Roxanne Pepin's Story
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Roxanne Pepin
First, please tell me a little bit about your company and your job.
I work for SEO TWIST, a digital marketing agency based in the Byward Market here in Ottawa. I write website content, including landing pages, blogs, and infographics and edit content from teammates and freelance writers. Since I’m the only French writer on the team—Hi Ben and Monique!—I generally take care of all the French content as well as manage multiple social media accounts for our various clients.
Overall, did you find the Professional Writing program worthwhile?
I have to say that I absolutely loved the Professional Writing program, the profs, and the classmates. I loved the different subjects we got to explore and the different types of writing that we covered.
What specific classes did you find the most useful and why?
I don’t know if I can really narrow it down. I think it really was the mixture of all the classes that paid off in the end. I learned a lot in each class and I’m very thankful for that.
How difficult was it for you to find a job in writing?
I really can only speak for myself here. I was out of school for… half a day before I got hired at SEO TWIST so I can’t really say it was difficult to find a job doing what I wanted to do.
Was the program's placement option helpful to you? Did it help get your foot in the door at any businesses?
The job placement with our program was very helpful. I definitely made a lot of contacts and got to learn a lot about the industry, as well as myself. I can now safely say: I do not want to work in politics. It really was a great experience; I would recommend it to anyone who has the chance to do it.
How has the course impacted your writing style?
The course really helped me discover what my writing style is. I have always loved writing, but I had never explored it in the way that the program taught and allowed me to.
What can students and writers expect in their future writing careers?
That entirely depends on what kind of writing careers they want. There are so many options when it comes to writing that it’s nearly impossible to say. That being said, you can expect to work hard for one and to learn a lot.
Are you writing the things that you want to write about? In other words, do you feel a sense of fulfillment/satisfaction with your work?
When I started the program I wanted to do exactly what I am doing right now. I wanted to write web content for a variety of clients. I have to say I am pretty satisfied with the work I do because I learn a lot every day. There is a lot of research that goes into writing, especially when you are writing about 20 different subjects a day.
Do you do any writing outside of work?
I like to pretend I do a lot of it. But the reality is that I don’t do all that much writing outside of work. I have recently taken on some side projects so I am starting to write a lot more in my free time.
How should graduates of the program go about getting a job?
Look for one. Don’t only look in one place either. Apply to pretty much anything. You never know what will come of it.
Do you have any advice to offer young writers? If you had the opportunity to go back and talk to yourself while you were in the program, what would you say?
Do what you really want to do. Don’t settle for something that will make you regret doing what you’re doing. Also work hard, it will definitely pay off. Now that’s not really original advice, is it?
William Cousins
William Cousins is a Professional Writing student at Algonquin College, living in Ottawa, Ontario. Writing is his passion. He believes in the power of the written word, and aspires to perfect his craft in order to create great works of art. From movies, to song lyrics, to video games, he is locked in a constant quest for the perfect story.
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