all opportunities. When I graduated I mistakenly thought there were only a few careers paths I was ‘allowed’ to pursue. But the reality is, the ability to effectively communicate with words is a skill that will be useful in any industry! 

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Felicia Clark: Communication Specialist

Name: Felicia Clark

Age: 27

College & Majors/Minors: Journalism/Creative Writing

Current Location: Appleton, WI

Current Form of Employment: Marketing agency

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I work for Candeo Creative (a marketing agency in Oshkosh, WI) as communication specialist where I post social media content for clients.

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

I was a senior in college at UW-Oshkosh when I landed my first job as a copy editor at the Oshkosh Northwestern (Gannett) newspaper. I was a proofreader for Oshkosh Corporation in the Oshkosh Defense Bid & Proposal department, working 90 hours per week editing government documents. I then worked for Shop Local Appleton, Oshkosh, Green Bay (and everything in between) as the community social media manager. That's when I found the communication specialist position open at Candeo Creative. In just three short months I went from being part time to full time.

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

My first taste of marketing, since I was strictly a journalism major, was when I brought a Danish documentary called Free the Mind to Appleton Marcus Cinemas. It was a video that followed veterans suffering with PTSD as they took an intensive meditation course that changed their lives. It was so inspiring that I signed up to show it, knowing I needed at least 77 tickets before the theatre would play it for an audience. By the end of the month, after marketing my own event, I had 170-plus attendees and the cinemas gave me a larger room! I also found the veterans who were in the film and brought them out as a surprise for a Q&A session after the film. All the money donated went Dryhootch Fox Valley. This became one of the most important moments in both my personal and professional life. I had discovered my passion for the marketing world!

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

I gained leaderships skills in college by running student organizations, taking 18-19 credits per semester on top of two paying jobs, including writing two articles per week for the student-run newspaper (the Advance-Titan). Juggling so many activities at once helped me learn prioritization skills and reach any deadline, no matter how short.

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

• Don't give up and be willing to leave your comfort zone to try new things. You never know where these little adventures will take you. 
• Between each of the jobs I had in my field, I was typically working another entry level position to pay my bills. From waitressing to barista to canvasser to bookseller, I became a jack-of-all-trades, which helps me understand clients I am now marketing in my current job. Those "insignificant jobs" prepared me for the next. It took me nearly 5 years after graduation to land my dream job. You have to trust that the right job will come along.

Visit Felicia Clark at MeasureLifeInBookmarks.com for more details on her writing journey!

Kristina Choi: Public Relations Coordinator

Name: Kristina Choi

Age: 23

College & Majors/Minors: University of California, Berkeley. B.A. in English, Minor in Music

Current Location: Los Angeles, CA

Current Form of Employment: PR Coordinator at GAMEVIL

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I work at a mobile game company called GAMEVIL as their Public Relations Coordinator. As PR Coordinator, I manage all of the company's relations with the press/media by informing them of new releases/updates (through press releases and email pitches), and connecting with our users by creating content for our social media channels.

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

Technically, this is my first traditional "big girl" job—the kind with a salary, benefits, my own space/desk, etc. So how did I end up here? Well, I actually didn't know what I wanted to do after college. I just knew that I didn't want to go into academia/teaching or law (some of the most common paths for English majors), and thought I would give PR a try. After responding to hundreds of job listings and not getting anywhere, I expanded my search and began looking up random PR companies and contacting them about any open positions or internships. I finally heard back from a small fashion PR agency and worked as an intern for five months, learning everything I could about PR (and I had a lot to learn).

Although I was in fashion, my life was hardly glamorous. The days I wasn't interning were spent tutoring to make extra cash and stressing about getting a "real" job. It was worth it, though, because the experience I got landed me a full-time paid internship at a global PR firm. Actually, my friend helped a lot. She had interviewed at the same company a few months earlier and was extended an offer for a social media internship, which she turned down for another opportunity. Being the good friend she is, she passed along my resume and when I was least expecting it, they contacted me about an open PR internship.

I went into this second internship with the same attitude as I did with the first: learn, learn, learn. After six months, I had nearly a year of PR experience under my belt and the prospect of finding a job was much better and thankfully, I was successful!

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

Since I'm at the beginning stages of establishing my career, I'd say my most important job was being an English major. The thing about PR is that while you can learn about it in school, the best way is to learn on the job. During my days as a fashion PR intern, I had to learn how to write press releases from scratch, but it wasn't too difficult because of the writing skills I developed over such a long period of time. The years I spent working on my sentence structure and flow played a huge role in my work because I always strive for accuracy and clarity—not only in my own writing, but in my verbal communications with my co-workers. Writing helps you think clearly, and when you think clearly, you work better.

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

I enjoyed the freedom of college. Grades were important to me, but so was play. I knew that once I started working, I wouldn't get the chance to walk over to my friends' apartments whenever I wanted to, or eat late-nite cafeteria food at 2 in the morning on a Tuesday. I made friends, tried new things, and—what I am most thankful to have done—studied abroad.

Okay, I didn't necessarily do these things in preparation for post-grad life. I was just a bit lazy about my studies and wanted to have fun. But looking back, I have no regrets because I made the most out of that precious time I had in college to make mistakes and memories. Now that I am working full-time and don't have as much freedom to do the things I enjoy, I am glad I spent less time stressing and more time enjoying life.

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

Don't compare yourself to people who studied something more "practical" or "technical." You might have friends who are in med/law/dental/pharm/grad school, or friends who are working at a Big Four accounting firm. If you went to school in the Bay Area, you definitely have friends who are studying something technology-related or work in the tech industry. These friends have studied specific subjects and (generally) have much clearer paths they can follow. You, on the other hand, have the option to get into almost any line of work—you just have to find a way to apply the very special skill set we English Majors have.

In my personal experience, friends, co-workers, and interviewers are always impressed with an English degree, even though they may joke about it sometimes (ever been called a "coffee shop" major?). Like I said before, to write is to think. So use your awesome brain and don't look at what others are doing. You'll pave your own path.

Connect with Kristina on LinkedIn and follow her on Twitter and Instagram. She blogs at Coffee Spoon Stories.