For many Northeastern students, the co-op program is a major attraction. The chance to work full-time for six months in any field you’re interested in is undoubtedly a huge opportunity, and with an opportunity that big comes inevitable challenges — one of the prominent being which co-op to choose. For some fields, the co-op path is relatively clear-cut (if you’re pre-med, you may work in a hospital, pre-law, intern at a law firm, etc.). However, for others, the path is less defined. Majors like communications, business, political science and my own — English —can tend to be vague regarding career paths, making the co-op application process more difficult.
The main reason why I chose to be an English major was because I had no idea which career I wanted to pursue, and I’ve always viewed writing as an essential skill to have in any position. While this opened up many opportunities for me when applying to co-ops, it also made the process much harder. Of course, since I didn’t know what career I wanted to pursue, I didn’t have any specific field or co-op in mind going into the process. Because of this, I would focus more on specific roles and job requirements rather than the industry a position was in when applying to co-ops, and this proved helpful in allowing me to narrow down my application list to a handful of positions that I was really excited about.
However, while an English major’s versatility affords can be seen as an asset when applying for jobs, I always felt slightly behind the curve. I love to write, so I would apply for writing positions in the legal realm, business, communications, marketing, public health and so on, but I couldn’t help but think: who would give a communications co-op position to an English major when there are thousands of other applicants who have spent their entire college career studying communications? In other words, it was difficult for me to identify potential co-op positions for which I viewed an English major as the ideal candidate, aside from a few roles in publishing or teaching, neither of which really interested me.
Over time, I grew to view my major as an asset rather than a limitation on my résumé. Technically, I am an English and cultural anthropology major pursuing a minor in linguistics. With a combination that niche, many interviewers were prone to ask me why I chose to study those subjects, how it made me more fit for the role and so forth.
While in the beginning stages of the interview process, I would try to reshape my academic background to fit what I thought was more relevant, even lying at times. I slowly began to see nothing about that made me stand out as an applicant.
Avoiding the subjects I had devoted my college career to not only undermined my confidence but also risked making me seem uncertain or indecisive to hiring managers. So, instead of saying, “Yes, technically I am an English major, but I am really interested in marketing,” I would start to say things more like, “I think studying writing and English literature throughout my time at Northeastern has equipped me with the skills necessary to create and deliver a compelling message to clients effectively in this role.” Even before landing an interview, practicing this mindset in cover letters can be a great way to build confidence in your unique academic background.
About a month into my co-op application process, I started landing interviews. My first interview was for a finance position (for which I technically fit all the job requirements). Still, I had no confidence going into the interview because I felt I needed to be a finance major!” And while I probably didn’t get the job because I didn’t have enough experience in that field, another reason may have been because I had no confidence in myself during the interview. I was so nervous on the call that I kept stuttering and reading off of a Google Doc filled with notes when, in reality, I should have taken a deep breath and trusted myself to answer the questions confidently, but my nerves got the best of me.
Fast forward to today — I’m now working as a publicist at a PR firm in Boston, and I absolutely love it. Although I’ve had a lot to learn (having never taken a public relations class), the experience has been incredible. When I first got the job, I did the obligatory LinkedIn search to check out my future coworkers and connect with them. What stood out to me most was the wide range of college majors among co-ops and full-time employees.
Our team includes English majors, business majors, public relations majors, finance majors, marketing majors, communications majors and more. It’s been amazing to see how everyone contributes in their own way, and we all bring something different to the table.
A big part of my job involves writing and sending emails, many of which need to effectively summarize and market press releases for publication in magazines or online news outlets. My English major has proven incredibly useful for this, as I need to read each press release, identify several key points and write a short paragraph summarizing the release, all while maintaining a positive, professional (and hopefully convincing) tone.
On top of that, I need to slightly alter every email to market the client’s press release as applicable to a single industry (these can be as specific as aerospace, metalworking, food manufacturing, and so on). Since much of the writing is up to my discretion, it makes my day when my manager responds with a comment like, “Great email, Christine!” Even though it seems small, a compliment on my writing reassures me that everything I’ve studied and worked so hard on in my English classes has been worthwhile, and that I can carry those skills forward into whatever career I choose.
All that to say, when applying to co-op positions outside your major, it’s important to hold onto your self-confidence and view your academic portfolio as a strength, not a weakness. Identify what makes you a unique and strong candidate; don’t be afraid to highlight those qualities.