Door Slamming

[EBOQUET@fair1.fairfield.edu]

Deb and Todd--

I can see where you're both coming from, and I think the solution lies ealier
in a student's academic program.  I have long been an advocate for better
career and job counseling for English majors.  I mean, let's face it--who are
the role models for our English majors?  We (their teachers) are.  While
teaching English/writing is a noble profession, there are other opportunities
out there for our students, and I think (for the most part) we are not very
adept at helping them to seek out and explore avenues besides teaching.

Now I know people are going to say that universities have internships, career
placement services, etc.--and that is certainly true.  But I think the
assumption is that our majors will teach first, explore other careers by
default, when perhaps we should be viewing teaching as only one of several
avenues open.

I say this from experience because I know that I tried long and hard as an
undergraduate--and even as a master's student--to explore other careers, and I
needed more guidance than I got.  I could easily have seen myself taking a
different career path than the one I took.  Does that mean I don't enjoy my
job?  No, of course not.  But the skills that i use in my job could have been
transferred to some other setting just as well.

--Beth Boquet
eboquet@fair1.fairfield.edu