My English studies provided a natural segue into the publishing industry and journalism

Monique Diman, Alumnus: Manager, Disney Book Group Sales

 

Describe your career path. What choices did you make? How did you use your time in college to help you along in your career path?

My English studies provided a natural segue into the publishing industry and journalism helped me in sales. Asking the right questions is key to knowing your audience or customer. I secured paid internships in publishing, film marketing and at a public broadcasting station in college. I tried to get a sense of various media so I could be flexible lining up a job within the markets that were hiring upon graduation.

What advice do you have for English majors or English graduate students as they prepare for for careers? How can they stand out in a competitive job market?

I see some graduates with a very singular career focuses (i.e. “I want to be a children’s book editor”) which is admirable but I would encourage some flexibility. If a job comes up editing web sites or textbooks, try it! The path may lead you to where you want to be anyway or somewhere else where you might be just as happy. I thought that I wanted to be a broadcast journalist but job opportunities took me elsewhere. I went with it and am happy I did.