Jobs for English Majors

Question: What are you going to do with a college degree in English?

Answer: Anything! Everything!

English?

A degree in English can take you many places and and into many careers. This may seem strange: some students love studying English, literature, and writing and don’t care if it is “useful.” Some students dislike English and don’t see it as very “useful.” In reality, the study of English and writing is extremely valuable, because it teaches skills that are useful beyond any one job or area. English majors bring high-level critical thinking skills, attention to clear and effective communication, and an awareness of human experience to their work. English can make you a great writer! English can make you a great teacher! And according to executives from tech companies like Google, English can make you a valuable member of their team!

What You Learn in English

With a degree in English or a certificate in Writing, you develop valuable skills in:

    • Writing: to develop, express, and organize ideas; to compose, revise, and edit writing for accuracy, correctness, and elegance
    • Reading: to read, interpret, and assess written information and arguments
    • Research: to gather, interpret, and evaluate information from a variety of sources
    • Critical Thinking: to question, analyze, and draw connections between ideas, issues, and information
    • Communication: to think about how audiences, purposes, and topics shape effective written, oral, and visual communication
    • Creativity: to imagine new ways of seeing and understanding experiences, issues, and problems in the world; to create written expression and communication that appeals to the senses of reason and emotion

These skills are valuable and transferable to nearly every academic and professional field!

Jobs for English Majors

Identifying specific career pathways for English majors is sometimes difficult because of the range of possibilities and options that exist. Of course, many English majors are teachers from kindergarten up to university. Many English majors write and edit for the entertainment and media industry, the government, and business. English degrees and certificates can also be combined with your expertise and interests in other academic areas, such as Computer Science, Administration of Justice, Fine Art, Early Childhood Education, and even Nursing!

Education

  • K-12 teacher or tutor
  • ESL teacher/tutor
  • college professor of writing, literature, or the humanities
  • school or city librarian
  • textbook and curriculum writer
  • student services staff

Media and Communications

  • writer
  • editor or copy editor
  • journalist or reporter
  • creative director
  • screenwriter
  • video game content writer and developer
  • media director or producer
  • public relations assistant
  • radio, TV, or web production assistant

Government, Law, and Non-Profit

  • lawyer or paralegal
  • court clerk
  • research analyst
  • politician
  • speechwriter
  • grant writer
  • human and social services
  • public relations specialist
  • executive director
  • museum staff

Business

  • public relations specialist
  • marketing consultant
  • web content developer/writer
  • technical writer
  • human resources manager
  • advertising copywriter
  • market research analyst

STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)

  • technical writer or editor
  • grant writer
  • science journalist
  • information architect or manager
  • health care services staff