Macy Jo Byerly graduated in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Studies, and minors in Professional Writing & Emerging Media and Business. During her time at Ball State, Macy Jo was involved in Jacket Copy Creative and The Broken Plate. She also copyedited for The Daily News and interned at a local digital marketing agency. She built on her experiences and writing skills to work as a Digital Marketing Coordinator at Paradigm Digital Group, a digital marketing agency. This position allows her to blend her love of copywriting, editing, social media strategy & management, and digital marketing.

What does a typical day/week/month look like for you?

Macy Jo Byerly

Working at an agency, most days vary. That being said, every month I:

  • Create content for client websites and social media
  • Manage client social media accounts
  • Create and implement monthly email marketing campaigns
  • Create graphics for client promotion
  • Write and edit monthly blog posts
  • Optimize websites/blog posts for SEO
  • Manage and edit client websites
  • Manage content calendars for multiple clients

What are the most valuable skills you learned as an English major? How have they helped you post-graduation?

I’ve learned that critical thinking, written communication, and being able to connect to your audience are HUGE. As an English Studies major, I draw on my knowledge of rhetoric and creative writing every day when working in marketing in order to effectively connect with my intended audience. You can learn other skills needed to succeed on the job, but the skills you learn as an English major are the steady foundation that are SO important. Working in WordPress, using Canva to create graphics, and managing social media in Jacket Copy Creative have also been so central to my duties in my current position.

What is the most meaningful part of your job?

When looking for full-time employment, I was worried I would feel like I “sold out” working in marketing. I work at a digital marketing agency that specializes in career colleges and CDL training schools. Every day, we post “grad posts” on our clients’ Facebook accounts. In these, we get to see a glimpse into the lives of the people graduating from the schools we help promote. Seeing how the new skills and credentials these graduates earn at these schools truly changes their lives for the better, and how proud they are to graduate makes the work I do every day meaningful.

What advice do you have for English majors?

I went through a large portion of college not having any clue what I wanted to do when I graduated. I went to Stars to Steer By events, talked to my professors/advisor/department chairs, took classes I enjoyed, and took advantage of every immersive class and internship possible to build experience and figure out what I enjoyed. This definitely helped me end up in a career I truly enjoy. If you haven’t done these things yet, I’d definitely recommend starting soon.

If you’d like to see more of Macy Jo’s work or get in contact with her, you can reach her on LinkedIn or check out her website.

Also, Macy Jo will be speaking at Stars to Steer By: “Storytelling Careers: Advertising and Marketing” on Thursday, January 23rd at 5 PM in North Quad 160. We hope to see you there, #bsuenglish!