English major who dreams of working at publishing company

I moved to Houston last month and am having a hard time finding any employment. I have a degree in English and was a middle school teacher for a couple years. With that said, I have decided to move far far away from the education field and would like to realize my dreams of working at a major publishing company (or any publishing company for that matter). I have even worked as a staffwriter for a small newspaper, but there seems to be nothing past freelancing available and I need something with more stability. I love reading, writing, editing and doing research and and am highly experienced in all of those areas.

Does anyone out there have any leads or tips that could help me? I was told that having a degree in English prepares you for any job.......too bad employers don't see it that way :(

Carolyn Henry in Humble, Texas said: I moved to Houston last month and am having a hard time finding any employment. I have a degree in English and was a middle school teacher for a couple years. With that said, I have decided to move far far away from the education field and would like to realize my dreams of working at a major publishing company (or any publishing company for that matter). ...(

I feel your pain. I'm an English major too, moved to the Houston area, don't know anyone really. I ended up delivering pizza for about a year after I graduated, and I even have a novel out in the UK (Jimwamba.) I ended up taking some dumpy paralegal course, and now I have a pretty decent job working at an intellectual property law firm downtown. I actually make considerably less than a teacher makes, but that's mainly due to lack of experience.

If you take a paralegal course online or show you have some basic understanding of the law, you can work your way up from legal assistant to... paralegal I guess.

Alright, that's pretty depressing too.

Here's to hoping my agent gets my new book published.

Basically, not saying I have any real leads for you, but I sympathize.

Being an intellectual property paralegal can be fairly fun, but is usually very mundane (filing papers, mailing letters.) However, as 95% of intellectual property attorneys are engineers, I also edit just about every document in the firm for content. They are generally very excited to have an english major around, and that's what attracted them to my resume.

As for the best place to find jobs, I recommend craigslist. Even major law firms have hip human resource college grads that will make posts on craigslist, because they used it to get that first fouton.

You should try going to an agency like Ad Hoc the Legal Placement Company www.ahlr.com/Career_Opportunities/

Hello Carolyn:
Since I plan to move to Houston after New Year's, I just had to write to you to offer help. Try doing lots of Internet research. Many times, one website will lead to two or three more job related websites. Think of all the media giants and then sit down and go to their websites. Chances are you will find a place on the site that says: career opportunities/employment. Telephone directory is great source, too.
Job hunting can be discouraging. I too have had disappointments lately, especially after renting a car and driving from Dallas for interviews in Houston. Then not getting the job I drove there to interview for. But I too plan to move to Houston now and then look for a job. It's just too hard to look from so far away. Good Luck To You!
Best regards
RosiC

KidTruth in Humble, Texas: "If you take a paralegal course online or show you have some basic understanding of the law, you can work your way up from legal assistant to... paralegal I guess."

If you're serious about becoming a paralegal, earn your certificate from a legitimate, ABA-approved school. Otherwise, you may short yourself of opportunities.

Some aspects of paralegal work can be interesting for someone who loves to write. Legal research and writing is one aspect. Get into a law firm that values good writing skills and your abilities will be harnessed. Just beware that many old-school lawyers are adamant about producing flowery, obfuscated copy with horrendous run-on sentences. They say it is "legal style." Baloney. They do not appreciate the clarity of simple language. One can draft pleadings, briefs, etc., with authorities, using simple sentences which are understood.

Finally, I worked in law for several years. Perhaps some specialties are fun - to me, IP sounds interesting - but in most specialties you work hard and oftentimes with difficult people.

Good luck with your efforts.

Agree completely with the above poster, particularly about language. The engineers I work with that are lawyer's second tend to appreciate my editing skills, but those who are litigators and trial lawyers (non-intellectual property lawyers) do tend to write with an awful lot of words and not much to say.

Kid Truth in Houston, Texas: "[T]hose who are litigators and trial lawyers (non-intellectual property lawyers) do tend to write with an awful lot of words and not much to say."

They have something to say but they use too many words to say it. Too many passive sentences. Also, much of their writing remains deeply rooted in the nineteenth century.

A terrific book on good legal writing is "Plain English for Lawyers" by Wydans. Actually, anyone who writes can profit by reading this book.