Comparative Literature: ��ɫ��ƵCareer Advancement

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Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences Majors
Comparative Literature

Comparative Literature

Industry Areas

Here are examples of industry areas students enter with this major, jobs/internships, typical employers that hire students, skills employers look for, and examples of where alumni work. To find more information make an appointment with your career counselor/advisor.

Industry Areas for Comparative Literature
Industry\|Employers	Job\|Roles	Skills	Alumni
Publishing • Trade publishing • Special interest magazines • Trade magazines • Association magazines • Sunday newspaper supplements • Educational publishing • Religious books and magazines • Professional and scholarly publishing • University presses • Independent publishers • Alternative media publishers including: • E-books • Audiobooks	• Editing • Advertising • Sales • Circulation • Production • Publicity • Marketing • Promotion • Administration	• advanced verbal and written communication • detailed oriented • technology and social media skills • time management • analytical skills • interpersonal skills • negotiation skills • project management skills	• HarperCollins Publishers, Director of International Sales • Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, Desktop Publishing and Publications Coordinator
Marketing & Marketing Research • Large corporations • Marketing research firms • Management consulting firms • Software and technology companies • Advertising and public relations firms • Public institutions concerning health, education, and transportation • Nonprofit organizations	• Data Collection: Primary Secondary • Field Service • Survey Research • Data Analysis • Evaluation Design • Forecasting • Reporting • Project Management • Management • Advertisers • Researchers • Public relations professionals • Media planners • Distributors • Sales consultants • Customer service professionals	• Problem-solving • Innovation and creativity • Critical thinking • Communication (verbal and written) • Presentation skills • Teamwork and leadership • Time management and the ability to simultaneously balance several projects • Adaptability and flexibility	• Asia-Pacific at Standard & Poor’s, Vice President, Head of Marketing & Communications • Droga5, Senior Strategist • Leapfrog Online, Senior Manager, Marketing Operations
Education • Universities and colleges • Campus cultural centers • Support programs, e.g. Educational Advancement Program, Upward Bound School and community libraries • Community organizations	• Teaching • Research • Student Support Services • Student Affairs • Multicultural Programming • Administration • Information/Library Science	K-12: • Coordination • public speaking • critical thinking • writing • social perceptiveness • complex problem solving Higher Ed: • Research • Writing • critical thinking • judgment and decision making • presentations	• Airbnb, Education & Learning Designer • The Dalton School, Assistant Director of the High School • California State University, Sacramento Associate Professor, Journalism
Museums & Archives • Museums • Historical homes • Art galleries • Special collections • Historical societies • Universities and colleges • State and local government • Federal government, particularly the National Archives and Records Administration • Non-profit organizations • Research institutions • Libraries • College, university, professional schools • Public, central and branches • Public and private K-12 schools	• Acquisition • Preservation • Arrangement • Cataloguing/Categorizing • Exhibition/Installation • Describing • Analyzing • Authenticating • Maintaining Records • Research • Education • Library Administration	• strong interpersonal skills • attention to detail • ability to multitask • organizational skills • time management • verbal and written communication • ability to work collaboratively in a team environment	• Glenn Ligon Studio, Studio Assistant, Archivist
Advertising & Public Relations • Private corporations • Public relations firms • Advertising agencies • Radio and television companies • Public opinion research firms • Sports and entertainment organizations • Hospitality and tourism industry • Nonprofit organizations • Government agencies • Labor unions • Educational institutions • Consulting firms • Freelance	• Public Relations • Advertising • Marketing • Corporate Public Affairs • Investor Relations • Development • Event Coordination • Media Analysis/Planning • Creative Directing • Writing/Editing • Audience Analysis • Public Opinion Research	• Problem-solving • Innovation and creativity • Critical thinking • Communication (verbal and written) • Presentation skills • Teamwork and leadership • Time management and the ability to simultaneously balance several projects • Adaptability and flexibility	• Julie Polkes Public Relations, Public Relations Consultant • RLM Public Relations, VP/Group Director • Google, Display Advertising
Interpreting & Translation • Freelance • Educational services • Business services • Government agencies • Healthcare organizations • International organizations • Nonprofit and social service organizations • Courts • Publishers • Libraries	• Interpretation (Simultaneous & Consecutive) • Business • Conference • Escort/Guide • Judiciary (Court) • Translation • Legal • Literary • Localization • Machine • Medical • Technical • Steganography • Lexicography	• advanced verbal and written communication • detailed oriented • technology and social media skills • time management • analytical skills • interpersonal skills • negotiation skills • project management skills • Communication • Foreign Language • Multitasking • Leadership • Prioritizing	• News4Kids, Spanish Translation Inter • COMCON Marketing Research-Moscow Russia, Translator and Editor
Journalism & Creative Writing • Newspapers • Magazines • Broadcast media companies including television, radio, and the movie industry • Internet sites • Trade, professional, or consumer publications • Technical industries • Large corporations • Government agencies • Universities and university presses • Self-employed/Freelance	Creative Writing Including: Books Novels Poetry Plays Screenplays Scripts Greeting Cards Lyrics/Jingle Writing Commercials Blogs • Reporting • Editorial/Column Writing • Feature Writing • Investigative Journalism • Sports • Online Journalism • Photojournalism • Editing • Proofreading • Circulation • Marketing/Promotion • Production • Foreign Correspondence	• advanced verbal and written communication • flexibility and versatility • ability to research and think critically • strong interpersonal skills • creativity • editing and attention to detail • teamwork • active listening and interviewing • time management • computer and technical skills (in various forms of electronic media)	• Bright, a Medium publication, Editor • Newsela, Chief Content Officer • The New Republic, Reporter-Researcher • The ��ɫ��ƵChronicle, Opinion Writer
Art & Design • Advertising agencies • Public relation agencies • Design firms • Company marketing departments • Publishing companies: • Magazines • Newspapers • Books • Department stores • Television and motion picture industry • Manufacturing firms • Greeting card companies • Internet media companies • Self-employed • Large corporations • Governmental agencies • Universities	• Graphic Art • Motion Design • Web Design • Graphic Novels • Illustration • Story Boards • Advertising • Medical and Scientific Illustration • Typography • Animation • Art Direction • Logo/Branding • Design: Advertisement Magazine Layout Book Packaging Stationary Wallpaper	• strong interpersonal skills • attention to detail • ability to multitask • organizational skills • time management • verbal and written communication • ability to work collaboratively in a team environment	• Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Principal, Director of Interiors • MaraKesh Films, Writer/Director/Producer
Government Federal government agencies: • Department of Education • Department of Defense • Department of Labor • Health and Human Services • Library of Congress • National Science Foundation • National Endowment for the Arts • National Endowment for the Humanities • Peace Corps • FBI • CIA • Social service agencies • State and local government	• Administration • Planning • Evaluation • Management • Research and Writing • Teaching • Community Affairs • Translation/Interpretation • Language Analysis • Linguistics • Diplomacy • Civil Service • Foreign Service • Immigration/Naturalization • Customs • Intelligence • Security and Protection • Law Enforcement • Journalism/Broadcasting	• Administrative • Communication • Foreign Language • Multitasking • Leadership • Prioritizing	• U.S. District Court, Law Clerk • Chicago Jobs Council, Director of State Policy
Nonprofit • Local and national nonprofit agencies • Foundations • Charitable organizations • Trade or professional associations • Special interest groups • Labor unions • Libraries • Museums • Historic sites/historical societies • Research organizations and think tanks • Educational institutions	• Administration • Management • Public Relations • Fund Raising/Development • Policy Analysis • Research • Grant Writing • Direct Service • Advocacy • Volunteer Coordination	• Creativity • Multi-tasking • Interpersonal • Time Management • Service Orientation • Writing • Social • Perceptiveness • Enthusiasm & knowledge for the cause	• Repair the World, Vice President for Programs • CAJE-Miami, Director of Professional Learning Initiatives& Early • Childhood Education Strategy • Yosemite Conservancy, Communications & Social Media Manager

Popular Industries (According to LinkedIn)

Education (23%)
Media and Communication (22%)
Research (9%)
Marketing (8%)
Legal (8%)
Arts and Design

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NORTHWESTERN CAREER ADVANCEMENT

Comparative Literature

Industry Areas

Industry|Employers

Job|Roles

Skills

Alumni

Popular Industries (According to LinkedIn)

Professional Associations