Alumni Spotlight: Wes Ricketts
Being able to track down and use primary and secondary sources was invaluable...Learning and honing my skills with argumentation (theses and support) and crafting a coherent and engaging narrative set me apart from the journalists I worked with after grad school.
Wes Ricketts earned his History BA in 2001 and MA in 2006 at WWU. Due to marketing his skills as a researcher, writer, and editor, he is now semi-retired– consulting part-time, building websites, and traveling.
Why did you pursue an MA in History at Western?
As an undergraduate in WWU's history department, I enjoyed reading and writing about topics that interested me. I didn't know exactly how I wanted to turn my education into a profession, but I loved the work. After earning my BA, I decided to pursue my MA to further my research, analysis, and communication skills and dive deeper into my intellectual interests.
What are you doing now? How did you end up where you are?
I'm currently semi-retired, i.e. I consult part-time for two online media and marketing companies and build my own websites on the side. After finishing my MA in History, I marketed my skills and talents as a researcher, writer, and editor. This helped me land my first post-WWU job as an editorial associate for a Silicon Valley-based online media company. From there, I earned a position as the company's managing editor and then editorial director. After five years, I branched out with two colleagues to start my own online media and marketing company, serving as vice president and senior vice president for 6 years. We recently sold our company to a Seattle-based firm, after which I retired and decided to consult and travel.
How did your MA in History help you achieve your goals?
Three things really stand out here: Research, intense writing, and verbal/presentation skills. The foundation of good writing and editing is research. As I entered into and progressed through my editorial career, being able to track down and use primary and secondary sources was invaluable. It helped me stand out from the other editors at the company, most of whom focused on copyediting and prose. The intense writing of the MA program also helped tremendously. Learning and honing my skills with argumentation (theses and support) and crafting a coherent and engaging narrative set me apart from the journalists I worked with after grad school. And finally, the lengthy presentations, while painful at first, were key to helping me develop as a presenter and leader.
What advice would you give students considering an MA in History?
Focus on the skills you obtain! Over the past decade, I've seen so many resumes from history graduates that simply list the courses they took and their areas of interest. If a graduate is continuing his or her academic track to a PhD or trying to earn a teaching position, that's great. But if they're leaving academia and trying to land a position in business, marketing, media, etc., hiring managers want to know what they can actually DO. Highlight research skills, writing/editing skills, presentation ability, etc. Companies want to know how a candidate can help them improve the bottom line now, and that usually comes in the form of specific skills.