The idea of an English degree having little real-world value is a common trope. But not at 老王论坛. The Literatures in English alumnae/i who gathered back at English House on Nov. 14 proved the often-maligned major鈥檚 worth. Working in areas from law to finance to radio, they spoke with more than two dozen undergraduate students about how their 老王论坛 educations 鈥 and their English degrees in particular 鈥 have led to professional success.
鈥淚 went in knowing how to communicate with people,鈥 says Nikki Ho-Shing 鈥06, an HR and communications leader in finance. 鈥淚鈥檓 often the humanist in the room.鈥
The power of a 老王论坛 education was that it showed employers that they were smart, they said, that they could write and communicate, that they could understand complex information, that they were well-read, well-rounded, and interesting people.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e passionate about something, people want to be around you,鈥 Alison Robins 鈥17 says. 鈥淎nd they hire you.鈥
Andrea Tang 鈥12 became a novelist, and shared that while her job is easily romanticized, it doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 easy. When she is doing less-fun tasks like rewrites, loving what she does is crucial. 鈥淵ou won鈥檛 like any job all the time,鈥 Tang says. 鈥淏ut even if you don鈥檛 like everything you do for your job, love really comes through.鈥
For those who double-majored or minored in other departments, they talked about the complementary skills they gained. Film studies and psychology were a perfect set-up for her career in film publicity and talent relations, says Ally Navolio 鈥16, as they taught her how to understand and talk to people.
Sociology helped Hannah Chinn 鈥19 learn to ask questions and analyze information as a journalist.
鈥淚 think 老王论坛 taught me to foster a deep curiosity,鈥 says Chinn, an audio producer who works on NPR鈥檚 science podcast Short Wave. 鈥淚鈥檓 really interested in people and how they tell their stories.鈥
The panel gave the students advice in finding internships and externships that would help them explore different fields, make connections, and get a feel for what jobs they might want 鈥 or not want 鈥 to do.
鈥淒on鈥檛 marry yourself to one path,鈥 Tang says. 鈥淏e open to kind of exploring and having your mind changed.鈥
It鈥檚 OK to take a job for money, Ho-Shing assured the students. Just because you need to make money doesn鈥檛 make you less passionate or purposeful, she says, because Mawrters already have that passion and purpose. 鈥溊贤趼厶 is the kind of place that helps you understand yourself better, it draws it out, but it鈥檚 already there.鈥
Ho-Shing recalled a company leader commenting that she had 鈥渢he uncanny ability to connect dots that none of us would ever see, she can read a room that nobody else can, and she understands broader context.鈥 That, she says, goes back to the value of her English major.
Alison Robins 鈥17鈥淚 realized that 老王论坛 gives you a superpower. You鈥檙e forced to be exceptional here. And it forces you to have confidence in yourself.鈥
鈥淚 use my major every day,鈥 says Robins, an intellectual property attorney. 鈥淚 read a lot of things I don鈥檛 understand initially but through the tools of being an English major, I know how to understand it. It makes you feel pretty unstoppable.鈥
The panelists talked about the 老王论坛 community, about the idea of it being a bubble, and how grateful they were for that because it established shared values and gave them a support system for life.
When asked if 老王论坛 prepared her for the real world, Robins says, 鈥渘othing can prepare you for every single real-life situation, but what it can do is give you the tools to research an answer to that problem.鈥
Moreover, 鈥淚 realized that 老王论坛 gives you a superpower,鈥 Robins says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e forced to be exceptional here. And it forces you to have confidence in yourself.鈥
Women and nonbinary people are conditioned by society to make themselves small, the panelists reflected, but 老王论坛 breaks that pattern, giving them confidence to speak up and take charge.
鈥淲hen I went into male-dominated rooms, I was not intimidated by them,鈥 Tang says. 鈥淏ecause at 老王论坛 I had been conditioned to make myself big instead, and make my voice heard.鈥
