Career Fair Jobs for English/CW Majors: Management Development Programs

In a recent blog post, we urged you to go to campus career fairs, which raises the question, “okay…but to apply for what?”

ONE option (there are others — we’ll get to those in future posts) that English/CW majors should know about: management development programs. Sometimes called “leadership development” or “rotational programs,” these opportunities involve a one- to two-year commitment to a mid-size to large company. During that time, the new employee rotates through several different departments, learning how different parts of the company operate, trying out different skill sets, and and getting the big picture that will eventually help him or her flourish in a particular role. If all goes well, at the end of the program, the employee is hired into a permanent managerial role in whichever part of the company is the best fit.

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Career Fairs and English/CW Majors

The fall career fair season will start up almost immediately when your return to school in the fall, with the Business Career Fair taking place on Sept. 19 and 20, the largest and most bustling of all the campus career fairs. It will be followed by the Illini Career and Internship Fair a month later. Yes, you should go, even if you’re not immediately in the market for a job. (Definitely go if you’re a senior planning to work after graduation!) Here’s why you should go: Continue reading “Career Fairs and English/CW Majors”

So You Want to Write for Video Games? Some Resources.

Video games involve narrative, dialogue, text, instructions. Someone has to write that stuff. Could it be you? Breaking into the video game industry is difficult, particularly for those whose strength is crafting stories, not digital animation or coding. That said, it’s also a growth industry where new opportunities arise all the time.

Here’s a thoughtful overview of trends in video game writing.

Some practical advice on breaking into the industry:

If reading those links hasn’t scared you off, here are some places to start looking for opportunities.

If you’ve read the advice above carefully, you’ll know that your best strategy may involve networking, seeking contract work with a small company, or creating your own game. Internships at the big-name video game companies are highly competitive, but that’s not a reason not to compete. Here are links to a few that have internship programs OR extensive online job boards. As with any big-name internship, it’s a good idea to start your search for a summer 2018 internship in summer 2017.

 

The 25 Companies that Pay Interns the Most (start planning for summer 2018)

Salary is not the only index of worth, value, or skill. Happiness can be found below the poverty line, and time and meaning can be worth more than money.

That said, when this article came out, claiming that Internships at these 25 companies pay more than the average US salaryit seemed useful to ask…

Internships doing what?

A lot of things, it turns out. Some internships are specifically for students with specific engineering, programming, or quantitative business training, but many are not. Some are limited to specific majors. Many are not.

Many of these companies offer internships that English/CW majors can qualify for — if a job at a large company is what you want.

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