Ben Lederer figured it would be his degree in finance from the University of Iowa that would land him a job with an investment firm.
No doubt, his degree from the UI’s prestigious Tippie of College of Business garnered him special attention from the many prospective employers who contacted him.
But there was something else on Lederer’s résumé that earned him a second look: an Undergraduate Certificate in Writing from the UI, home to the top-ranked writing program in the country.
“The potential employers were impressed that I had received a writing certificate,” says Lederer, who graduated in December 2014 with a degree in finance and accepted a position with Fisher Investments in Portland, Oregon.
Though Lederer is starting his job at Fisher talking with clients and managing their accounts, eventually he will write reports. His writing skills gave him an advantage over other applicants.
That’s the beauty of the Undergraduate Certificate in Writing, which is offered through the Frank N. Magid Center for Undergraduate Writing at the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students of all majors can benefit from the university’s numerous writing programs by pursuing writing courses related to their majors, career goals, or personal interests.
The Writing University will be swarming with younger-than-usual aspiring writers on Friday, April 24, thanks to a conference hosted by the Iowa Youth Writing Project, part of the Frank N. Magid Center for Undergraduate Writing in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.