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Before I share the recipe of success of winning case study competitions, let me point out what do these case study competitions mean.What are corporate case study competitions?Every year, some companies present strategic problems that they face in the market and invite ideas from students across the country to turnaround their situation. For example, OYO's problem statement for 2019 was to help grow OYO Life's presence by 10x in one year.What is in it for students?Apart from the coverage and the brand name, there are cash prizes worth lakhs of rupees for the winning teams. The travel and stay are managed by the companies and the students get the exposure to present their solutions to the C-suite.Where can students find these competitions?Most of them are hosted on Dare2Compete. Different companies open their competitions for different institutes and educational levels across the year. For example, OYO's The Catalyst 2019 was open for all undergrad as well as postgrad students. Most competitions ask for a team of 2-3 members.How has my experience been?I got to know about these competitions only after joining IIM Ahmedabad. The first year at IIM Ahmedabad was no less than a roller-coaster ride, so I decided I'd participate only in the second year. Even in the second year, it took me a lot of time to understand how these case competitions work and what needs to be done to crack them.So far, I've been a part of three different teams that have been staged as the National Runners Up of:Colgate Transcend 2019OYO The Catalyst 2019Capgemini L'innovateur 2019Kotler's Conundrum 2019 (this was not corporate)Based on my experience, I can share the strategies my team deployed in each one of them, the feedback we got from the judges and what the winners did to win the aforementioned competitions.First Things First - The TeamI can't emphasize enough on this. In the very beginning of your undergrad/postgrad, you need to find people who are passionate enough like you to participate in these competitions and add value to their CVs. Some people are free-riders (they want the credit but don't want to work) - make sure not to select them. Your team has to be a diverse mix (both gender-wise and education-wise). This will help you think laterally.Round 1 StrategiesIn this round, the largest amount of elimination takes place. Out of thousands of entries, top 100 are picked. The criteria is often a one-slider presentation or a 3-10 slider presentation. In the initial months of participating, I realized that my team was getting through the one-slider competitions but not through the 3-10 slider ones. That is when it struck me that the key to win in this round is to show how much effort you've put in. We were not getting through the 3-10 slider ones because our slides had blank spaces. The person shortlisting PPTs in this round will not be a senior manager. So, the criteria has to be 'the effort put in'. Show what you've done.You can do that by filling up your slides with data, research as well as recommendations. Just make sure each slide is utilized enough to show the effort that went in making the 3-10 slides.Strategy 1 - Leave no blank spaces, fill your slides.The next thing is to show that you went out of your way to meet the consumers and suppliers of the company. This is called conducting primary research. You must also back it up by data you procure from analytical reports. This is called secondary research. The sources we use for this are - EMIS Intelligence, Euromonitor and Statista. Now, both the researches must be present in your slides and extensively covered. Try to click as many pictures as you can with consumers/stores and put them in the slides.Strategy 2 - Conduct and show primary and secondary research.Now, this much is hygiene, and if you've done this, chances are you'll get through the first shortlist. But, something about your presentation has to sound as an exciting factor and that role is often played by videos/infographics/GIFs, etc. When you write your recommendations, present an easier way for the person shortlisting to understand what you're trying to say. We used videos, GIFs to put across our point. We also made sample apps (using custom animation) to show how the idea would work. These are called wireframes.Strategy 3 - Add a video/GIF/wireframe to explain your idea.Do these along with a well designed and formatted PPT and you'll get through Round 1 for sure.Round 2 StrategiesThis is often a video conferencing round. The panelists are marketing/sales managers who cannot see you but only your PPT. Some tips that can help you sail through this round:Don't present the same PPT. Your initial PPT must be having a lot of data. This is the time you hide it because the person you'd be presenting to would be an expert on data.Instead, focus on the primary research you did. Now, here's the catch - managers love consumer insights. So, when you're saying you met consumers, don't tell unnecessary things. Just mention how many you met and what insights/problems were you able to catch.In the very beginning of your presentation, just after your title slide, mention the two key ideas (no detail) but just the name of the idea. This is called anchoring. You would want the manager to pay more attention whenever you present that idea later.In the recommendations part, must include the video/GIF again. Your primary focus should be to explain your idea using it to showcase your creativity.In this round, the criteria often is how comprehensively you've covered everything. These managers are like a check before you get to present to the C-suite. They try to check if you've covered every ground.Round 3 StrategiesThis is the final round, wherein you present to the CXOs of the company. Now, the interesting mistake people often make here is that they complicate things a lot. I've seen so many PPTs that were full of numbers and data and I couldn't help but feel sad for the teams presenting them. The thing is, the CXOs are busy people. They'd give only 10 minutes per team. Now, in those 10 minutes, why would you want to bore them with number work? They already know the numbers. What they don't know is how to creatively solve the problem.No guesses that such teams never won any competitions. The teams which followed this format always won:Problem Statement - They have often not read the problem, so it is only fair to let them know what you're trying to solve about their company. Mention the scope of the case i.e. which areas were no-go (told not to interfere into) so that they don't quiz you on it.Research - It actually means effort/procedure. All you need to tell them is what you did - how many consumers you met, how many stores you visited, in short - how much effort did you put. Put pictures and videos if possible.Insights - Based on the research and relevance to the problem, what were the top 3 insights?Ideas - So, how do you propose to use the insights and solve the problem? Your idea could relate to any of the 4 Ps - Product, Price, Promotion or Place. Here, you must also show the wireframes/GIFs etc.Feasibility - This is critical. You must be able to prove that whatever you're suggesting is implementable. There has to be technical, financial, operational feasibility. Apart from that, your idea must be innovative, acceptable to consumers and scalable.Finance & Timeline - The last slide should be a very brief summary of how much will the company need to invest, what will be the return (impressions, sales, profits, etc.). Also present the roll-out timeline of your ideas - you don't plan to launch everything together, right?What differentiates the team that wins from others?This is my favourite part because through each of the four competitions, I learnt 4 different points of differentiation used by the winning teams:Prototypes - Let's say you come up with a product idea. Make its physical prototype and take it to the finale to show to the judges. One of the teams even made a sample app and won!Animations - Use the custom animations creatively. In OYO's competition, the winning team showed how the app will allow consumers to view the house live and they made us see a house live using animations. Try working with custom animations like move, swipe, rotate etc.Confidence - One of the teams was so confident of their research that when they spoke, everyone knew they were not lying. Be thorough - both with your data and presentation.Innovative - It doesn't matter if the idea is wacky, as long as it is innovative, it earns a tick-mark. Try to reject ideas that are obvious. Think on what might not have been thought by anyone.The feedback of CXOsWhat I've observed in these competitions is that CXOs are generally more interested in being amazed. They're so bored of routine ideas and the same thing being repeated again and again that they want something new. All you've got to do is to try convince them that your new is implementable and scalable.Here are a couple of points different CXOs have shared in these competitions -Amaze them - They look for opportunities to have that 'wow' moment when they feel like they didn't know something and their team couldn't think of it.Cover it up - They like thoroughness. So, during the cross-questioning, you should be able to prove your point by backing it up with data from primary research or secondary research.Keep it simple - Don't give 10 ideas and say every idea is excellent. Give 2-3 good ideas and mention how you suggest them to prioritize.Be original - They have known the industry much better than you. They can catch in seconds if you try to copy an idea from some other country.Stay aligned - Each company has some values. If your idea goes against them, you're gonna lose for sure. Match it with their values and you'll win the competition.You can also watch this video I created as a follow-up to share some examples of the presentations my team created:With these, I'll leave the floor open for any questions. Also, just remember that these competitions add a lot of value to your profile, especially if you are planning to get into a B-school or if you are in a B-school.You can message here for any follow-ups.Also, go through other ways to boost your CV to make it IIM-ready.Source: How to win National Level Case Study Competitions?

Reporter continues to reflect a theme in designer Nicholas Felton's work: an interest in using data for humane ends such asapprehending our life in a more reliable and explicable way,understanding ourselves more accurately and more deeply, and thusbeing able to change and improve ourselves through clarity of insight and comprehension of cause and effect.Thanks to the coming ubiquity of cameras, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and biomedical sensors soon enough to be everywhere, we're approaching a time in which many millions of people will know what they want to know and measure what we want to measure in their lives, hoping to optimize their choices and improve themselves [1].The point: in designing for data, Felton is designing for resource in which we'll soon be drowning.Reporter is a tool for collecting and visualizing various kinds of data:A few types of sensor data from your iPhoneRandom sampling: infrequent push notifications ask you to check in and report on whatever you're trackingReporter visualizes the forms of data it knows what to do with (and one can hope it will add additional visualization formats and data types in time) and captures and presents back in a fairly handy way whatever it doesn't graph.What makes Reporter most interesting is that it recognizes that it has a general function and attempts to solve the very difficult design problem introduced by generality —how to make it useful to the task while still appropriate for most or all forms of the task— in a neat way: by being designed around customizability.Reporter is made for users to enter the questions they want to be asked and the things they want monitored; to choose how they want to enter answers and data (Y/N, multiple-choice, text, etc.); to have easy access to their habitually-entered names; to control how often they're surveyed; even to change the interface's main color [2].Reporter is also fascinating to me personally in its pragmatic and non-ideological solution to the problem of qualitative data. As someone concerned with mental health and worried that both the psychological lives of individuals and the broader mentality of the public receive too little attention due to their vaporous, qualitative nature, I'm excited that Reporter collects surveys in addition to figures from sensors. It's worth noting: as sexy as "big data" is, it remains impossible to capture much of the human experience in numbers; that mood, morality, purpose, and so on cannot be charted doesn't mean they're not important, and Felton deserves credit for not ignoring the importance of the non-mathematical. The temptation is always to dismiss what doesn't measure in our paradigm, but pragmatic design acknowledges the limitations of all solutions. I hope to see more experiments in easily capturing ignored forms of important information.I told my non-technical girlfriend about Reporter and she was excited by the thought of tracking how she felt, her energy levels, and how we're doing as a couple. One needn't be technical to desire self-improvement; all of us are familiar with the sense of being "stuck" battling the same tendencies or frustrations endlessly. The promise —and at present, it seems in my opinion to be no more or less than that— of apps like Reporter and sensor technologies in general is to release us from stagnation: to show us what drives how we feel, where we self-sabotage, when we're at our best or worst and why so that we can change, develop, grow. This app is especially exciting becauseIt's an attempt at a general software solution to data collection: especially impressive at iPhone-scaleIt acknowledges the import of both quantifiable and qualitative forms of informationIf it works, it will help people know themselves more accurately in ways we cannot predict: it is a creative platformOne last thing to note about Reporter is that it is, in keeping with its focus on you and your needs, it is utterly private: it is not a network; you don't sign into an account; data stays local, on your device only. It does not seem to be a "play" at something and doesn't monetize you; it is a tool for self-knowledge.It is a salient feature of our age that we have access to increasing loads of data but with no attendant increase in our self-knowledge or confidence in our ability to set goals and achieve them; Reporter thus seems not only useful now but reflective of a promising path in the future. Designing for data is just beginning; solving the problems introduced by combining data types, different sorts of intervals, visualizing sensor information, and so on is only going to get more important. Reporter reflects Felton's many years of work in this area [3], and as such is worth examining, critiquing, and improving: all characteristics of important design.NotesThis answer is adapted from Connecting Data Dots: Reporter for iPhone.As it happens, this theme of much of Felton's work anticipates what looms as the next major field of technological consumer innovation: wearables, as a category, offer few features more important than their sensors, which promise to tell us more clearly how we sleep, how we eat, what drives our moods and feelings, what gives us energy, how our pulse and blood sugar look, how far we've walked (and how far we should walk), and more. How much more? What will start perhaps with watches and eyewear and iBeacon-type spatial sensors seems likely to extend to implants and disposables one day. We're going to have lots of information.That customizability is a compromise is an idea accepted uncritically by the zeitgeist, but while bail-out customizability reflects poor design, Reporter is like a multi-tool, or a meta-tool: its optionality is not bolted onto edges where the designer couldn't make up his mind; it's a core element of the app. Over time, I'll be especially curious to see how the customizability is enhanced or reduced; as use-cases become known, it may be less valuable (or its cognitive cost on users may seem less "worth it"). On the other hand: it may be that given how variable what we want to track is, Reporter is really more of a "general app-sized platform for data collection and management," in which case its customizability (and the design challenge of keeping it simple and intelligible amidst the options and structural variability) might grow.Felton was recruited to Facebook in part on the strength of his interest in and innovative work on what we might generally call the problem of capturing and re-presenting human life in software. He's partially credited with the development of Timeline, and it's worth contemplating how both Timeline and Reporter reflect the same desire, the same theme. That Timeline needed to be fully automatic (that is: no surveys, no data entry, made from Facebook activity only) and sensible to about 1B users accounts for its reduced complexity, of course. Reporter seems both less and more ambitious: obviously for far fewer users and thus more complex, more demanding; but also extensible, flexible, general. If Timeline was for users to know their Facebook self, Reporter is for you to know the self you care about, the details that matter to you.

The internet’s biggest and updated exhaustive list of the best jobs for English majors and other humanities degrees (BA, MA, and PhD).After you finish this post, I also wrote an article about 5 emerging careers most humanities majors don’t know about and published a very helpful interview and article called, the Ultimate Guide to English Major Careers here.Finally, after struggling for two years, I share my advanced advice and practical steps in my eBook, which lays out a 18-week practical roadmap and shows you how to market your degree to employers.Let’s go through this long list of jobs. By the way, after you’re done this list I recommend my other post: 23 of the best jobs for History majors. It has more examples and all the jobs are relevant to English majors as well.It was April. My last month at graduate school. I was walking through the bright library searching for books to help me find a career with my English degrees (BA and MA in English). It seemed grim. Where do English majors end up after graduation? Teach? A proofreader? Teach?English BAs, MAs, and PhDs really end up in a bunch of different places. We struggle for a bit after graduation. We complain to each other. And then we disperse.The hard part, though, involves knowing where to begin. And to be honest, that day in the library when I discovered that English majors could do many different jobs, I was a little excited, even though I knew that my real dream job was being a professor.As this list of the best English major jobs will show, there is a real sense of freedom in doing an English degree. You can be so many things, work in so many industries, and find a rewarding career in an industry you may have never expected.Also, these jobs are not just for English majors–PhD’s in social sciences, history majors, and basically any humanities degree has a shot at these jobs.It’s a big list. Enjoy.Also, if you have a career to add or some advice for breaking into any of these industries, please leave a comment.Writing Jobs for English MajorsSearch Engine MarketingSearch engine marketing is a growing industry, which has attracted many English and humanities majors. It requires a combination of analytical ability and creativity, making English degrees often desired. As this industry is so young, you can’t learn this stuff in university, making it wide-open for motivated people with strong analytical skills.What do search engine marketers do? They help companies use digital channels to market their products. This includes online advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), and the use of web analytics to study how visitors interact with websites. You don’t need to be a programmer to work in search engine marketing. But, the thought of learning about the architecture of the web should excite you.How to break in? Start learning about the industry and then get an entry-level job in a search engine marketing agency. A great place to begin is to take the Google Certification Courses. Google offers certifications in all major areas of online marketing an after you are ‘Google Certified,’ employers will take you more seriously. This is inexpensive as well with each test only costing $50 and you can learn online for free.There are also a zillion blogs, books, and online courses to take. Read some!Direct Response CopywritingLots of English majors have become direct response copywriters. Fundraising letters, offers from cable and cell-phone companies, and other mail-based marketing are probably the work of some humanities major turned direct response copywriter.One of the most famous direct response copywriters, Michael Masterson, has a PhD in the humanities. He worked as a college professor before leaving the academic life to become a millionaire.I work in direct response, although in the digital marketing space. This industry requires an understanding of human psychology (why people buy), creativity, and the ability to use words in a way that inspires trust and an emotional connection between writer and reader.Direct response is a great path if you want to sell out like I did. Tons of writers, old humanities majors, and closet intellectuals are hiding out in the direct response industry.Digital CopywriterBanner ads, creative social media campaigns, blog posts, whitepapers, e-books, online strategies, landing pages, website copy, and viral promotion ideas–you’ll be writing all that fun stuff if you decide to work as a digital copywriter. Great job. Tons of humanities majors work as digital copywriters.How to break in? Write a funny, charming, intelligent letter to an agency and try to get an internship.B2B Content MarketingWith the rise of digital marketing, the need for content online has exploded. This is the age of the writer. B2B (business-to-business) sales involves long, complicated sales processes. People don’t just buy, for example, a $60,000 software suite for a corporation in an afternoon. They research different solutions online, check out reviews, and search for whitepapers. Content marketing responds to the age of Google and is one digital marketing channel that has grown in the past 10 years.There is a big demand for smart researchers and intelligent writers.Breaking into content marketing requires you to understand the basics of marketing and to have writing samples. Lost? My book, How to Find a Career with Your Humanities Degree in 126 Days, offers a complete program to help you break down a big career move like this into manageable, daily actions.News ReporterIt’s a myth that you need to take broadcasting or communications in college to get a job as a news reporter. Many humanities majors work at news stations. This industry values excellent writing abilities and a fast ability to analyze and produce quality work. You also need to be able to spot grammar slips and be able to write concisely. Research skills, of course, are needed as well.If you want to break into this industry you need to, at least, understand what content is news worthy and know the principles of journalism. Buy a few books. Most people break in as an intern. However, if you can demonstrate that you have the skills needed, then somebody will give you a chance.Technical WriterMany English majors become technical writers. Technical writing involves writing user manuals for consumer products, instruction manuals, and other technical, complex documents that products need. It is quite high-paying, although can involve a lot of contract work.Thomas Pynchon, the author of the famous novel Gravity’s Rainbow, worked as a technical writer, creating user manuals for a space rocket company.This industry is relatively hard to break into as most jobs advertised ask for a few years of experience (I guess nobody wants a rocket-ship manual written by an amateur).However, Rober Nagle, a humanities M.A. turned technical writer, offers some advice for getting around the ‘must have 5 years experience in technical writing’ dilemma. If this field interests you, head over to Robert Nagle’s very cool blog called IdiotProgrammer.com.JournalismIt’s also a myth that all journalists went to journalism school. Roy Peter Clark, for example, a very famous journalist, did a PhD in Medieval Culture before taking this industry by storm.However, before getting a job you need to understand the principles of journalism. And being a smart writer with interesting ideas for articles helps. Be sure to get some writing samples together.Public RelationsMany English majors end up in public relations. In the past decade, public relations has seen quite a bit of growth (compared to traditional advertising agencies) and even though the decline of traditional media has complicated things, private companies and governments will always need writers to help get their messages out to the public.What will you do in a PR firm? Junior staff will be given tasks such as writing news releases, pitch letters, crafting newsletters, finding content to send out on social media accounts, and writing web copy or brochures. As you move up the ranks, you will learn more about the strategic side of things. PR strategies are generally aimed at helping companies get PR coverage and using the media to shape the public’s perception of a company.Governments also hire PR writers to work in-house. Often called Press Secretaries, your job would be to keep the public informed about the activity of different governmental agencies, explain policy, and work on political campaigns.Do you need a degree in public relations to get a job in the industry? No. Many PR professionals come from various backgrounds. However, you should be a strong writer with a keen sense of detail (no typos! And front-page news is no place to mix up the details about your client’s company!) That said, practical experience in the industry helps and so internships and contract positions are a common way to break into PR.As one English major turned PR pro describes writing a news release: “I need to do what I did for every essay I wrote for an English class, [such as] figure out the main point, extract the important information and compile it into a coherent document,” she says.Also, don’t overlook temp agencies and temporary positions as you try to break into PR. “Temporary positions,” says an English major-turned Communications Coordinator, “can help students and recent graduates gain additional experience and try out positions in a variety of fields. The experience can help them obtain a full-time job.”And remember that PR is a very, very big field. Most colleges and universities, government agencies, medical institutions, and professional organizations have their own internal PR departments. There are a ton of jobs and opportunities for people who take the time to develop this skill-set.Other careers related: Public Relations Specialist; Public Relations Assistant.Corporate BloggerBig companies like IBM, Microsoft, Yahoo! and Dell often require corporate bloggers. In the past ten years, the need for content has exploded with the internet, making the demand for writers increase. These corporate blogs are used as ‘branding’ tools, offering free and helpful content to their customers.Even smaller corporations (for example, Mint: Money, Bill Pay, Credit Score & Investing) have company blogs and require a vast amount of content each day. Many English majors, of course, end up writing these corporate blogs.A corporate blogger plans content schedules, comes up with new ideas for articles and whitepapers, runs social media accounts, monitors traffic and feedback, and of course writes a lot of blog posts.To break into this job, you would benefit from having some experience writing for an audience (for example, a newspaper or magazine) and must be proficient in the basic blogging platforms and online writing techniques.However, there are junior positions out there (as writing a blog can be tedious and extra help is needed).An excellent way to break into the industry would be to email a fairly well-known blog and to volunteer your services as an editor or proofreader. Even massive blogs are often run by a handful of people and so it is relatively easy to get in touch with those in charge. Working for free for a few months will get you some experience and if the blog is fairly well-known it will be a nice resume item. They will most likely let you write a post as well–and then you have a published writing sample.While strong writing skills are required, don’t forget to learn about the basic principles of online writing. These can be learned quite quickly.Here is a short guide to online writing principles and blogging that I wrote. It covers essential tools online writers need to know, how to build an audience, and major mistakes to avoid when making the switch from traditional print writing to digital content.Nonacademic Research JobsMarketing ResearcherA former PhD in History that I interviewed on my blog left academia to become a market researcher. This industry is high-paying and involves detailed research as well as the ability to spot larger trends and come up with creative solutions to marketing problems.Typically, you’ll need to know statistics. History majors do well in marketing research as they are able to analyze data.So what do market researchers actually do? Market researchers run or develop studies to gauge how consumers think and act. Often psychology or social science PhDs can get jobs outside of academia as market researchers as they have been trained in statistics and research methodologies. As mentioned, history PhD’s can also find work as market researchers.Job growth is robust for those in this industry with advanced degrees, including PhDs. The average wage for a market researcher is $61,580 (as reported by national labor surveys in 2009.)You can read my interview with this History PhD turned market researcher here.Other careers similar to marketing researcher, which require similar skill-sets are: Market Research Analyst.Policy AnalystPhilosophy PhD’s and history majors often end up as policy analysts for governments. This job involves gathering and analyzing information to help plan, develop, and interpret new policies–both in the government and industry.Most policy analysts have advanced education and may hold a masters and doctorate degree. The typical degrees are in the social sciences, political sciences, history, economics, resource management and law.Here’s some advice about becoming a policy analyst:“Gain experience by working in the private or government sector where you will be constantly exposed to policy making. Working for a congressional or a senatorial official will also be an advantage as well as working for nonprofit organizations such as charitable institutions and other philanthropic organizations where company policies are very essential.”High Paying Jobs for English MajorsSalesForget about the image of the out-going sleazy sales person. Modern selling is about nuance and understatement. Even quiet people can become excellent sales people as they disarm buyers.After grad school I began dabbling into the industry. It really is a cool industry filled with bright, talented, interesting people. Plus, you can make a ton of money.Sales involves a continual analysis of psychology and it is a vast, complex subject. Listen to this podcast (the Advanced Selling Podcast)–to get a taste.Best of all, most innovative sales companies hire on attitude. You don’t need 10 years of experience for a smart manager to see some potential in you. Selling is a special art and from what I’ve read, most of the really successful sales gurus come from very diverse backgrounds.Sales requires excellent communication skills, analysis, sensitivity, and empathy–all skills that most bright English Majors have developed.Search Engine OptimizationSearch engine optimization is the technical process of helping search engines properly analyze and ‘rank’ web pages. It is a relatively new industry. And humanities majors can do very well in SEO as they have the ability to perform excellent research and to see larger patterns in data. SEO also requires content production and humanities majors can put their writing skills to work.SEO is also fast-changing and so there are no colleges that really offer a degree in it. Good news for you! Motivated, smart self-learners thrive in this space.LobbyistIn Milton’s Paradise Lost, Satan tempts Eve with a distinct set of classical rhetorical devices. Clearly, Satan is trained as a humanities major and also would make an excellent lobbyist.I have no idea what exactly lobbyists do or how to break into this industry. However, this job requires you to be articulate, intelligent, and cunning. If you are smart enough to become a lobbyist, you are smart enough to find a way to break into this industry.Money and power? An English major turned lobbyist is definitely a career endorsed by Sell Out Your Soul - A Career Guide for Lost Humanities Majors.Investor RelationsI never knew about this job until I did some work for a company that made software for the financial industry. In basic terms, large companies (such as Pepsi) have to keep up the public’s interest in their stock. For example, when the new hot startup has an IPO it will generate a lot of interest and people run to buy the stock. But after the buzz has died down, companies need to keep the market interested in buying and trading their stock.So what would you do? Basically, it’s a marketing job with a finance twist. You’d be managing the corporate message and story you are telling to press and investors. This involves talking to analysts, meeting with media and investors, and establishing policies for disclosure. You would also create presentations, write earnings releases and annual reports.Part of your job would also be informing the board of directors with intelligence about the company’s shareholder base. You would also present reports on how analysts and investors perceive the company’s strategy (for example, an old candy company might be perceived as out-of-touch with today’s teen so it’s time to launch a contest Mr. Wonka and drive up new interest in the company stock!).How to break into this job? This job is high paying and you’d likely earn a very comfortable wage as you progressed into senior roles. But you’ll need a strong analytical ability to do this job. Employers will also want some financial knowledge. In my experience, though, it’s a myth that all English Majors are bad at math (I’ve met some technical ones), so if that’s you begin with a Google Search: How to get into Investor Relations.You can also find these people really easy as investor relations departments list their emails on company websites. So, you might email an investor relations professional, explain your situation and background, and ask for some tips to break into the industry.Inside SalesLarge corporations often have complicated sales cycles. This means that selling isn’t as easy as ‘pitching a new client’ and involve complicated processes and structures. There are sales people who travel and give presentations to potential new clients. And then there are inside sales people. These sales people prepare quotes, find supporting documentation, and execute sales campaigns.Strong communication skills, social intelligence, and knowledge of ‘job-specific’ office software (like Excel) is needed. Break into this industry through a temp agency. Some people begin in an administrative position and then move up in the company.Stock BrokerI don’t know exactly how you might get a job on Wall Street. But I do know that humanities majors have become stockbrokers. As one PhD in English who now works on Wall Street put it, “making the switch from analyzing literature to analyzing stock was easy. They both involve analyzing fiction.”eCommerce AnalystOnline marketing requires analysis. Over the past decade, tracking technology has really evolved and most complex marketing campaigns will test, track, and measure just about every dollar they spend online. Humanities majors can find work as eCommerce analysts.In this job, you will be tasked with figuring out why certain campaigns are working, why people aren’t buying from a client’s website, and how to help online marketing budgets bring back more profit. Flint McGlaughlin has a PhD in philosophy and is a world-known eCommerce analyst.This job requires intimate knowledge analytic and tracking software. You will also need to understand the principles of online conversion (which can be learned by reading the millions of blogs dedicated to the topic).This is a fast-paced industry and many analysts come from various educational backgrounds. Hard-core analysts will need mathematical ability and knowledge of statistics. But if the thought of digging into a spreadsheet excites you, maybe this job is for you.Pick up a web analytics guide from O’Reilly, a publishing company respected in the space.Marketing Jobs for English MajorsSocial Media ManagerSocial media is here to stay. Governments, sports teams, brands, and companies need people to run their social media programs, develop strategies, and come up with ways of engaging customers, citizens, and fans. As humanities majors have strong communication skills, many of us end up in these types of jobs.How to break in? First, you need to know something about social media. So read some blogs and books, play with the tools, and learn about the strategic side of social media and how it fits into marketing.Bonus! Social media is new. Better yet, many companies still hire interns and entry-level hires to manage their social media programs. This is stupid on the side of companies, but a great opportunity for new grads to break into the communication sector via new online channels.Plus, governments and universities are typically slow moving and have little expertise in social media. So take advantage of this opportunity.Brand StrategistBrand strategists typically work in marketing agencies, helping to guide big brands forward in their markets. MBA’s are favored in this job; however, experience, talent, and strategic brilliance rule the marketing industry.How to break in? Work your way up.Brand ManagerLarge companies hire ‘brand managers,’ which are essentially creative people with communication skills. The job involves overseeing the promotion and development of different brand products. This is a fun, creative role and involves strategic thinking and marketing talent.You need to have an understanding of marketing to be a brand manager. However, many English Majors have found jobs working for big brands.Government Jobs for English MajorsCommunications OfficerGovernments require in-house writers and communication specialists to do things like write press releases, develop key messaging, and write speeches for government officials. I know one writer, a published author, who works as a Communications Officer. He has a BA in English and seems to earn a comfortable middle-class wage.Look for temporary positions in your local government as these are a great way to start moving up in the government. Great pay and government connections–what more could you want?Editing Jobs For English MajorsEditorYes, English majors can be editors. If helping to create a best-selling book appeals to you then editing might be a good choice. There is also a lot of editing work in education. Luckily, in editing, university degrees are required. Here is an interview on my blog with a former Amazon.com Music Editor. It covers all you need to know about getting that first editing job.Freelance EditorThis is an easy fit for English majors. Want to break into freelance editing? You, sir, are in luck. I have an interview about getting freelance editing jobs right here.PublishingYep. English majors can work in publishing. In fact, creativity, and attention to detail are highly desired skills in publishing and English majors find work in this industry every year.Getting your foot in the door? There are about a zillion articles online about breaking into publishing. Here’s one about how to break into publishing.Communication JobsNon-Profit Communication DepartmentsNon-profits require communication specialists and many English majors build careers working for non-profits. And yes, you will be paid. Positions vary by the size of the organization. For example, large non-profits like the American Cancer Society or World Wildlife Federation are basically giant corporations with million-dollar operating budgets. There are different roles and divisions within them.Smaller non-profits require communication help with press strategies, fundraising, donor retention, and enlisting the help of volunteers.In my book, I list non-profits as an excellent way to gain that essential first few months of work experience. This is because most non-profits are under-funded and under-staffed, making them easy places to get your first resume item.Grant and Proposal WriterGrants and proposals are an essential part of winning new business and keeping money flowing through the door for most companies and non-profits. Humanities BAs, MAs, and PhDs in English have strong research skills, an aptitude for analysis, and the stomach for digging through dense content, making grant and proposal writing an easy fit.While vast sums of money are usually at stake, most positions prefer some experience. However, graduate students in English have usually written and won grants during the course of their degree and so you should leverage this. Also, smaller non-profits will gladly let you write a grant or two for them, which can help land larger jobs.Even if you do not remain in this job for your entire career, the ability to win new business and money is always a valuable and highly employable skill.Corporate Communications Manager/DirectorAs the manager or director of corporate communications, your job would be to oversee teams that write newsletters, email campaigns, reports, press releases, articles, web content, and other communication pieces. In recent years, having a basic understanding of how search engines work is also often necessary as digital content is spread by search engines and people. Expect high salaries (above $100,000 according to Spring Associates, Inc). And to break in? You’ll need to work your way up. Start with an internship or entry-level job in a communications department. This can be a great job for an English PhD, although advanced degrees are not necessary.In-house Marketing DepartmentMost successful companies have some sort of in-house marketing department. While typically TV ads and large campaigns are sent to ad agencies, the in-house marketing department also helps to plan and execute the company’s marketing and communication strategy.These jobs are pretty cushy, I hear. You don’t have the constant deadlines found in traditional ad agencies and the work is steady. Tasks include writing press releases, coming up with ideas to get the company press coverage, writing brochures and whitepapers, planning and executing ideas to generate leads and sales, working on product launches, and other marketing-related tasks.To break in? Look for temporary positions to start. Or start in an administrative role and then apply internally. Don’t overlook temp agencies as they often will help you get your foot in the door.Creative Jobs For English MajorsAdvertising CreativeHumanities majors find jobs in advertising every year. Creative advertising involves writing 30-second commercial scripts, taglines, copy for print ads, coming up with ideas for product launches, and other creative ways to market products.And you don’t need to go to ad school to become an advertising creative. All that matters in this industry is the ability to come up with strong ideas.How to get your first job in advertising? Read some books. Develop some samples. And be ready to show an agency some cool ideas. You can read about how I broke into advertising, as well as other career advice, in my e-book, How to Find a Career With Your Humanities Degree in 126 Days.Event PlannerNot planning birthday parties for the drunken wives of the Beverly Hills, but working on high-profile events such as product launches or political campaigns. This job requires communication, social intelligence, attention to detail, and strong creative abilities. Event planning is big business and always requires smart, new talent.To break into this industry? You will have to work from the ground-up. Actually, I have no idea. But send some emails to prominent companies and find out. Industries like this typically hire more on personality than the subject you studied in school. So if it sounds like fun to you, then go for it.Television, radio, Hollywood writerIf you are an English major, then you probably deep down want to be a writer. Many English majors end up writing Hollywood scripts, working in broadcast, or working at radio stations.How to break in? Be a good writer and have great writing samples. As Stephen King says, “If you lift weights 15 minutes a day, you are going to get muscles. If you write 15 minutes a day, you are going to become a good writer.” So write.Boutique AgencyBoutique agencies are small companies that typically do world-class work for big brands. They often have a specialist product. These can be branding agencies, graphic design agencies, viral marketing agencies, or PR firms. They are creative places with bright people working there.Thunderdog, for example, is a L.A. agency that creates street-art inspired designs and products for brands like Pepsi and Puma. They also sell their own limited edition books and toys. Or, The Story of IWearYourShirt and How I Made $1,000,000 Wearing T-Shirts is a social media advertising company that uses viral tactics to gain publicity for product launches. LaunchRock is a small marketing agency that helps tech start-ups with their pre-launch hype.Boutique agencies are cool. They hire for skill–not for the degree you have. So while your English degree can help you get the job, these places are more looking for creativity, technical skill in the area they work in, and the right attitude to fit their unique culture.To get a job at a boutique agency, simply write an email and sell yourself to the boss. Make sure you research their agency, though. And make sure that you have the skills that they are looking for.My practical 18-week roadmap to finding a career with your humanities degree. You’ll learn how to market your humanities degree and avoid common mistakes.Universities do not properly educate their grads about how to land that job outside of academy with a humanities degree.That’s why I wrote my ebook How to Find a Career With Your Humanities in 126 Days. This is not a traditional career guide–it is one of the most practical, step-by-step guides to moving from ‘liberal arts career limbo’ into a weekly course of action.Over the course of 18 weeks (126 Days), the ebook takes you through the necessary lessons, shows you what to avoid, and teaches you how to turn your humanities degree into a profitable skill-set.You’ll learn:How to market your humanities degree outside of academiaCover letter advice for grads with no work experienceWeekly actions to accelerate your career searchResume advice, and cover letter templates.