There are many different fields/industries that an English student may be able to take on. Below is a brief description of the various types of placements our students have secured in the past, sometimes through a department-sponsored internship and other times by searching on their own for a position....
BROADCASTING
An exciting but highly competitive field, broadcasting (either radio or television) internships are very hard to come by, but our students have landed positions through diligent searching and careful preparation. These kinds of internships are almost never paid and almost always require students to be enrolled in an internship course. UML students have been successful in landing such internships on their own, and we are happy to help you learn how to search for opportunities. We only have a couple of pre-approved placements in this area. Feel free to check around and see what else you can find!
COMMUNICATIONS
This broad field encompasses a host of professional writing activities built around reaching target audiences; examples include internal and external newsletters, video, social media, email and print communications, documentation, etc. Lots of different kinds of jobs in this field, so if you do not yet know what type of career you might like to pursue, this field is a terrific place to start. We have many pre-approved opportunities in this field!
DEVELOPMENT
One of the most in-demand fields, development is business-speak for fundraising, that is, developing revenue for a business, institution, or organization. Writing internships and jobs in development include grant and proposal writing, direct mail, electronic communications such as newsletters and websites, event planning, supporting materials for prospect cultivation, etc. Again, lots of jobs in this field. Often development jobs include communications work, too.
EDITING AND PUBLISHING
These are two related, attractive fields for many English majors. Keep in mind that publishing is a highly competitive industry—even for its internships—but a few of our students have landed positions through diligent searching and careful preparation. Often internships in this field are paid and thus not eligible for course credit; most of those are in the Boston area, and students from Boston-based colleges are also applying for those positions. Students seeking such positions should get help from Career Services. It is possible to find unpaid editing/publishing internships at smaller, local presses/publications, however, and we do have some pre-arranged opportunities for advanced students..
EDUCATION
Many internship opportunities exist for students interested in the field of education. Work with youth K-12 in after-school programs, shadow high school teachers and contribute lessons to a class, develop curriculum for a hands-on learning center, and more. These are rarely paid, but are ideal for the internship course. We have several such pre-arranged placements, and this list keeps growing. If you want experience in the classroom, contact the Internship Coordinator for advice. Great for those considering careers in teaching!
JOURNALISM (Print & On-Line) AND MEDIA
Journalism focuses on providing information to audiences through reporting. These internships sometimes focus on print reporting, but often they include using social media, making videos, or blogging. Some experience writing for The Connector and/or taking journalism courses is preferred (though not required) for our entry-level positions in this field, but more competitive placements such as a daily paper do require experience. Please contact the Internship Coordinator to see which of these would be the best fit for your experience and skill level.
LEGAL
An English degree is a preferred field for pursuing a law degree, and accordingly, law firms may welcome English majors as interns. Often these positions are not advertised, so students may need to approach firms and offer their services. Some students have sought out positions themselves, and we help students secure placements at non-profit law offices assisting low-income or disadvantaged people. Almost every semester we place a student with the local legal aid office, and students have had a uniformly positive experience there. If you plan to pursue a law career, please take advantage of this rare opportunity to gain experience that will set you apart from others applying to law school!
LIBRARY SCIENCE
English is a great field of preparation for a career working in libraries. Librarians employ management, information technology, and education tools for the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources. For this career, usually people need to earn at least a Master’s degree; completing a library internship is a great first step toward determining if this career is a good fit and improving your application to a graduate program in Library Science. Libraries do no offer paid positions, and they usually don’t advertise, so you need to be proactive. We do have some contacts, so ask if interested! The Internship Coordinator can help you plan how to proceed if you need help.
MARKETING
English students often think of marketing as a business major’s field, but English majors are actually great matches for marketing positions. Think of marketing as reaching a target audience to promote things: products and services, yes, but also ideas, causes, organizations, etc. Marketing produces brochures and reports, social media, presentations, advertisements, flyers, etc. We've got connection. Get your foot in the door--lots of opportunities in this field!
MUSEUM AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING
Especially in the Merrimack Valley and Greater Boston, there are many positions available in public arts and humanities institutions and organizations. Most of these are with museums and cultural organizations, ranging from researching and writing for exhibitions to building public programming. Such positions are occasionally, but not usually, paid but can be a gateway to employment in a popular regional industry. (FYI: UMass Lowell offers a Master’s degree in Public Administration: Public Arts and Humanities track.)
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Defined by the Public Relations Society of America: “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” Work in the field includes such things as writing press releases, maintaining media relations, social media, creating materials to promote good relations with the public.
SOCIAL MEDIA
One of the fastest growing areas of employment, excellent social media management skills are in high demand in the working world. Competence in various platforms is preferred for social media internships: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google Plus, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, etc. It is worth contacting organizations or businesses on your own to gauge their interest in accepting an intern for social media. We have placements each semester that ask for these skills. Lots of opportunities out there!
TECHNICAL WRITING
Almost all technical writing internships with companies should and will be paid positions. That said, nonprofits might need interns with skills in writing in technical genres such as proposals, reports, data visualizations and tables, and documentation. We have a lot of non-profit partners who may have a need for technical writing that we do not advertise. If this field interests you, be sure to let the Internship Coordinator know.