Career Workshops

“So, you’re going to teach?” This frequently asked question is one most English majors face at some point upon disclosing their chosen major to someone outside of the field. For some of us, the answer is a quick, “yes!” But for others, answering, “no,” commonly leads to bafflement on the part of the questioner. In today’s economic climate, few people value the English major or respect the myriad skills mastered by anyone who ventures down this path. Join us at the 2017 Annual Convention on Thursday, March 29 for a series of career workshops conducted by experts in English-related fields. These workshops will help attendees learn how to “sell” their English major successfully on the job market as well as offer insight into some of the more traditional English major jobs, such as editing and writing. Here’s a preview of the career workshops and the times they will be offered:

Mastering Career Relationships

9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., Location: Rose
Nick Farina, Gifted Hire

GiftedHire is free for members of honor societies and helps top students showcase their achievements, plan their professional development, and find rewarding career opportunities. GiftedHire’s own Nick Farina focuses on networking and maintaining relationships in order to succeed on the job market.

How to Succeed in Business . . . Without Hiding Your English Major

9:30 a.m., Location: Marriott Salon 5
HT Thomas, Humana, Inc.

English majors have many distinct advantages in today’s business world, and HT Thomas will discuss them with you in this career workshop. Thomas has spent the last 25 years in the corporate world in advertising and marketing roles. Her career includes business and leadership positions at Best Buy and at large and small advertising agencies. Currently, she is the Director of Brand Strategy & Advertising at Humana.

MDHicks Career Workshops

Micah Dean Hicks Workshop

Worldbuilding: People and Cultures

9:30 a.m., Location: Marriott Salon 6
Micah Hicks, Arkansas Tech University (AR)

Micah Dean Hicks, author of Electricity and Other Dreams, will lead this interactive worldbuilding workshop focused around groups of people in fictional settings. Bring something to write with and create your own world during the session.

Adventures in Editing: How Did I Get Here?

11:00 a.m., Location: Marriott Salon 5
Ann VanderMeer

Ann VanderMeer, award-winning editor and anthologist, answers your questions about her experiences as an acquiring editor for Tor.com and Weird Fiction Review, and as the Editor-in-Residence for Shared Worlds, a science fiction and fantasy writing camp for high school students. Her latest anthologies include The Time Traveler’s Almanac, Sisters of the Revolution, and The Big Book of Science Fiction.

A How-To Guide to Résumés

11:00 a.m., Location: Marriott Salon 6
Jessica Heller, Grad Staff, Inc.

Interested in using that English degree outside of academia but not sure how to market yourself? Jessica Heller, Account Specialist at GradStaff, Inc., presents a workshop on how to craft your résumé, understand transferable skills, and make it to the top of the stack. She invites you to bring your own résumé along.

2017 Convention Information:

2017 Convention Program – final [PDF]

At A Glance Schedule – final  [PDF]

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