My degree:
Bachelor of Arts (BA)Where I went to school:
Indiana University BloomingtonWhat I studied:
I majored in English with a concentration in Public & Professional Writing, and I minored in Marketing. Here's a very short list of some of the classes I had to take to complete my major, minor, and concentration:Major & Concentration:
- Technical Writing
- How to write memos, proposals, reports, etc. Not only did I learn how to properly write professional documents, but I also learned how to use Adobe InDesign, which is a program that I use on a daily basis at work ( and sometimes even in my personal life ).
- Argumentative Writing
- How to persuade someone about something in a piece of writing, basically.
Minor:
- Intro to Marketing
- A broad overview of how marketing works from a business standpoint and a consumer standpoint.
- Marketing Communications
- Analysis of marketing strategies and how marketing messages impact consumer purchase behavior. What a professional jargon moment.
Why I chose my major & minor:
I chose to become an English major because reading was my favorite thing to do growing up. Writing had also always come easy for me, and I became really interested in blogging and writing for online publications ( like Spoon University ) when I was a freshman in college.I minored in marketing because writing about products and services appealed to me. I was interested in writing and marketing, and I can do both of those things in the marketing industry.
My industry:
Marketing & CommunicationsWhere I work:
Monroe County YMCAMy job title:
Digital Media SpecialistHere are some other job titles that essentially mean the same thing: Social Media Specialist / Coordinator, Digital Media Coordinator, Digital Marketing Specialist / Coordinator
What I do:
When people ask me what I do, I usually keep it short and sweet: "I run my local Y's website and social media accounts." Like I said, that's the short and sweet version—here's a list of ( most of ) what I actually do:- Create 2-3 social posts ( with written and visual elements ) per day for the Y's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
- Write copy* for and design six monthly email newsletters + any additional email requests
- *Copy means text of any sort—in a tweet, an email, a book, a recipe, an essay, etc.
- Interview members about their "Y stories" and do one of the following to tell / share that member story:
- Film and edit a video OR
- Write an article
- Write and edit copy for fliers, posters, bulletin boards, web and print ads, and any other public-facing marketing materials
- Record Stories & Lives ( read: do social media stuff ) during programs and special events
- Shoot photo & video during programs and special events to use for social media, digital ads, and other marketing materials
- Design fliers, website banners, TV slides, and a handful of other graphic design pieces using Adobe InDesign
What I like about my job:
- It's interesting ( to me ) in the scheme of possible career options.
- I get paid to write, which basically means I get paid to do my hobby.
- Not to toot my own horn, but I'm good at it.
- I get to do a variety of tasks, so I don't get super bored most of the time.
- I get to put my graphic design skills to use, even though graphic design isn't reeeeeally in my job description.
- It's pretty easy and low-stress for the most part.
What I dislike about my job:
- I have to go to program meetings ( like swim lessons or youth basketball practices ) and special events quite often, since they need to be documented on social media. This means working late and on weekends in most cases, but it's usually only for a few hours at most.
- Everyone thinks I just sit on Facebook all day long—insert eye roll, please.
- I have to be relatively social, and as an introvert, it can be exhausting.
If you have any burning questions that I didn't address, ask me in the comments below! I'm more than happy to share any insight I have.
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