"More than anything, my critical thinking skills have set me apart from colleagues and made me successful. I feel like my English degree set me up well."
When did you graduate from BYU?
BA English 2006
What is your job/position? And how would you describe what you do in that job/position?
I have two major roles at a boutique healthcare consulting firm focused on advancing a new model of paying for and receiving care.
Senior Manager of Consulting: As a part of this role, I manage client projects and lead teams. Key project tasks include literature reviews, interviews, making recommendations, and building client deliverables (summaries, reports, decks, Excel trackers, etc.). I typically oversee and review a team of associates who are doing the work, although I am a contributor as well, especially on projects involving writing.
Training & Development Specialist: I also lead corporate training and development activities at the firm. I set the vision and strategy for our learning program and work with leaders to identify key areas of focus. I oversee the development of learning modules, deploy modules on a litany of topics, process applications for professional development funding, and oversee our end-of-year performance evaluation process.
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.
Toward the end of my undergraduate studies, I came across an editorial internship with Church Magazines. It was random and very important. I had written a few freelance magazine articles during undergrad, but this was my first professional experience beyond working odd jobs during school. It was incredibly important to building my resume. After graduation, I moved to Washington, D.C. and got more professional experience. I then went to graduate school at the University of Florida, where I studied American literature and also taught, which I loved. When I moved back to D.C., I got a job leading an editing team at a company that developed language and culture curriculum for the special forces. Random? A little. But the skills I had been picking up along the way made me successful in this role. When my husband got a job back in Utah, I interviewed for my current role on the recommendation of a friend. My work experience did not align with the role, but they were intrigued by my background. That was almost five years ago, and it has worked out well for both parties.
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?
More than anything, my critical thinking skills have set me apart from colleagues and made me successful. It has been incredibly important for me to be able to assess inputs and synthesize information into cogent arguments/recommendations. I also have needed to be able to read a vast amount of information and summarize it. This includes quickly understanding the gist of an argument and breaking down its supporting details, writing a short summary that succinctly captures this information, and speaking intelligently about the information during presentations. Other skills include ability to copyedit and to take other people's ideas from an outline to a narrative.
How else has your English degree helped you in your life?
I feel like my English degree set me up well. I had toyed with the idea of pursuing academia, and I was pleased that I was the most well-read student in my graduate program. I had thought that perhaps because of BYU’s more conservative theology, I might have missed out on some ideas. On the contrary, I was much more exposed to a wide array of theory and thinkers. I also feel generally well-read and understand popular culture.
As an alumnus of the BYU English department, what advice would you give to current students?
Get out there. Do internships. Figure out what things you enjoy. Understand how you can apply your skills, and be open to opportunities as they come along. Be organized. Learn to work hard. And learn how to work PowerPoint and Outlook. Study project management tools and principles. And have as much fun as possible during school.
Contact
johndoe@byu.edu