Adele Hutchinson (B.A. 2007) Permissions Manager, American Psychological Association
I knew I wanted to work in the publishing industry,” says Adele Hutchison, “because I love to read so much.”
Since graduating in 2007 with her B.A. in English (Literature Track), Adele has gotten to do just that. She worked at SAGE publishing as their Senior Permissions Editor for five years and then as a freelance permissions editor for three. She is now the Permissions Manager at the American Psychological Association (APA), a major publisher of scholarly books and journals in psychology and related mental health fields.
At APA, Adele handles requests from writers and others to use previously published APA content. And as Adele suggests, these permission inquiries are interestingly diverse—everything from reusing journal article material to “having APA book covers as props on a bookshelf in a TV show.”
It’s a job that Adele enjoys: “I love working on anything involving copyright law and assisting co-workers and customers with questions about items that are fair use, public domain or Creative Commons.”
One reason Adele has been able to work in this field is her English degree. As she says, it helped her to “craft a standout resume,” and to secure full-time positions because of her excellent communication skills.
Adele’s advice for English majors? “Don’t listen to anyone who says you can only teach with an English degree . . . The English degree will expand your career path, not limit it.”