Michelle Robertson (English ‘16) describes the path that led to her current role as BART storyteller and explains why an English major will give you an edge in the workplace.
What does a BART storyteller do, you ask? Scroll to the bottom of the page to see how Michelle has used her role to organize a teen poetry contest, launch One Book, One BART — a moving book club — and profile people who are using BART to reach their dreams. She has also written a book of poetry in her spare time.
In addition to this written overview, Michelle shared her experiences with students in person at the Arts & Humanities Creative Careers mixer on April 2, 2024.
"I remember well when I was an English major and everyone constantly told me “You’ll never make any money! You won’t find a job!” It turned out that was totally untrue. I was actually the first of my friends to find a job!
My path to working on the BART Communications team has certainly been winding. I’ve worked in many fields in the decade since I entered the workforce — reporting, fact checking, copywriting, editing, social media, and now communications and marketing. Two of those years I spent in an English lit masters program at UCI — the literature bug will never leave you.
Sometimes the twists and turns of your professional life give you whiplash, but once you’ve finally landed in a career and at an organization that feels right to you and values your skills, you realize it was all worth it. The skills you gain studying English are invaluable in the professional world. Writing, critical and creative thinking, problem solving, interpretation, translating complex information, editing, grammar – these are surprisingly rare in many workplaces, and in every context I’ve worked, they’ve made me an essential employee. I use almost all of these skills every single day in my current job at BART.
You might end up working with people who studied journalism, business, communications and marketing, or even engineering, city planning, finance, and graphic design (like me at BART!). But you will gain skills as an English major that your other colleagues won’t have, and it will make you a crucial team player wherever you end up working.
Some wisdom for when you’re first starting out: At the beginning of your career, you may not have a job that you’re both passionate about and that pays you well. But if you put in the work, learn from your mistakes, and keep an open mind to exploring different industries and workplaces, you will eventually land at a place that feels right for you and aligns with your values. Own up to your mistakes and help your colleagues out when they ask for it. Workplace karma is real, and I’ve found the best way to get your resume noticed is to know someone who already works there and can recommend you.
I know my younger self would be surprised by where I am today, but proud too. Now, it’s gratifying to have the opportunity to tell students that studying English is one of the best decisions they can make as they prepare to face the sometimes-tempestuous waters of the workforce."
