What can you do with a degree in linguistics?

Whither Linguistics? Oh The Places You’ll

Go

Anna Marie TresterDepartment of LinguisticsGeorgetown University

What’s in a frame?

Q: “You’re studying linguistics?”

not really “what can you do with a degree in linguistics?”, but “what do you want to do”and let’s think about how linguistics can get you there!

Reframe!!

OK, well, it’s really two questions…..

Career Education

Learn where others have found professional expression of their skills and training

Where the linguists are

Professional self-presentation

Bring your awareness of language and communication to the texts and interactions that comprise the job search Resume Cover letter LinkedIn profile etc.

No, really

BRIGHTEN!

Where do people get jobs with a degree in Linguistics anyways?

Give you a better understanding of the

world of work (research, teaching, government, business)

Provide a reframe for thinking about careers: Agency (something you build) Career is a research problem, one you

can bring your skills and training to

Leave you with some resources and strategies for bringing what you already love (linguistics) to your research and thinking about careers

My goals today - to give you:

NETWORKING Prof. associations /Informational interviews

The job search process

APPLYING

RESEARCH Figuring out what you want to do

NETWORKING Prof. associations

/Informational interviews

STORIES & the job search process

APPLYING

RESEARCH Figuring out what

you want to do

Story finding

Story listening

Story telling

On your card

2 Skills 2 Interests 2 Dream Jobs

The Linguistics Wheel

Build a career

Source: Karen Newhouse Beyond the Ivory Tower

My interest in the

topic of professional self-presentation: As a teacher As a researcher As a linguist

About me & my interest

Impression

Management

CURIOSITY!

CAREER EDUCATION “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” (where people work with degrees in linguistics)

PROFESSIONAL SELF-PRESENTATIONHow Lx Can Take you there(job searching = texts: you know how to analyze these!!!!)

A chance to practice(Tell Me About Yourself activity)

Plan for today

Sociolinguistics / Linguistics Academic vs. alt-academic

paths (post-ac) PhD / MA (MS) / BA D.C.

Some final notes on terminology

Career Education

Oh the places you’ll go!

Frameworks Institute

MY internship!

Innovation Strategy

Smithsonian Institution

Healthcare Communication

Social Media strategy

entrepreurship

Communication in the workplace or other institutional setting plays a crucial part in how that organisation functions, and when things go wrong, they can go wrong in a big way. Planes can crash, patients can die, suspects can escape because of miscommunication. I want to help you eliminate these potentials for error. As a trained linguist and anthropologist, I can look at the way your organisation works, and offer suggestions and advice for improvements and alterations, to help you work better.

Language Advocacy

Professional self-presentation

How Linguistics will “take you

there”

Texts that comprise the job search

ResumeWritten “spiels”:

Cover LetterLinkedIn profile

Oral “Spiels”:Elevator pitch

“Pocket example” narratives

TMAY

Academic job search

CV

Written “spiels”:Cover Letter

Academia.edu profile

Oral “Spiels”:Elevator pitch

“Pocket example” narratives

TMAY

Deploying your stories

Informational

Interviews

Elevators

Netwokring EventsJOB FAIRS!

Job Interviews

Some contexts to think about

Storytelling

From: “I want this job”

To:“This is why you need me”

Cover Letters

Claiming Agency Shifting your deictic cente

Why? Because THEY need you!

Networking

Pocket examples

Little stories that SHOW you exhibiting qualities you are telling them you possess

For any event (job interview, informational interview, networking event) you want to have at least 5 prepared

“Tell Me About Yourself”

Some practice

Job interviews

Look at the major turning points in your narrative Find a way to present agency, that positive

outcomes were the result of your: Decision Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities Strength of character Steadfast intention

NOT Luck Accident Someone else’s help (at least not wholly)

In your narratives

And stay in touch!

amt23@georgetown.edu

Some resources

mlc.linguistics.georgetown.edu

MLC Career Exploration Expo – April 1st 2014

Your career center (help them help you)

Alum from your dep’t

Something to do NOW: get in

More Resources