ENG 299: Careers for English Majors
with Prof. Chris Green
T 6-9:15
Spring 2017

Are you ready to see where an English degree can take you? This new course will help students better understand their skills and talents in order to find satisfying jobs across a wide range of fields. You will discover strategies for finding meaningful work and learn from guest speakers from across a variety of industries.

We will begin by reflecting on individual students’ strengths and preferences and thinking about job activities and careers that might complement these. We will also examine specific work environments (e.g., the arts, corporations, and non-profits); the value of attending graduate or professional school; and the role that internships, undergraduate research, and networking play in career development and advancement. In addition, we will look at how to organize and manage an internship/job search; how to put together strong resumes, cover letters, and portfolios; and how to interview well over the phone, via Skype, and in-person.

Along with numerous magazine articles, the texts will include a mix of practical guides to starting your job search and also reflective texts that ask you to consider the place of imagination and reflection in one’s work life: Scratch: Writers, Money, And The Art of Making A Living edited by Manjula Martin, I’m an English Major—Now What? How English majors can find happiness, success, and a real job by Tim Lemire, Island by Aldous Huxley, and The Heart Aroused by David Whyte.