Be open-minded about where your degree can take you. Above all else, and English degree helps you learn to think in ways that others don't or can't. Whatever you do next, use that to your advantage and don't underestimate the importance of that skill.
When did you graduate from BYU?
2010
What is your job/position? And how would you describe what you do in that job/position?
Product Manager: Define strategy and direction of products; manage product budgets; oversee product tasks to ensure product launches on time; analyze and evaluate effectiveness of product post-launch and make adjustments as needed.
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.
I started out writing and editing shortform articles for a marketing agency that focused on search engine optimization (SEO). As Google's algorithm changed to prioritize high-quality content, I was promoted to an SEO solutions manager. In that role, it was my job to figure out solutions we could scale to our clients that would provide them value and be cost-efficient for our team. From there, I took a year and half off to focus on my family after my first child was born. After that, I took a job as a Geo Copywriter. In that role, I basically wrote and edited content in such a way that sentences, phrases, and paragraphs could me mixed and matched, allowing us to produce thousands of unique, localized pages of content in a matter of weeks. From there, I moved to a copywriting role, specializing in writing natural-sounding copy that was optimized for SEO and affiliate links. After that, I transitioned into content strategy for the Church and was promoted quickly to being the lead strategist for my department. In content strategy, I really hit my stride. In that role, I was tasked with writing, evaluating, and editing a number of content pieces for voice, tone, accuracy, and user experience. I was asked to advise on the best ways to help users connect with a variety of products. I wrote reports that w were reviewed by the First Presidency and featured in General Conference. I also coordinated my team's work and mentored them. Finally, I transitioned into product management, which allows me to think about and control strategy for my key product at a higher level. I also get to coordinate channel strategy for all the Church's humanitarian, welfare, and self-reliance web content.
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?
An English major cultivates both your analytical and creative sides. I use creativity every day to come up with solutions that nobody else has thought of. I use my analytical skills to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of my product. And I use both as I think strategically about how best to connect users to products that can help them.
What are some of the surprising ways in which your English degree has helped you in your life?
My English degree really helped me develop greater empathy. You can't spend four years immersing yourself in and analyzing literature without learning how to put yourself yourself in someone else's shoes. That's a skill that has blessed my life and helped me in my Church service, friendships, community engagement, and more.
What do you wish you had known as an English major? Is there any advice you'd like to share with current students?
Be open-minded about where your degree can take you. Above all else, and English degree helps you learn to think in ways that others don't or can't. Whatever you do next, use that to your advantage and don't underestimate the importance of that skill.