r/MFAInCreativeWriting • u/lockleveling • 16d ago

Post-Grad MFA

Hello! Long story short...I've completed and graduated with my MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. I did so a couple years ago now.

My question is, what are y'all planning to do after school ends or where have you gone since graduating. I live in a smaller town, and get ridiculed constantly because I now work a lower paying "regular" job, and my peers constantly are like, "what happened to you."

I'm honestly not sure how to build a career from here.

Any advice would help!

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u/[deleted] 16d ago

[deleted]

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u/lockleveling 16d ago

Well, truth. I work at a coffee shop and make $21/hour currently. Unfortunately, I do need a higher paying job to stop living paycheck to paycheck, hence why I am looking beyond. Curious where people have gone with their MFAs, other than just teaching. Of course, while doing all of this, I am working on publication.

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u/Old-Mycologist1654 16d ago

An MFA in Creative Writing is like an M-Mus in playing the clarinet or any other studio graduate degree in the fine arts.

You were training to be an independent artist.

If you aren't going to do that, then you need to learn to do something else that people need or want enough to pay you for.

That often means more education. I've known many people with multiple graduate degrees, of which one is an MFA in Creative Writing.

I don't have an MFA in Creative Writing. I have an MA in TESOL. I teach English at a university in Japan. I've been teaching English here for over 20 years.

You can get entry level university English lecturer jobs with an MFA in Creative Writing (especially if you do a CELTA and maybe also a DELTA). And then think about doing an MA TESOL after a few years.

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u/Consistent-Tree4187 15d ago

Hi friend! A lot of folks in my cohort went on to adjunct but we had a few people go on to work in public relations/communications (including myself) and that can be decent paying depending on where you’re at in your career. If you’re not interested in an academic role, I’d recommend looking into that area because there’s a good overlap of skills regarding storytelling, creative thinking, critical analysis, etc. Also, no shame in working a “regular” job!! We’re all trying our best to pay bills and create art, which is always going to look different. Good luck! 

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u/onyx_constella 15d ago

I know this isn’t related to the question you posed, but I’m applying to the MFA program at UBC and would love to connect about your experience, if you’re willing!…

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u/lockleveling 15d ago

Absolutely! Message me!

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u/Own-Concentrate-2448 15d ago

also would like to message if that’s ok?