This weekend, we saw a horrifying scene in Charlottesville, Virginia. If we want to prevent future tragedies like Charlottesville, we need empathetic leaders like English majors.… Continue Reading
Studying English isn’t like other majors (except maybe Art). You don’t spend your time thinking, “How am I going to get hired by Google doing what I’m doing?” Nor do you think, “How rich will this make me?”
Instead, English majors tend to be more focused on understanding the human experience. That makes us more accountable.… Continue Reading
There’s a story going around about Elon Musk’s assistant who asked for a raise. After a two week test, she was fired. Here’s what we can learn.… Continue Reading
Want to earn $10,000 per month as a freelance writer? Imagine it: sipping iced tea on the balcony, computer on your lap, while you get paid thousands to write web content for some of the world’s most exciting companies. You can work from anywhere! And the best part? Even brand-new writers can make five-figure incomes every month from the comfort of their own homes! (Or, can they?)… Continue Reading
Like writing, professional editing is a broad term that actually encompasses many different types of work. However, editing is different in that it’s essentially invisible. A well-edited blog post, book, or other document allows the writer’s strengths to shine – not draw attention to the editing itself. Since great editing is so hard to identify, how can English majors learn how to become a good editor?… Continue Reading
Does writer’s block exist?
Prolific writer and marketing guru Seth Godin doesn’t think so. And I agree with him.… Continue Reading
Are you a grammar snob? Do you derive pleasure in correcting misplaced commas, run-on sentences, and other errors most people can’t even see? Do you feel rage when forced to read terrible grammar in text messages?
If so, you’re going to love this new sticker pack.… Continue Reading
I wanted to write and share what we’ve been creating for you. We’ve taken a step back to evaluate how The English Major’s Guide (formerly Proofwriting) can better prepare English majors (like you) to have a great career.
More importantly, we wanted to determine why we are working to create the best career prep resource in the world for English majors.
Today, I’d like to share some of the things we’ve created, what’s coming next, and how you can benefit.… Continue Reading
Writers need to stand out. It’s hard to get a job when you’re writing blends into the array of bloggers on the web. How do you set your writing above the rest? The secret is “The 5 Hour Rule”.… Continue Reading
Ellen Petry Leanse, entrepreneur and former employee of Apple and Google, noticed a startlingly high frequency of the word “just” among her female coworkers in conversation and email. Sentences starting in “I was just wondering” or “I just wanted to” left the speaker submissive and apologetic before making a request. This gave more authority and control to the recipient.
As covered in her post on LinkedIn, Leanse and her coworkers omitted “just” from their speech as an experiment, and this is what she concluded:… Continue Reading