Jonathan Hogan

Author: Jonathan Hogan

Breaking into Publishing

By Jonathan Hogan

If you are certain that the publishing industry is right for you there is likely one question on the tip of your tongue: how do I break into the publishing industry? Unfortunately for those aspiring, the publishing industry is nearly as exclusive as the film industry; however, if you’re an especially determined (or curious) soul, read on for my overview of how to break into the publishing industry.

For the best chances of breaking into the publishing industry after graduating from Lawrence, you’ll want to have some experience with the field before applying to your first position. Internships, especially internships with one of the Big 5—Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, Simon and Schuster—are highly desirable. Most publishers’ websites will have information on their internships and their application processes so make sure to keep an eye out for new opportunities. Before applying, however, it’s important to do your research. The publishing industry is not only very exclusive, it also revolves around a passion for books. To apply successfully you will likely need to have a passion for the books that your target publishing house has published.

If you fail to land an internship, either because the cost of spending a summer in New York is prohibitive or because you aren’t one of the lucky few, fret not! An alternative method of getting the necessary experience required to enter the field comes in the form of masters or certificate-level courses such as those from NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies or the Columbia Publishing Course.  These programs generally offer hands-on experiences with magazine, digital, and book publishing and are often available as summer courses. In addition to hands-on experiences, these courses offer an extremely valuable commodity in the publishing industry: an address in a major city and the ability to network.

In addition to experience, networking is essential to break into the publishing industry, thus, names and relationships carry weight. While conducting an internship or higher-ed course (ideally in New York City) it is important to attend social events (or virtual social events should there be a global pandemic). If you don’t know the first thing about networking in the publishing industry, the Young to Publishing Group (YPG) website is invaluable. YPG, in their own words, “strives to give junior employees a chance to build a community outside of their own publishing houses and to educate themselves about the industry as a whole.”  They do this by posting upcoming social events in the publishing network in most major cities.  If you find yourself in a major city, especially San Francisco, Boston, or New York, be sure to keep an eye on YPG!

If both internships and higher education courses are unappealing, don’t be afraid to forge your own path. Freelance writing allows you to build a resume while potentially holding a more stable job. For more information about freelance writing and the publishing industry, I recommend reading the brief article “10 ways to break into the publishing industry” to hear first-hand from someone who has successfully navigated the freelance industry.

Jonathan is a Third Year German and Government major. He works as a Peer Educator to assist students in the CJW and GLI career communities. In addition to professional development, Jonathan is interested in the cultural construction of the modern nation-state, normative constraints on rational behavior, and all things German. You can schedule an appointment with him here to improve your resume, learn more about the CJW and GLI career opportunities, and work on anything else professional development-related.

The Military After Lawrence?

Jonathan Hogan

For those of us majoring in government, economics, or a similar field, the government is one of the most popular employment destinations. One position in the government that is often overlooked is the U.S. military, yet it turns out that joining the military after college, although somewhat unusual, is a viable career path.

The perks of an undergrad?

Okay, so it’s June of your graduation year. You’ve just walked, shaken hands with President Carter, and received your diploma. What do you get for that hard-earned diploma in the military? It turns out, actually quite a lot.

Perhaps the biggest perk is that all branches of the military allow someone with a college degree to join an accelerated program that will see them join as an officer. Officers, for those who don’t know, are essentially service members on an upper-level management track. Even at the beginning of their career, an officer is responsible for leading a small number of service members; however, officers, when promoted, become captains, majors, and eventually, generals. These promotions are typically unavailable to enlisted service members, who begin their military careers as privates.

Another major perk of joining the military with an undergrad is that some branches, such as the Army and Navy can enter a loan repayment program that will repay up to $65,000 in student loans. The Marines have a similar program that will pay up to $20,000 for loans and the Airforce will repay up to $10,000 for loans. It is generally expected that officers on a loan repayment program serve for a range of 3-5 years.

Economically speaking, the military is not only a strong option because of the loan repayment program, it also pays well. Officers, for example, immediately earn between $30,000 and $40,000 and typically are not responsible for their housing and food costs when they are posted at a military base. Because officers are often quickly promoted, it can be expected that one’s salary will increase relatively quickly over time. Furthermore, all U.S. service members enjoy extremely good health insurance.  The combination of minimal living expenses, a competitive salary that can be expected to increase over time, and superior health care constitute a job offer that is highly competitive for recent graduates.

Being a member of the military is also a strong resume builder for a variety of careers. Having served in the military is looked upon fondly by most governmental departments, and the general public (should one wish to get into politics). Furthermore, officers can often specialize in areas that will allow them to enter the market with valued experience. Cyber security is a good example of this, as officers that specialized in cyber during their time in the military can easily transition to high-paying private sector cyber security jobs.

As is perhaps evident by the extensive list above, there are quite a lot of benefits for joining the military after receiving a bachelor’s. This is, of course, not to say that joining the military is the right option for everyone. The military may not be the right stepping stone for one’s intended career. It is also, when compared to other jobs, a very large commitment that often sees service members deployed for months at a time. Furthermore, the military is often responsible for executing U.S. foreign policy at the cost of human life. One ought to be certain that they are ideologically/morally willing to take part in this institution and that they are ready to assume such high personal risk. Should one be unphased by these realities, however, the military is an option worth considering.  

Works Cited

Faris, Stephanie. “Benefits of Joining the Army With a Bachelor’s Degree.” Career Trend, 9 Dec. 2018, https://careertrend.com/benefits-of-joining-the-army-with-a-bachelors-degree-13654867.html.

“Joining the Military After College: Benefits, Steps, & Expert Advice.” Become, 9 Nov. 2020, https://www.learnhowtobecome.org/career-resource-center/joining-military-after-college/.

Jonathan is a Third Year German and Government major. He works as a Peer Educator to assist students in the CJW and GLI career communities. In addition to professional development, Jonathan is interested in the cultural construction of the modern nation-state, normative constraints on rational behavior, and all things German. You can schedule an appointment with him here to improve your resume, learn more about the CJW and GLI career opportunities, and work on anything else professional development-related.

The LSAT

Jonathan Hogan

The LSAT can make or break one’s application to law school, and it can earn a law student thousands of dollars in scholarship funding. It should thus be no surprise that law school applicants prepare religiously for this test. But what exactly is the LSAT? Why does one need to start studying the LSAT two years before they enter Law School? And what are some common strategies for preparing for the LSAT?

Most basically, the LSAT, or “Law School Admissions Test” is designed to test prospective students’ ability to succeed in Law School. It is comprised of four sections: (1) logical reasoning, (2) analytical reasoning, (3) reading comprehension, and (4) a writing section, and students receive scores ranging from 120 – 180. Since 2019, the LSAT, which takes 3.5 hours, has been administered on a tablet.

As is evident in the different sections that comprise the LSAT, the test places a high emphasis on students’ ability to reason, as well as their reading and writing skills. It is largely for this reason that studying for the LSAT often begins in the Winter of one’s Junior year—there is simply no cramming when it comes to the demonstration of skill. Students aspiring to transition directly from Lawrence to Law School will typically study from the Winter of their Junior year until June before their Senior Year when they take the test. Should the first test go poorly, students typically take the LSAT one last time in October before adding their LSAT to the rest of their application and submitting it in November or early December.

Because of the importance of the LSAT, there is a large industry that exists solely to prepare students for the LSAT. From paid courses like the “LSAT Bible” and Princeton Review’s LSAT prep to free courses such as those offered by Khan Academy, there is something for everyone’s price range and ambition. Generally, however, LSAT preparation begins with a practice test that determines an applicant’s baseline and continues with an education on common test-taking strategies as well the drilling of thousands of practice questions that are meant to simulate the LSAT while also exposing students to new formats and concepts.  

If the challenge of the LSAT and Law School in general sounds exciting rather than terrifying, consider attending Lawrence Pre Law Society and scheduling a meeting with Ty Collins here, our wonderful Career Advisor for those interested in Law!

Jonathan is a Third Year German and Government major. He works as a Peer Educator to assist students in the CJW and GLI career communities. In addition to professional development, Jonathan is interested in the cultural construction of the modern nation-state, normative constraints on rational behavior, and all things German. You can schedule an appointment with him here to improve your resume, learn more about the CJW and GLI career opportunities, and work on anything else professional development-related.

Social Marketing

Jonathan Hogan

If you’re a humanities major, there’s a good chance that you’ve been told that your excellent writing and analytical skills could allow you to go into marketing.  You’ve probably rolled your eyes at this idea—why sell your soul to the optimization of an economic system that so obviously perpetuates terrible injustices?  But before you write off marketing forever, read this article on social marketing, a type of marketing typically sponsored by NGOs or governments and used for the betterment of society.

Social marketing is perhaps best explained through examples, and one of the best comes from Wisconsin’s own UW Madison. In 2017, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, UW Madison, and a handful of NGOs teamed up to advertise healthy eating. They played off of Wisconsin residents’ love of their sports teams to create the ads visible in this article (Henschen). Further examples of social marketing can be found in the now ubiquitous “click it or ticket” campaign, and a water rationing campaign led in Jordan, in which businesses were entered into a lottery after installing water-conserving valves in their buildings to incentivize their installation and raise awareness about their effects (About Us | The NSMC).

If this article has piqued your interest, you might be wondering: how does one learn more about social marketing? A good place to start is The National Social Marketing Centre (link), an NGO dedicated to social marketing that has its origins in the innovative British Department of Health. The National Social Marketing Centre appears to be the home for social marketing, at least as it pertains to public health, and can serve to give you an even deeper understanding of social marketing as an industry. For a job in social marketing, the best places to look are state and federal government platforms such as USAJOBS. Simply entering the term “marketing” will yield plenty of results. The one caveat to this approach is that strong knowledge of marketing is typically required for these jobs. To be a competitive applicant, you’ll likely need an educational or experiential background in marketing. While this experience may indeed come from an entry-level social marketing position, it will most likely come from a Master’s in marketing, or experience at a less mission-oriented marketing position. Hopefully, however, the appeal of social marketing as an industry that both requires writing and analytical skills, and sees marketers work for the betterment of society, is enough to consider spending a few years in general marketing.

Jonathan is a Third Year German and Government major. He works as a Peer Educator to assist students in the CJW and GLI career communities. In addition to professional development, Jonathan is interested in the cultural construction of the modern nation-state, normative constraints on rational behavior, and all things German. You can schedule an appointment with him here to improve your resume, learn more about the CJW and GLI career opportunities, and work on anything else professional development-related.

Works Cited

About Us | The NSMC. https://www.thensmc.com/about-us. Accessed 12 Oct. 2021.

Henschen, Holly. “FoodWIse’s FNV Campaign Wins International Social Marketing Award.” University of Wisconsin-Madison, 10 July 2018, https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/news/2018/07/10/foodwises-fnv-campaign-wins-international-national-centre-for-social-marketing-award/.

Technical Writing

Jonathan Hogan

Technical writing is perhaps one of the most lucrative options for those Lawrentians that wish to write for a living. Broadly speaking, technical writing is the act of taking complex technical information and simplifying it so that a broad audience can quickly comprehend the information. In this sense, technical writing is akin to bridgebuilding, in which the technical writer works to connect the layperson to the expert by allowing the layperson to effortlessly navigate a chasm that would otherwise take years of education or experience to cross. To learn more about technical writing, click this link!

Kinds of Technical Writing

Technical writing, as the name perhaps implies, is found primarily in industries that are technical in nature. Yet in practice, this broad definition assumes many different forms. Here are some common examples of jobs that one can expect a technical writer to be doing:

  • User Experience: User experience technical writing typically sees the technical writer writing answers to common questions about a given software either within the software platform itself, or on a messaging board typically managed by the company. A good example of user experience technical writing can be found in Microsoft Word when one clicks “help.” All answers in the “help” tab are written by a technical writer.
  • Academic Writing: Academia is one of the most jargon-rich industries in the world. Because of this, technical writers can often be found collaborating with researchers to explain research methodologies and results in a manner that can be understood by the regular public.
  • Instructions: When purchasing a new dishwasher, or car, or really any other product, they tend to come with written instructions on how one can use/maintain/repair the given product. It is the technical writer that is responsible for creating this content, which ideally conveys all relevant information to the user in as efficient a manner as possible.

The list of jobs that a technical writer can be found doing seems to be nearly endless, so if you’re interested in technical writing but not interested in one of the three iterations of technical writing, I would recommend following this link to a blog post by freelance writer Elna Cain, who does a wonderful job highlighting the variety of jobs that technical writers can be found doing (Cain).

Requirements for Technical Writing

Technical writers, as the name implies, must have strong writing skills. Additionally, however, it is important for technical writers to have a deep understanding of the subject about which they are writing. Without an understanding of how an airplane functions, for example, it would be impossible for a writer to write documentation that will help the pilot better fly and land their plane (M.). Thus, many technical writers have an academic background in the subject they are writing about, or at least considerable experience working with the product.  It is not expected that a technical writer has as much knowledge as the individual responsible for creating whatever the technical writer is writing about, however, the writer must be able to work well with others to gain a deeper understanding of the subject of their work. Finally, it is typically expected that technical writers have a college degree of some sort. Although it is certainly better if that degree is in a writing-intensive major or a major that pertains to the industry/subject for which they are writing.

Job Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the technical writing field is expected to grow by 12% in the coming decade (“Technical Writers”). Technical writers often work for companies; however, many also work as freelancers for smaller businesses that don’t have the need for a full-time writer. The median pay for technical writers in 2020 was $74,650 per year, making it one of the most well-paying writing jobs.

Jonathan is a Third Year German and Government major. He works as a Peer Educator to assist students in the CJW and GLI career communities. In addition to professional development, Jonathan is interested in the cultural construction of the modern nation-state, normative constraints on rational behavior, and all things German. You can schedule an appointment with him here to improve your resume, learn more about the CJW and GLI career opportunities, and work on anything else professional development-related.

Works Cited 

Cain, Elna. “27 Technical Writing Jobs for Beginners.” Elna Cain, 4 May 2020, https://elnacain.com/blog/technical-writing-jobs/.

M., Saad. “What Is Technical Writing?” ContentWriters Blog, 30 June 2020, https://contentwriters.com/blog/what-is-technical-writing/.

“Technical Writers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Media-and-Communication/Technical-writers.htm. Accessed 6 Oct. 2021.

A Career as a City Planner

by Jonathan Hogan

If you have ever looked at the city of Appleton, wondering why it’s dominated by one road, or why it possesses high-rises, a career as an urban planner might be worth exploring. In this article, we’ll do just that by diving into the responsibilities of an urban planner, their typical career paths, as well as the job outlook and salary for future urban planners. 

Responsibilities

Urban planners, most basically, can be understood as architects of entire cities, and are broadly responsible for the layout of the built environment. Outside of this broad definition, it is quite hard to define the responsibilities of an urban planner. Some urban planners, for example, work to optimize public transportation infrastructure by proposing sweeping plans. Some specialize in zoning laws and work with developers and other government departments to regulate private development. And others become experts on managing a shrinking city in an environmentally responsible manner. A good demonstration of the diversity of tasks that urban planners complete comes in the form of Elicia Elliot, and urban planner in Toronto, who goes from meetings with “engineers, lawyers, communications people, architects, urban designers, landscape architects, finance and risk people” one day, to commissioning a train “in the field” the next (Nath). Despite the desperate nature of the profession, however, urban planning tends to be united by a common interest in improving the quality of life for individuals interacting with a built environment. To learn more about the specifics of urban planning, I would recommend this interview with the aforementioned Elicia Elliot.

Career Path

Just as the responsibilities of Career Planners vary dramatically within the field, the career path to becoming a Career Planner can be quite diverse. Generally speaking, an undergraduate degree in Government, Engineering, or Environmental Studies is desirable (McKay). There was no mention of Global Studies on any career websites; however, it seems highly likely that a Global Studies major, especially one focusing on cities, would be well-positioned for a career as an urban planner. After receiving a bachelor’s, it is typical and often required to pursue a two-year master’s degree in urban planning from a University accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board. While pursuing a master’s degree, it is typical that students take internships as urban planners to strengthen their resumes and gain real-world experience (“How to Become a City Planner // Archareer.”).

Job Outlook

After earning a Master’s degree in urban planning, one is finally qualified to be employed as an urban planner. After landing that first job, it is typical for new planners to work under the supervision of their more experienced co-workers. In their description of the job outlook, the Princeton Review states that after roughly five years in the industry, urban planners typically become more specialized and adept at handling the often complex bureaucratic and political environment of planning. After ten years, the Princeton Review argues that it is expected that urban planners assume leadership positions within their agency or company and assume mentorship roles for newer planners.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median income for urban planners to be $75,950, and the industry is expected to grow by 7% by 2030 (“Urban and Regional Planners: Occupational Outlook Handbook.”). Urban planning placed #2 for Canadian Business’s 100 Best Jobs of 2016 (Nath).

Jonathan is a Third Year German and Government major. He works aas a Peer Educator to assist students in the CJW and GLI career communities. In addition to professional development, Jonathan is interested in the cultural construction of the modern nation-state, normative constraints on rational behavior, and all things German. You can schedule an appointment with him here to improve your resume, learn more about the CJW and GLI career opportunities, and work on anything else professional development-related.

Works Cited

“City Planner.” City Planner Careers | The Princeton Review, Princeton Review, https://www.princetonreview.com/careers/162/city-planner.

“How to Become a City Planner // Archareer.” The #1 Free Architecture Job Board //Archareer, https://archareer.com/how-to-become-a-city-planner/.

McKay, Dawn Rosenberg. “Urban Planner Job Description: Salary, Skills, & More.” The Balance Careers, https://www.thebalancecareers.com/urban-planner-or-regional-planner-526078.

Nath September 18, Ishani. “What It’s Really like to Be an Urban Planner.” FLARE, 18 Sept. 2018, https://www.flare.com/work/what-its-really-like-to-be-an-urban-planner/.

“Urban and Regional Planners: Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8 Sept. 2021, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/urban-and-regional-planners.htm.