海角论坛

January 12, 2015鈥擳hree years ago, if you鈥檇 asked Emma Green (C鈥�12) what she鈥檇 be doing after graduation, she probably would have said that she didn鈥檛 know. Like many college seniors, Green wasn鈥檛 sure how to translate her interests and abilities into a career.

Today, Green is the assistant managing editor of TheAtlantic.com, where she writes about religion and culture and works on website strategy.

鈥淭here are all of these career paths laid out for college graduates, where if you take this one-two-three step path you can become a lawyer, or if you take that one-two-three step path you can become a doctor鈥攚hich is great if that鈥檚 what you want to do, but the vast majority of jobs fall outside of those clearly laid out paths,鈥� Green said. 鈥淚t can be really intimidating to try and figure out where you fit into the spaces of work.鈥�

Green, a former George F. Baker Scholar who majored in , wasn鈥檛 specifically thinking of journalism or media, but knew she wanted a job that allowed her to read and write, talk to people, and analyze ideas. In July 2012, she began a fellowship program with The Atlantic, where she鈥檚 been ever since. She started in the events division before moving to the website, where she still works today.

In her work, Green writes about a variety of topics related to faith, religion, and culture, such as how childhood influences church attendance, how religious communities perceive climate change, and marriage equality. Many of Green鈥檚 undergraduate studies focused on religion in public life, which she now feels helped to prepare her for her current role.  

鈥淚 often feel like I stumbled sideways into doing what I do now, but it鈥檚 very much a good fit. It鈥檚 been surprising how much my education has really come to bear on my work,鈥� Green said. 鈥淚 may be a bit unique because I cover things that you might study in a seminar [at Georgetown]. But I use political theory all the time鈥擨 took this great set of seminars in the 海角论坛 as part of the social and political thought program, and I swear I use those seminars every single day.鈥�

In her first few years on the job, Green has noticed that, while religion is a 鈥渟hrinking beat鈥� across the industry, many people still love reading about religion and engaging with the topic. 鈥淥ur readers . . . particularly love reading about tension points where religious identity comes into conflict, or where it [intersects] with a public policy issue,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 telling that there鈥檚 a hunger for that type of intellectual engagement.鈥�

It鈥檚 that same intellectual engagement that Green nurtured at Georgetown, not only through the curriculum she chose, but also through experiences and programs that helped shaped her outlook. But it goes beyond honing skills in small discussion classes, conducting research abroad, or even studying at Catholic university in a modern world.

鈥淓ven if undergraduates don鈥檛 have an exacting sense of their career paths, if they have a sense of their interests鈥攈ow they like thinking and working, how they like to spend their time鈥攖here can be unexpected ways in which an education can shape your ability to do your job later on down the line,鈥� Green explained.

Which is why Green urges current seniors not to worry鈥攁 task that she acknowledges is 鈥渧ery important but almost impossible.鈥�

鈥淔ear and security can be big motivators in what jobs people take and how they pursue different job paths. I was extremely lucky [at Georgetown] to have guidance, but not everyone there does,鈥� Green said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 very easy to feel lost if you don鈥檛 know what you want to do, but you have a sense that it鈥檚 not doctor, lawyer, or investment banker.鈥�

Green encourages current students to take matters into their own hands. 鈥淟ook for the interstitial spaces of jobs that you might not even know exist鈥� by talking to people. 鈥淐onduct informational interviews; the alumni network is great and Georgetown alums are just wonderful.鈥�

Most importantly, Green says, 鈥渄on鈥檛 let fear motivate your choices.鈥�

Related Information

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