A Look at Writing Arts Career Week - Helaina Parejo

Back in March of this semester, the Writing Arts Department hosted a week-long event filled with workshops and information sessions tailored to help writing arts students advance their career opportunities. The line-up for Writing Arts Career Week consisted of seven distinct events which were open to students. 

This is the first time in Rowan history that any sort of event like this had been put on for Writing Arts students. Career weeks have always occurred at Rowan, including one devoted to the College of Communication. However, the introduction of a Writing Arts Career Week allowed students to gain information that they never could’ve had access to during the more generally disciplined events. When asked what inspired the department to create their own career week, one of the event’s coordinators, Amanda Haruch, said, “We often hear from our undergraduates that they're unaware of what positions are available to them once they graduate from college”. She went on to express that the department wanted to give students the resources they would need to identify their talents to future employers and get a good grasp of all the opportunities that are available to them as writing arts students. 

To kick off the week of writing-themed workshops, the career week began on Monday the 15th of March with a Resume Workshop. Here, students had the opportunity to learn what makes a strong resume. At this hands-on workshop, students could either add more flare to their existing resumes, or complete one from scratch, all while being advised by faculty members. 

Following the theme of resumes, another event was held on Tuesday, Resume Reviews. During the allotted hours, students could bring their resumes to designated faculty members and have a one-on-one session which lasted 30 minutes. Faculty members noted the strengths of each resume, while also offering advice on how to make it even more impressive to potential employers. 

Also on Tuesday, a session was held called Finding a Mentor. Networking can be a daunting task for many college students, especially when discussing something as personal as writing. This hands-on workshop presented students with three skills that would jump-start their approach to finding a mentor that will guide them and their writing career. 

Tuesday’s events were rounded out by the Long Night Against Procrastination. Starting at 6:30 pm, writing tutors and research librarians were present to aid students with whatever work they needed to complete. At such a challenging time in the semester, participants were able to have a designated time to focus on writing assignments, cover letters, job applications, or anything! 

On Wednesday, the Writing Arts department hosted Leveraging LinkedIn For Your Future Career Goals. The college was able to bring in a guest speaker, Megan Zakrewsky, who told attendees how Linkedin allowed her to advance in her career. Beyond that, students were given time to create their own Linkedin profiles using tips and tricks that would help them to stand out on the platform. 

Gaining Writing Experience: Internships and More, took place on Thursday. At this event, faculty and students discussed internships both on an off campus that are available to writing arts majors. 

Another event that occurred on Thursday was #LevelUp: Leveraging Your Personal & Professional Brand. During this session, participants learned about the importance of crafting and maintaining a personal brand online. Using these tools will help separate them from the crowd and hopefully allow them to attract the right attention from future employers. 

The final event of the week, a Publishing and Writing Panel, occurred on Friday. Presenters who are active in the publishing industry shared their insight and experience into the world of publishing and all the exciting challenges that come with it. 

Haruch expressed her excitement about the Career Week’s success. The turnout for all events was great, with the Linkedin and Publishing Panels getting the largest attendance. About 6o participants (counting those who attended multiple events) showed up throughout the week to gain valuable insight. With such a successful event, we hope that the Writing Arts Career Week will return next year!