Stories
Seth Archer
Meet Seth
English, Philosophy, Humanities, B.A., NDSU, 2006
Composition and Rhetoric, M.A., NDSU, 2011
I am a technical information specialist for the USDA Agriculture Research Service. I am responsible for developing new and ongoing knowledge transfer initiatives that help research information from eleven research portfolios get into the hands of stakeholders - farmers, ranchers, industry, conservation NGOs, a whole lot of NDSU, and more.
Some of the most important work I do is thread the narrative of novel, long-term research into translatable and applicable narratives for a range of audiences. I have helped create information on agriculture research for US Cabinet members, national commodity groups, and local producers. My work in the humanities has very much helped me frame information for a wide range of audiences with diverse motivations.
How did your time seeking an English degree prepare you for your current role or your career?
My ability to synthesize and coalesce complex threads of information is a skill that has benefited the research station by developing relationships that create new opportunities for partnerships and/or collaborations.
My ability to apply conceptual models to other disciplines has been beneficial. Design theory and linguistic theory have both created opportunities for me to collaborate and communicate with national audiences and at international conferences.
My time as a college teacher has allowed me to help my scientists develop and hone their communication skills in written and oral media.
What advice would you give to someone considering an English degree?
Get a second major or a minor that you can leverage in the job market. The skills English majors use are valued but the degrees that develop them are vastly undervalued. No-one looks at a business major and expects a deep reservoir of critical thinking and analysis despite wanting to hire someone with a deep reservoir of critical thinking and analysis. Set your sights on a field not on a job.
Develop practical and transferable skills; get certificates in useful technology - Adobe CS, Microsoft Office, video production, social media development, podcast development. If you leave with a degree line and no skill lines on your resume, prepare for a long wait. Having a sense of what kind of field you want to land in and the skills you develop in English can help you excel.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Not everything measurable matters and not everything that matters is measurable. Having said that, develop an understanding of English methods through use of data and data interpretation. Moreover, have an understanding of how other discipline methods work. If you want to get a job you will need to be demonstrably interdisciplinary.
English degrees make for better humans. I don’t have to tell English majors/minors why this is important.