Maggie Mayer graduated from Ball State in 2020 with a Bachelors of Arts in English with concentration in Creative Writing. She also had a double minor in Film and Screenwriting and Professional Writing and Emerging Media. She is currently a Knowledge-based Specialist at the Enfamil Nutrition Center.

 

 

 

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You mentioned in your email signature that you are a Knowledge-based Specialist at Enfamil Nutrition Center. Is this correct? If so, what does a week in your position look like? What do you do? 

A week as a Knowledge-based Specialist starts with looking through emails to gather information on upcoming promotions, changes to product, new software that is being introduced within the Consumer Resource Center and seeing what article feedback I have received. I work closely with other departments, such as marketing, regulatory, and legal, to update and compose articles and work instructions for our team. A lot of my time is spent editing, updating, and interpreting legal and medical terminology for our team and consumers. Oh, and meetings. Lots of meetings.

You also mentioned that you use your degree every day. In what way do you use your English studies every day? How will it help you succeed in the future?

I use my degree everyday through document design, being able to summarize and present new concepts to my team, managing information in the knowledge base, and using precise language. My technical writing and rhetoric course really ingrained the fact that a good writer has to consider what audiences they are writing for. My professional writing minor made my degree more versatile, marketable to employers, and I’ve used it in almost every position I have had.

What are the most valuable skills you learned as an English major at Ball State?

The most valuable skills I learned at Ball State would be how to work in collaborative environments, how to effectively conduct research, and how to take and apply feedback. My creative writing courses, specifically the Digital Literature Review, have given me invaluable experience that I was able to leverage in my transition from the classroom to the workplace

How did graduating in 2020 impact your career choices?

Graduating during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 was quite the hurdle. I was extremely nervous about what my job prospects were going to look like, especially as internships that I had applied for were canceled, more people were getting laid off than were being hired, and attending grad school in another state during a pandemic seemed rather daunting. It was a rough period of time where I doubted my ability to implement my degree that I just spent four years working for and I felt like I missed out on those last moments with my professors and classmates. The transition from classroom to workplace was abrupt and a bit rocky. I worked in manufacturing, social services, and jewelry repair before finding my current position. All of these positions were different, but the diverse work experience and skills I learned at Ball State helped me feel prepared to work more directly with my degree.

What is your one piece of advice to current English students? 

My advice to current English students is two-fold: 1. Your minor(s) can help shape your degree to fit your needs and 2. Utilize the resources available to you within your department. Finding a way to make your English degree work for you by attending department events and reaching out to professors, advisors, and alumni can help you find your passion and learn how to implement it in your professional life.

If you wish to connect with Maggie, feel free to follow her on LinkedIn.

For more information about the Department of English, visit our website, contact our office or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

For more posts like these, visit the Cardinal Directions series.