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We've had the opportunity to here from two people who have English degrees and are out in the world working NOT in teaching. And I am hoping to have more. But, given what you've heard, what you think about, what you worry about, what you dream about: what are you thinking about what you come next for you? What is your pie in the sky? What do you want to know about how to get there? That might be the most important question of them all. More specifically, what could we do in class for the next 6 weeks or so that would help you figure something out, make a move, get started at something?
7 Comments
Paul Sweeney
10/22/2025 02:34:06 pm
Ideally I want to be able to work in creative writing. Short stories, novels, that sort of thing. I don't necessarily need it as a career (especially considering how difficult that actually is to maintain) but some success in that field would be nice, at least. I think I want to focus more on honing my writing after I graduate and start searching for a more career-oriented job. The main thing I want to know when it comes to my aspirations is just how to motivate myself to write more frequently? I enjoy writing a lot but at the same time, for as many ideas as I have, actually making them into something beyond a half-started first draft is very difficult for me. I want to think that writing is for me, especially with how much I enjoy good writing, but actually doing it myself beyond basic exercises is sometimes hard for me.
Anna Dykhoff
10/22/2025 02:35:10 pm
I am currently faced with the dilemma that I have eight months in between when I graduate this December and when I will hopefully be coming back to BSU for a Master's in Fall of 2026. I need to work full time to save up some money, as although I have a Graduate Assistantship lined up for when I come back, I will need to have money for rent and food and living! I have been looking into clinical psychology internships and jobs as well as research assistant positions, so I think the most helpful thing for me will be, as Dr. Torda said today, to use my people. I know a lot of the faculty in the Psych department at this point, so I'd like to use them as resources to try to have something lined up by January. I don't think there's a ton of other help I can get from this class, but staying in the habit of writing is good as I prepare to revise my resume (which I chronically procrastinate) and start applying for more positions.
Ashley Luise
10/22/2025 02:35:41 pm
I am hoping to break my way into grant writing or working in advancement/development in any sector, whether it be nonprofit or otherwise. Listening to Enrica's story made me feel really okay with where I am now though, which is such a relief in the chaos we live within; I felt like I just needed to take it all in as she was speaking! In this class, I would love to look into the field of grant writing either on its own or in conjunction with other professional writing for the professionalization presentations. I think that through this, I'll feel a lot better about the steps to get there and it can give me some peace of mind. I had an informational interview with a grant writer at an organization I worked for that was extremely informative and I am thinking about reaching out to her for my Author Interview to learn more in depth. In class, I think these two experiences will be most beneficial to me as I continue to network and reach out to alums who are in similar positions to where I want to start off and potentially end up in my own career.
Nina
10/22/2025 02:36:07 pm
When I think of what comes next, I think of graduating college with a job lined up. I do think that I will get my masters someday, but my main priority is establishing myself with a clear career path and earning enough money to live on my own or with my roommates outside of college (my plan is to move out within the next 1-3 years). I am open to seeing what jobs are available for professional writing and helping companies with editing, administrative work, or creating written content for a brand, which is why I feel like I need to get a job and figure out my exact path before I continue with my education. In the meantime, I want to work on researching companies, different job opportunities, and other resources that will help me achieve this, and hopefully I can begin applying to jobs in the Winter or early Spring. Perhaps a class project relating to job search could be beneficial, or at least doing short meetings to discuss the job market and the process of doing a job search.
Ashley
10/22/2025 02:38:32 pm
I love the idea of including the job search in and of itself, regardless of the specific field English majors could go into, into our class! I feel like that would be beneficial for me too. Perhaps it could find a home within the professionalization presentations or elsewhere that there is "down time."
I.S.
10/22/2025 02:37:33 pm
I’m thinking about going to graduate school for library and information science and continuing my creative writing. My advisor mentioned that I could go into grant writing so listening to the guest speaker was very informative. I now have a clearer picture of what that sort of work looks like if I decide to pursue it. Most of my academic experience has consisted of essays and things more similar to technical writing. So, I’m most interested in further exploring creative writing. It’d be helpful to learn more about how publishing works and the technicalities behind doing creative writing. For example, how to balance dialogue, description, exposition, narration, etc. in a piece and techniques for structuring both short stories and longer pieces such as novels. The stories we’ve been reading for class have been helpful. Sometimes just reading other people’s work gives me a better perspective on my own.
Alexandra O'Brien
10/22/2025 02:39:09 pm
Well as you know since we met a few weeks ago - I would love to teach at a college level. Since our meeting, and since the weight of graduation is coming in December, I have been thinking of next steps for setting myself up for success in that. Looking at programs, what the job market is needing at the moment, and ways to gain experience. I know we spoke about my love for writing, rhetoric, and composition. Even more so creative writing. However, I have since realized that I do not want to abandon my studies and teaching in communications. I plan to explore master's programs that facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration between English and communications. I want to be able to teach writing, communications, and even media-focused courses, along with my love for creative writing. Many professors and career advisors here at BSU have told me that I should take some time before jumping right into applying to master's programs, and get experience in the field. Considering shadowing professors, getting teaching assistant positions, or anything in writing or even publishing. Really just taking the time to get experience and maybe even someone to give me tuition reimbursement for my master's. I want to take that time to work on my portfolio of creative works, sharpen my Indeed and Handshake page, make a blog and even a website. I want to make myself as prepared, marketable, and knowledgeable as possible to prepare for my masters and career in teaching. Leave a Reply. |
Torda and the 489sWe'll use this space for synchronous and asynchronous work this semester. Q&A discussion board is housed in February archives of this blog. I check it weekly. Archives
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