"There's not just one path for English majors. It's not just teaching or bust. So many businesses need good writers, they need you."
When did you graduate from BYU?
BA English 2016
What is your job/position? And how would you describe what you do in that job/position?
Content writer; I created digital web content for small businesses to assist them in their online marketing strategies.
Describe the path that you took from your BYU English degree to your current career, highlighting the important realizations and turning points that paved the path for you.
While still at BYU, I met with a Humanities Department career counselor who directed me to internships to which I applied. The one I chose, writing blog content for an online magazine, really opened the doors for my first job out of school. I had a portfolio of content I created while at my internship that I could share with potential employers. The job I ended up choosing I met at a career fair on campus, a local marketing firm looking for a writer. I never thought I would find myself in the marketing field, but it was a perfect fit.
What are the specific skills that you cultivated as an English major that you now use in your professional life? And how do you use those skills in ways that set you apart from your colleagues?
I used research, writing, and reading comprehension skills daily with my job. I had to understand a client's audience and tailor their content to meet expectations. Not knowing much about the fields my clients worked in, I researched enough that I could pass as an expert in that field. But the skill that set me apart most from my colleagues was how well I could write. Not that I'm the best of the best writers by any means, but my skills with crafting good writing was something that differentiated me.
What are some of the surprising ways in which your English degree helped you in your life?
It has allowed me to look at the bigger picture of arguments or discussions, to feel like I have a voice and to seek out cognitive dissonance and add to a conversation.
What do you wish you had known as an English major? Is there any advice you’d like to share with current students?
There's not just one path for English majors. It's not just teaching or bust. So many businesses need good writers, they need you.
Contact
emily.w.murry@gmail.com