Joanne Britland

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

World Languages Professor Joanne Britland Keeps Her Students Career Focused

Assistant Professor:
Spanish and Portuguese

Education:
PhD, University of Virginia;
MA, Bowling Green State University;
BA, James Madison University

Faculty Advisor:
Sigma Delta Pi

Research Interests:
20th- and 21st-century Iberian literature, film and cultural studies

Dr. Joanne Britland, FSU assistant professor of Spanish and Portuguese, earned her undergraduate degree in 2008 during the height of the Great Recession, so she understands the challenge of starting a career in a precarious job market.

From 2008 to 2011, she lived in Madrid, Spain, where the financial crisis and the cultural response to its impact on citizens became a major focus of her professional research. She is currently working on a book project that looks at the relationship between crisis in 21st-century Spain and its representation in contemporary media, such as films and television series on streaming platforms, social media and podcasts.

“I have always been interested in career readiness and preparation even before coming to FSU,” Britland says. “Learning the skills is just one part of your education. Applying it to a real-world context, that’s what’s really exciting for a Spanish major.”

Britland served as an inaugural Faculty Fellow for the Mancuso Humanities Workforce Preparation Center, which was funded and launched by Professor Halcyon Mancuso to promote the value of the skills that the humanities provide to 21st-century careers. As part of the fellowship, Britland created a database of companies and organizations in MetroWest interested in bilingual candidates for internships and jobs.

“Our students are learning how to think critically and how to write in English and Spanish,” says Britland. “They are analyzing texts and

discussing critical social issues. There are all these incredible skills that can apply to the workforce, but students need experience working as well, which is why internships are so important.”

In addition to the database, Britland developed and created a new general education course called Business Communication in Spanish. Students in the course learn about the process of applying for a job, create résumés in English and Spanish, perform mock interviews, meet with representatives from the chamber of commerce and put together e-portfolios that are shared with employers. They even create their own startup business ideas and pitch them in the format made famous by the Shark Tank TV series.

“We have the second-largest Spanish-speaking population in the world,” Britland says. “Knowing Spanish sets students apart and positions them for a career in a variety of fields.”