What are you doing next Monday at 4pm? We hope you’ve got our yearly alumni panel on your schedule. The event features four English major alumni (with experience in law, education, finance, non-profit, writing, the arts) who will tell their stories of post-graduate life. Students will be able to hear these UP grads talk about their paths to their present careers; there will also be plenty of time for discussion.
“Life After the English Major” will take place Monday, February 10th from 4:00 PM -5:15 PM in Franz 128.
To preview the event, we talked to one of the panelists, Rachel Good, who is a member of the class of 2008 and now works as a Proposal Specialist at Ecova.
1. Before you graduated, what did you do to prepare for a career after college?
I did very little. I worked full-time as a restaurant server while I was in college, leaving me little time to pursue internships, job shadows, etc. Also, because there was no clearly defined career path I wanted to follow, I struggled to identify any useful preparatory steps.
2. What was one of the biggest difficulties you faced finding a job after college?
Portland has an overabundance of smart, passionate liberal arts graduates—it’s a tough market in which to differentiate yourself, particularly if you don’t have extensive professional experience or a network of well-positioned contacts.
3. How did you find out about/receive your current position?
I was seeking to transition out of the nonprofit industry and had identified a number of promising companies in the Portland metro area; Ecova, my current employer, was one of these. They were hiring for the right position at the right time, so I went after it. Two interviews and a few writing samples later, I was offered the job.
4. How has what you learned from studying English at U.P. helped to prepare you for your current position?
I benefit from the ability to think critically and write persuasively every day, two skills that UP’s English Department helped me hone. Writing proposals is very similar to writing thesis papers: You begin with a central argument (in this case, that Ecova should be awarded a particular contract), provide compelling evidence to support that argument, discuss and analyze this evidence, then reach your undeniable conclusion.
5. What is the best advice you can give to a current English major anxious about job-hunting in the future?
Meet people. Think about positions you might want to pursue or companies you might want to work for and reach out to employees there for an informational interview. People love talking about themselves and you’ll gain valuable insight that will help you decide whether that job is right for you. You’ll also establish a valuable contact to put in a good word for you and advise you on your cover letter and resume if/when you apply.