Opportunities for English majors: A GREAT Day presentation
As some students may know, SUNY Geneseo’s annual GREAT Day takes place on Wednesday, Apr. 24. There will be a plethora of discussions, presentations, and showcases covering a range of topics and major interests. For English majors, something to keep in mind is the roundtable discussion—“Internships for English Majors: A Round Table”—which will take place in Bailey 102 from 4:30-5:45 p.m. During this discussion, five students—myself included—will share our experiences during and before obtaining internships with the department.
I will discuss my experience with BOA Editions, a not-for-profit publisher of poetry, short fiction, and other literary works in Rochester. Additional topics will be internships for the International Yeats Society, the Career and Design Center, Library Sciences, and an arts non-profit.
As a senior in my final semester, I can look back at myself as a sophomore and even a junior and say that I was unaware of the many opportunities available for English majors. This panel will not only give insight into each of the roundtable speaker’s specific internships and how we have gotten involved but will illustrate how to find internship opportunities in general.
Furthermore, as someone who has consistently felt late to the game in figuring out what I want to do career-wise, it was a nerve-wracking experience trying to piece things together and think about engaging in opportunities such as internships. I understand now that doing things is not as nerve-wracking as it may seem, and a huge point of this panel is to eliminate the doubt that often lives in students about their ability and readiness for internship opportunities. Students, especially in the arts, often discredit themselves and underestimate their expertise and skill set. Speaking from my own experience, I don’t think how we undervalue ourselves reflects our capabilities; Once we finally jump into something, such as an internship, we can truly see how qualified and able we are.
Lastly, I share from experience that applying for internships and figuring out credit applicability is much simpler than one may assume, and I’m sure many others feel the same. Therefore, this panel will allow us to get more details about the application process.
If any of this information resonates with you, make sure to come check out the English internship roundtable discussion. It will be a casual dialogue-oriented atmosphere, and we would love any English majors and those interested in English-oriented internships to join us. Even if you’re unsure of your career path, it is useful to be aware of what is available and the avenues one can take to acquire needed information. We truly want to bring visibility to the many more opportunities available than many may assume. We hope to see you there!
Thumbnail photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons