Me? Work in finance?
If someone had told me at graduation I would someday work in finance — and like it- — that would have been my response (with some laughter and perturbed facial expressions thrown in).
After all, I was a writer! I was going to do something creative and meaningful when I graduated from Geneseo. I set out wanting to either work at a newspaper or a nonprofit. Miraculously, or coincidentally, I met the Editor of a trades newspaper specializing in nonprofit news. He offered me an internship which quickly turned into a full-time position, and I enjoyed my Dream Job for two years as an Editorial Assistant and Reporter.
There wasn't much room for growth at the smaller newspaper, so I moved on as a Human Resources Specialist at a logistics company for a year. During that year I joined the ranks of panicky twenty- somethings everywhere whose "career" wasn't taking them where they wanted to be, and I applied to all job postings I could find.
What I found was my current Dream Job as the Financial Services Assistant at a nonprofit healthcare system. I was surprised at how useful my English degree is in finance, and not just when it comes to analyzing data and writing reports. While everyone else in my department has a background in accounting or business management, I am able to approach things differently because of my liberal arts background. Sometimes I still feel like the new kid on the block figuring out finance-y stuff, but I'm the first person in the office that associates come to when they need to think outside the cubicle for ideas. An added bonus: I am cultivating the social club experiences I had at Geneseo as a member of the Healthy Living and Green committees at work.
(And, of course, I'm still a writer! I just get to write and find meaning for myself now.)
As an English major, you will hear two stories: "You won't find a job," and, "You can do anything with an English degree." In my experience, the latter story is true — if you let it be. Dream jobs come in all different shapes and sizes. Maybe you'll find yours right out of school. If you're daring enough to let go of the idea of who you're supposed to be, maybe you'll find yourself someplace entirely different, and possibly even dreamier, than you ever imagined.