By Rebecca Sowell for the Miami University Professional Writing website
Expressing the skills you gain through your Professional Writing curriculum may seem difficult, but leveraging your major starts by creating your story and articulating what you have to offer, recognizing your skills, and focusing on how to present them in a way that relates to your potential job.
As evidenced by the high employment rate of Miami Professional Writing majors (99.9 percent), Professional Writing majors are highly sought after in a variety of fields including business, communication, marketing, publishing, legal, and others. Because of the flexibility of the diverse field of Professional Writing and how it allows students to tailor their studies to their career goals, it is essential that PW majors know how to market themselves and the skills they have in a job interview. Here are some helpful tips below for presenting yourself as a PW major for a variety of positions.
There are also many excellent resources available in-person and online at Miami’s Center for Career Exploration and Success.
Figure out your “story.” What do you have to offer?
Create a short (1-2 sentence) description—also known as an elevator pitch—that summarizes you and your narrative. What are you particularly good at? What are your interests and goals? Employers want to get an idea of who you are, so make sure to have a self-summary ready for an interview.
Recognize your skills
Employers care about skills more than anything else. According to the 2018 Job Outlook Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the top attributes employers look for in a candidate are:
Problem-solving skills
Ability to work in a team
Written communication skills
Leadership
Strong work ethic
Analytical/quantitative skills
Verbal communication skills
Initiative
Due to the comprehensive PW course requirements and electives, PW majors gain experience in all of these listed skills by the time of graduation. The best way to recognize your skills is to create a document with a list of the things you learned in various classes and internships/jobs held, focusing on the skills gained and the types of projects completed. For example: Did you create a social media strategy for your PW capstone class? If so, mark that down as experience with teamwork, problem-solving, written and oral communication, initiative, and analytic skills. Reviewing what you’ve learned and having ready examples to show different skills will help you as you customize cover letters or prepare for oral interviews.
Present your skills
Now that you have a complete list of your skills and projects, you’ll need to present them. The professional world is organized by skills, not subjects, so be specific in your cover letter and interview answers.
If you tell an employer that you took a copyediting class, their reaction might be, “Okay, but what did you actually learn?” But if you say that you applied your attention to detail and your organizational skills to create and apply a style guide to an ebook publication, they’ll be more impressed. Employers want proof that you have experience and they can rely on you. There’s a big difference between saying you’re good at something in a general way and showing a precise example where you used it. Everything should be framed in a way that shows employers how you can help them and what specific expertise and skills you bring.
Advice from PW Alumni
When it comes to job search advice, alumni can be a great resource. On the main department website, more than 30 alumni share advice in their profiles. Here is a sampling of that advice:
Take advantage of the need for strong writers
“The skills we learn in PW are not industry-specific. Industries can be learned, but strong communication skills are fundamental in any role. With a clear resume, strong writing samples, and engaging cover letter, you already have a leg up.” – Alicia Auhagen ’16
“Being able to write at a professional level is a skill any and every employer looks for, and written job applications are a great opportunity to showcase these skills.” – Mary Schrott ’17
Refine your communication skills
“Communication is everything in business and life. Better communicators always have leverage when it comes to reaching their goals. If you’re the most skilled applicant for a job, but you can’t communicate that, then you’ll lose the job to the person who can communicate better. A PW major will be trained to use logic, emotion, and credibility to get that job or raise.” – Brian Robben ’15
Provide examples for your skills
“Job interviews are the ultimate test for a PW major—how do you build a successful argument to persuade your audience to hire you? Find the skills you truly excel at then identify examples of when you accomplished something using them. I highlighted my communication skills, my technical writing skills, attention to detail, project management skills, and that I take initiative when there are opportunities to do so.” – Alison Block ’17
“Being that my job is in the PR field, during interviews I was able to speak of my experience working with clients, writing copy and creating content for various mediums—all of which came from studying professional writing.” – Mary Schrott ’17
To read about more alumni advice and experiences, please visit the Alumni Profile page on the Miami University Professional Writing website.
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