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Any English majors out there?

If so, what are you doing with your major? I graduated 2 years ago, looking to get into the editorial business, and they just aren't hiring.

Any ideas? I currently work in retail and would like to utilize my education.

Dave and Kathleen - 09.12.09:

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Re: Any English majors out there?

  • I'm a journalism major graduating in May.

     Have you looked into copy editing jobs at newspapers and magazines? Journalismjobs.com is a great resource. 

    Please pass the ice cream.
  • I live in a really tricky area in Pennsylvania, since I'm out of the Philadelphia area. Most publications are over an hour and a half away. I've been looking on JournalismJobs. It really is a great resource.
    Dave and Kathleen - 09.12.09:

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  • Maybe you could look at the telecommute jobs.  

     

    DH and I have about 6 months left on our lease when I graduate, and there aren't really any great publications here either. We decided that if I can't find a job that relates to my major I'm going to try to work part-time in a retail job and work one of the telecommuting jobs as well. 

     

    Also, I just discovered there are job listings on craigslist and there is a writing/editing section. I'm not sure how reliable it is, but I just applied for an editing job I found there.  

    Please pass the ice cream.
  • I was an English major and now work in magazine publishing. There are jobs out there in editing/publishing, but I think the trick is to look in less-expected places. For instance, check at local universities or community colleges to see if they have positions writing or editing materials for admissions, etc. Also, look for smaller, more specialized publishers, and check their websites directly for job openings. The publisher I work for has a branch in Malvern--is that anywhere near you? You can PM me for more info if you'd like. Good luck!
  • imagesallygal:
    I was an English major and now work in magazine publishing. There are jobs out there in editing/publishing, but I think the trick is to look in less-expected places. For instance, check at local universities or community colleges to see if they have positions writing or editing materials for admissions, etc. Also, look for smaller, more specialized publishers, and check their websites directly for job openings. The publisher I work for has a branch in Malvern--is that anywhere near you? You can PM me for more info if you'd like. Good luck!

    YGPM!

    Dave and Kathleen - 09.12.09:

    image 

  • I graduated in 2005.  I started off in copy writing, but now I work in marketing. 
  • I used my English degree to get into the newspaper industry. While I love my job, I wouldn't recommend it as the pay sucks and it's an unstable industry. 

    Have you thought about PR/communications? Maybe an additional class at a community college in web design/SEO, that would really boost your resume if you want to get into that.

    If you want to get into journalism, go to your state's press association website, they should have a job bank on there 

     

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  • I was an English major and now work in public relations and love it. If you're working in another field right now, I'd recommend volunteering to write articles for everything from newsletters at local charities (animal rescues always love new writers, it seems) or your church, to doing some volunteer editing/writing for local companies. Once you have some good clips, you can put those on your resume and in your portfolio and have a stronger background for being hired in an editorial position.

    Have you checked local associations? A lot of them have editorial positions for their newsletters and journals.

  • I was an English major and right now I work as a writer in a marketing department. I would suggest setting up some job alerts (I love indeed.com) with any key words related to jobs you are interested in, like writer, editor, reporter, etc.Then you'll get a daily email of all of the jobs matching those key words.  You'll get a variety of different companies/industries this way. 

    In the meantime, I'd work on putting together a portfolio or website with links to anything you have completed, even if it was just a school project. Good luck!

  • image+LuckyVal+:

    I used my English degree to get into the newspaper industry. While I love my job, I wouldn't recommend it as the pay sucks and it's an unstable industry. 

    Have you thought about PR/communications? Maybe an additional class at a community college in web design/SEO, that would really boost your resume if you want to get into that.

    If you want to get into journalism, go to your state's press association website, they should have a job bank on there 

     

    I worked in PR and marketing for my school college internship to round out my resume. What should I search for to look in to PR?

    Dave and Kathleen - 09.12.09:

    image 

  • My BFF has a master's in English. She started writing contracts and grants for the government and now she's doing budgets for the Dept. of Homeland Security.
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  • I PMed you back!
  • I teach middle school language arts.  This is another profession that is now next to impossible to get into.  I've actually been trying to get out of it and into editing, but I have no experience or writing samples so that makes it really hard, plus I don't dislike teaching enough to work till 5 or summers.

    If you want to get into editing try to get an internship or something to get experience 

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  • Ahhh, the plight of the English major. I was an English major. I did an internship in publishing, then a two-year stint as a secretary, then got my first job writing lamp catalogs (boy did that suck), then did agency copywriting, and now I live in Quebec and am freelancing for the newspaper and a major travel company. I love writing! 

    The pay sucks for journalism but the work is super fun. But in copywriting, I made a descent living. Right now, social media and content marketing is a great place to look in my opinion. Good luck.

  • I worked in publishing for a while (basically a copy editor), then got my master's degree in counseling.  It was a natural transition since I figured that studying literature was basically studying the psychology of fictional people!  I still write some articles occasionally, mostly from my contacts when I worked in publishing.   
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  • Graduated with my BA in English Communications (mostly a journalism focus, but also business & creative writing & lit thrown in) in December 2008.

     

    I've been working at a bank in a mortgage office since January 2009. I interned at the bank in summer-fall 2008 in a different department. I took this job beccause it was safe. Small town MI is not hopping for jobs, let alone dying newspapers.  

     

     

  • I've been an editor for about 13 years. I currently work for an advertising agency. Prior to that I worked on some local magazines.

    Publishing *really* sucks right now. I've found advertising to be much more stable.

  • I was an English-Journalism major, and I currently do editorial stuff for a dot-com.

    Before this, I was a reporter for a couple small newspapers, I did copy editing and reporting for a few magazines (some of it was freelance), I did public relations for a local private school, and my last job was as a technical writer where I converted old instruction manuals into XML language.

    image
  • imageKat&Dave091909:

    If so, what are you doing with your major? I graduated 2 years ago, looking to get into the editorial business, and they just aren't hiring.

    Any ideas? I currently work in retail and would like to utilize my education.

     

    I was an English major.  I work as a legal assistant.  I originally planned to go to law school but ended up doing the mommy thing for a few years and then going back to work and ended up where I am now :) 

  • My degree is in English and I worked in advertising sales for 3.5 years until I got laid off a few months ago.
  • I have a degree in Journalism and English. I worked as a copyeditor for a newspaper for 4 years. I now work as an editor at a small educational publishing company.
  • I graduated in 2002 with English major/Journalism minor.

    I am now doing sales for a travel company :) and I love it - my English comes into handy for our website and other documents but otherwise, I don't use it.  I did marketing before this.  Never anything super related with my major. 

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  • I work for a publisher in Yardley, PA (Bucks County)--not sure if that is near you but feel free to send me a PM!
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