It’s said all the time that humanities degrees are useless, especially English degrees. How is reciting Shakespeare going to help you in the real world? Or even worse, the dreaded “So what do you want to do with that?” If you’re an English or writing major struggling to answer that question, look no further! The great thing about an English degree is the soft, transferable skills you gain: critical thinking, research literacy, attention to detail, and creativity. This means there are actually a lot of careers you can explore!
- Marketing/PR
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One of the most common paths for English majors is marketing and public relations. Marketing can lean more toward social media and content creation (think blog writing and short, witty captions) or toward producing major brand campaigns with an emphasis on data and business. In both styles, creativity and the ability to conceive of fresh ideas are valued. For PR, understanding good storytelling takes center stage, and an English degree can set you up well for viewing situations from various perspectives.
- Teaching
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From kindergarten to the graduate level, English language and literature are cornerstone of our learning experience. So why not give back to the subject you studied? You’ll need a bit more schooling to get a teaching certificate, but it can be really rewarding to share your love of English with others. Also, if you’re a jet-setter with great cultural competency, you can look into teaching English abroad.
- Administration/Management
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Organization is the name of the game here! Look for job titles like executive assistant and human resources manager, or titles that include buzzwords like strategist or analyst. Having an English degree in these positions is really helpful because you excel at outlining, have strong critical thinking skills, and can combine research with emotion when making written communication.
- Copywriting/Editing
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With good writing skills and a keen eye for detail, an English degree transfers very well to these fields. You can either write your own material or revise others’ work at every stage of the process, from ideating to sentence-level grammar. My parents are editors in pharmaceutical advertising, which shows you can find this line of work in almost every industry!
- Expand Your Passion In Graduate School
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An undergraduate English degree is also the perfect stepping stone for graduate programs. Law school, especially, is a great path because it uses a lot of formal reasoning and critical thinking to analyze cases. You can also do a master’s in almost anything; since many programs require a thesis, English gives you a great writing background. To find your passion, think about what you do outside of English—any clubs you love, volunteering experience, or even another major, minor, or certificate you combined with this degree.
In all of these roles, what’s really helpful is figuring out what industry you’re interested in. For example, do you love arts and education (like me!), gravitate towards patient-centered medical work, or something else? It’s also helpful to consider what company type you want to work for. Are you looking at global Fortune 500 companies, regional companies with a few branches, or local nonprofits (also like me!). Once you nail down this interest, explore entry-level job postings to see the requirements and skills employers are looking for. This can give you a framework for the technical skills you should learn, like SEO certifications, shadowing hours, or proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud. No matter what, remember it’s okay to explore different areas of interest. You’ve only just started your twenties—you don’t have to have your entire career planned out perfectly!