“The struggle for most English majors (and, unfortunately, some faculty) is figuring out how to translate the rich cornucopia of skills learned within the program into something employers view as assets. Part of this problem is that catch-phrases like ‘critical thinking’ and ‘effective communication’ are so abstract employers don’t know how to articulate what they mean. As English majors, we are quite good at articulating abstract ideas and that’s what this article is all about: how to brand your in-demand skill set into something tangible that employers (in any industry) will realize they desperately want and need.”
In this article from the blog ‘Dear English Major,’ the writer and academic Brooke Kile provides practical suggestions for how to translate the verbage of academia into the vocabulary of the job market. She helpfully provides suggestions using the framework of ‘What you want to say’ and ‘What you’re trying to say,’ covering classic English-major descriptors like ‘Critical Thinker’ and ‘Excellent Writer.’
It’s essential reading for the English major job seeker, and you can find it at Dear English Major.
