English@Work program helping prepare students for careers in English

Monday, February 9, 2015

Heading into the workforce might seem intimidating for some college graduates, but one University of Iowa class is working to lessen that fear by showing and providing English majors with the tools to enter the work world—and they’re succeeding.

The class, English@Work, is offered through the Department of English, which is part of the UI College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. English@Work helps students realize the high demand of their skills in the workforce. So far the program has launched students into a number of internships including one at Prairie Lights, a marketing and research firm in Cedar Rapids, and the International Writing Program.

It’s also created internships for Creative Nonfiction writers and revitalized internships with the UI Press. One student in the class was accepted to serve as a peer advisor at the Pomerantz Career Center starting this spring, helping to further ties between Pomerantz and the Department of English.

The two joined forces in fall 2014 to create English@Work and help students learn why the knowledge and skills gained as an English major are valuable in the eyes of employers.

Throughout the course students create resumes, write sample cover letters, test out software for designing portfolios, practice informational and informal interviews, and learn how to navigate finding internships.

Registration filled up almost immediately this semester, and with the Department of English continually researching internships by reaching out to alumni and local business, they are optimistic the program will keep growing.

Sign up for the class on MyUI when registration is available for the Fall 2015 semester.


The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.