When I first started studying English in K-State, my goal was to go on to get my Ph.D. and become an English professor. I envisioned myself writing articles, presenting at conferences, and chatting with students. But in my career today, you can often find me blowing up marshmallows in a microwave or dropping bowling balls on mattresses, and then writing about it.
Turns out, things change.
I got my Bachelor’s and Master’s in English from K-State, enjoying my years learning, teaching, and writing.
After graduating with my Master’s in 2024, I left my days in academia behind to pursue a career in commerce journalism. Now, I’m an associate editor for the Reviews section of Business Insider, and I spend my days testing products, editing freelance articles, and tracking down the perfect presents for gift guides. It’s certainly not what I expected my future career to look like, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. And as wacky as it sounds, my classes and experiences from K-State gave me the skills I needed to be successful — and not because they taught me the best technique to toss a suitcase for testing (I learned that myself).
Thinking back, even more important than the class content itself was the skills I honed as an English student. Let’s be clear, I’m always thrilled to enjoy a good conversation about Indigenous film, the politics of fatness,writing pedagogy, or anything else I learned in my courses. But when I’m thinking about what I bring from my studies to my career, I’m most appreciative for the skills of critical thinking, researching, writing, and editing my classes and projects honed throughout my years studying English.
One thing I struggled with after graduating was translating my learning from my degree into marketable skills on the job market. Being an English student sometimes felt like being a jack of all trades but master of none. For me, the best way to combat that feeling was to get involved. My most transferable skills came from my experiences working with amazing people outside of the classroom.
Kinsley working with Gabe Padua (MA ’25) in the Writing Center
I oversaw online tutoring during my last year of grad school, which gave me basic supervisory experience and experience organizing a program. As SAGE president, I got experience with event organization and working as a liaison. My time researching with the Chapman Center in undergrad gave me an eye for in-depth research and experience with primary sources. Outside of K-State, my freelance writing for Business Insider directly led to my current full-time job. I owe so much to the wonderful people at K-State — from the folks at the writing center, to my undergraduate and graduate research mentors, to my friends and colleagues — in guiding me through these experiences to make me a better writer, researcher, and person. Looking back, I also wish I had branched out further into professional internships and technical writing. The transferability of skills from an English program is both a blessing and a curse, so it’s really up to each student to make the most of each situation.
In my own career, I’m so grateful that I get to write every day. Of course, media is a scary place right now, especially with the uncertainty of a future with AI, but I really love my job. Where else can you get paid to scratch silk pillowcases with a fork, throw suitcases on concrete, or pour blue food dye onto mattress protectors and then write about it?
I never imagined myself as a journalist when I started my program, but once I began, it made complete sense. I had experience working with writers and honing written work as a writing center tutor, which lends itself well to editing and working with freelance writers. I spent hours researching for my projects, which definitely comes in handy when I’m trying to find new products to test. Even the process of project ideation and article development was strengthened through countless brainstorming sessions for papers and projects for classes. Plus, being an English student taught me how to learn, so I’m not afraid to take on new concepts like SEO, data analytics, or journalism lingo.
Another important lesson I learned? Your first job out of school doesn’t have to be your forever job.
When I moved to Indiana with my partner, who’s currently getting his Ph.D. at Purdue, I accepted a job with the university’s Academic Success Center. I loved working with students and my colleagues, but I missed being able to write and edit every day. I continued freelancing with Business Insider, until that freelancing turned into a fellowship position, and that position turned into a full-time editor. I was sad to leave Purdue, but I knew that my job at BI was a much better fit for me and my future goals. It can be scary to leave one career path for another, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to try different roles out until I found the right fit. Even now, I know that my current role might not last forever — layoffs are a harsh reality in media —, so I’m always thinking of new paths where I could bring my skills and ideas.
It’s not just me who found ways to move my English skills into future careers. My friends from my cohort are crushing it in their own, unique ways.
Kinsley with Eli Long and Sarah Morgan (May 2024)
Sarah Morgan (MA ‘24) moved to Chicago to apply her experience working with students and killer organizational skills to work in student recruitment at Rush Medical School. My best ENGL 200 planning buddy, Jordan Dombrowski (MA ‘24), just won the Kansas Horizons Award for Excellence in First Year Teaching, bringing the same creativity that made lesson planning with her a joy into her high school classroom. And not everyone went the professional career path — Eli Long (MA ‘24) started his Ph.D. at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee last year, where he continues to teach students and work on all things horror. Their success shows there’s no one-size-fits-all future for an English major — it’s entirely up to your interests and goals.
Of course, there are things I miss about academia. I still hunt down any materials related to my Master’s project, and I really miss working with students in the classroom. But when I get sad about leaving my English classes behind I think about all the ways in which I’ll always carry what I learned — seeing that dolly zoom in a movie, clocking the themes in my latest read, noticing language choices in media — and remember that those years spent in the classroom will always be a part of me.
Things change, but I’ll always be an English student.
— Kinsley Searles (BA ’22, MA ’24)
K-State English 