Emilie Schwarz
Emilie is currently a Customer Support Specialist at Rippling, where she helps a large variety of clients across communication channels and collaborates with different Rippling teams
From Emilie, you'll learn about personal growth, what your first job could be like, and classes you'll love!
Why did you decide to be a Professional Writing minor?
When I transferred to UC Davis, I knew I wanted to study Communications, but I didn’t have a full understanding of what a minor entailed. I was looking at the list of minors, and it turned out I was currently in one of the courses that would fulfill a professional writing requirement. It was a business writing class (UWP 104A), which I loved. I asked my UWP professor more about the Professional Writing minor, and she recommended it to me. That's how I discovered my minor, and it was the best decision I ever made!
Was there a specific project or experience in the Professional Writing minor that impacted you?
There are two experiences I’d like to call upon: my time in the professional editing course (UWP 112A) and my time as the communication specialist intern for the Professional Writing minor.
I took UWP 112A with Carolyn Gubala, and that course taught me how to consider my audience and become a more effective writer. College students deal with so many time constraints, and there is an emphasis on just sending that email or finishing that paper. The professional editing course showed me how to take a step back and look at a piece of writing from multiple angles. These skills have helped me edit papers, emails, and writing projects to be more engaging for my audience.
Being a Communication Specialist was my first ever internship, and it was so much fun! Professional writing is the number one skill for jobs across all industries, and that remains very true to this day. Knowing how to professionally communicate, both written and verbally, are skills anyone can develop. Being a part of that mission to spread awareness about this program and build community was my favorite part of my job.
How do you use skills from the Professional Writing minor as a Customer Support Specialist at Rippling?
The different courses and opportunities in the Professional Writing minors have given me confidence in my writing abilities. I learned to write across multiple disciplines, like scientific writing, business writing, and editing, and received constructive feedback from my peers and professors. In a career where I’m writing in a fast-paced environment, I walked into this role confident that I could do all my writing tasks. In any entry-level position, you’ll spend a few months training for your role. During my training, however, I could focus on learning about the complex payroll, software, and system data I’d be helping customers with rather than learning how to write professionally. I constantly remember writing experiences from my minor when working, and as I’ve grown into my role, I feel fortunate enough to have those writing skills.
What advice do you have for current students?
Something that completely changed my UC Davis experience for the better was going for opportunities I didn't think I was qualified for. I used to have this hesitant mindset that prevented me from going after new opportunities. Then, in my senior year of college, I decided to go for any opportunities that came my way, regardless of whether I thought I was the right fit. I found internships and clubs that I loved, and I learned that real growth comes from going outside your comfort zone. If you have even an inkling of interest in an opportunity, go for it; we live in Yolo County for a reason!