"Throughout my studies in English, my professors continually prepared me for an unconventional career path, making it clear that the skills of analysis and communication that we were learning and practicing would come in handy, and they were right."
When did you graduate from BYU?
BA English 2014
What is your job/position? And how would you describe what you do in that job/position?
I’m a podcast producer for iHeart Media, Netflix, and Puddle Creative. I record, produce, edit, and mix podcasts, including Next Question with Katie Couric.
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.
Immediately after graduation, I taught high school English at a treatment center, then became a reporter at the Daily Herald, then a full-time freelancer in audio recording for podcasts. Although I picked up a handful of recording jobs, when I moved to New York City those gig opportunities exploded. Eventually, I formed several long-term working relationships with iHeart Media, Netflix, and Puddle Creative, where I now hold ongoing simultaneous part-time positions making podcasts.
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 started podcasting on the side while at BYU and attended an internship at Radiolab during my last year. I had several majors at BYU before I landed on English; none of them made me feel at home like my English major did. In those classes, I felt like my full self, where my creativity was valued.
What are some of the surprising ways in which your English degree helped you in your life?
I am quite happy with my career so far, and the path to get here is so full of random twists and turns (and luck) that it's impossible to draw too many "this led to this" lines. Throughout my studies as an English major at BYU, my professors continually prepared me for an unconventional career path, making it clear that the skills of analysis and communication that we were learning and practicing would come in handy, and they were right. I also remember being encouraged by multiple professors that my creative work was marketable.
What do you wish you had known as an English major? Is there any advice you’d like to share with current students?
Much of the work was self-directed. I could come up with areas of focus in my studies, and my papers from that time reflect the questions and interests (many of them grand and profound!) I had at the time (a lot of papers about “edgy” LDS topics!). Looking back now, those interests were somewhat insular, about my own communities and experiences and values. I wish I had pushed myself (and perhaps been pushed) to wrestle with topics such as racism, classism, and other structural and systemic issues facing society, including in Utah and Provo.
Contact
derrific@gmail.com