National Poetry Day: How Your Love of Language Could Lead to a Career
Whether you love or loathe it, poetry is a very big part of our lives – you just may not realise it. Whether it’s the lyrics you hear in songs or perhaps you catch yourself reciting a rhyme you were taught to remember something, poetry is everywhere. It even exists in the way we use our words to express our feelings or describe something – we borrow metaphors from poetry all the time.
If you love your literature lessons and could talk all day about books you’ve read and what the stories mean to you, perhaps you’ve considered a career in literature.
Today’s blog will look at the different sectors that you could go into, and what better day to do this than National Poetry Day?
Where could studying literature take me?
Choosing to study literature can take you in many directions. Perhaps you want to write your own work, or maybe you’re better at judging what work is impactful and have an eye for captivating stories.
You might be very good at explaining things and can capture an audience’s attention. Or you could help others develop their work with your keen insight.
Wherever your talents lie, this blog will give you a better picture of where you might belong if you were to pursue a career out of your love of literature.
Publishing
Most of you will have had your first encounters of literature through a book. For this type of material to be created it will have gone through various stages before being published.
That book you loved as a kid? That would have been written, then edited, probably several times. It would have gone through the process of being designed and created, whether as a physical copy or a digital one. Then it will be advertised to its target audience before being ready to be distributed.
This process can take time and it takes a lot of people to make it all happen.
Depending on your interests and what you might be good at, there are different sectors of publishing. It’s not just for books. You could company that publishes magazines or newspapers, maybe even academic materials.
Some jobs in the world of publishing include:
- Writer
- Editorial Assistant
- Book Illustrator
- Marketing Manager
Education
Teaching others about the wonders of literature is a popular pathway for many literature graduates. Teaching can be a rewarding career, seeing your students develop their skills because of your coaching can be a fulfilling thing.
Your experience of the teaching profession has likely been through your experience of school, however there are many different educational institutions you could work in.
Some jobs in teaching can be done in:
- Primary schools
- Secondary schools
- SEN schools
- Colleges
- Universities
- Private tutoring
But there are more opportunities available in the world of education than just teaching!
Marketing
The way we use our words can be really powerful. Some people are experts at writing messages that people relate to.
Marketing is everywhere. Maybe you’ve seen an advert on TV that you thought was funny, or that business you follow on social media have just started posting cool stuff.
The people behind these campaigns work in marketing. Marketing is an industry that is dedicated to promoting products and services.
There are many jobs available in this field. However, if you’re considering a career in marketing from your love of literature, perhaps the more creative side of the field would appeal to you more.
Some jobs in marketing that have links to literature include:
- Copywriter
- Content Creator
- Brand Management
- Public Relations Manager
Could this be the field for me?
There could be roles we’ve mentioned today that you’ve never heard of before.
If you’re curious to learn more, it’s always a good idea to do some research. Finding out what these job roles entail might just help you find the right pathway for you.
Explore more about careers in literature on the Creative, Culture and Sport gateway on Beeline.
