This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St. John's chapter.
If you’re an English major like me, it’s very likely that you’ve been asked countless times questions like these: “But, what are you going to do with your degree?”, or maybe “Oh, so you want to be a teacher right?”, you might have even heard,“What’s the point of majoring in English?” By the end of my Freshman year, I had heard so many questions like these that I began to question my own decision to major in English and pursue a career in it. I wondered if maybe people were right or if I had made the wrong decision. I now know that the answer to “What can I do with my English major?” is really “Whatever I want!” People from authors to doctors graduate with English degrees so the sky’s the limit. English is one of the most helpful majors and one that leads to endless opportunities. Here are 15 of the many things that you can do with your fabulous (and don’t let anyone tell you differently) English degree:
- Law/Politics- This one is probably one of the most popular options. An English degree is extremely helpful when it comes to getting into and excelling in Law school. 3 things people in these fields need to know how to do is speak, read, and write well. These are 3 skills that you will focus on while completing your English degree.
- Publishing- This is another you probably have heard of. The Publishing field is one that is very interesting and honestly, a reader’s dream job. English majors really were made for this job.
- Advertising/Copywriting- Working in Advertising/Copywriting is a great way to put your English degree to use. When promoting a brand, company, or product, having stellar writing skills is extremely helpful. Working in the field of copywriting for those companies is a common job for English majors.
- Education- Teaching is what most people expect English majors to do, but it is a very rewarding field. English teachers are essential at every stage of education, so whether you want to teach in elementary school or at a university, there are job opportunities for a successful and rewarding career.
- Journalism- Believe it or not, you do not have to major in journalism in order to be a journalist. Journalists need to know how to write and edit well, and that’s where English majors come in.
- Writing- If you want to be an author, a screenwriter, or anything in between, then the field of writing is probably for you! Excellent writing skills are a priority as an English major and you can put them to use for a job in this field.
- Librarian- If libraries and bookstores are your happy place (like me), then you may want to look into being a librarian. From small towns to big cities, libraries are everywhere and they need people who have a love for the books they contain to maintain and run them.
- Public relations- Public relations jobs often have a lot of communication involved, and good communication skills are an important part of obtaining an English degree. If you’re a people person and interested in the world of public relations, check out using your English degree in this way.
- Translating/Interpreting- Translators and interpreters are needed everywhere so if learning languages is a passion you have, you might want to look at translating and interpreting. Travel is often involved too!
- Reporting- Reporters in all areas also need to have good reading, writing, and speaking skills. As an English major, this could be a career worth exploring, especially if you’re also interested in the world of television and film.
- Literary agent- Just like actors/actresses need agents, so do authors. Literary agents are the bridge between authors and publishing companies. So, if you are interested in the business and publishing world, this might be a cool career to look into.
- Media management/Marketing- Have you ever read a caption and thought, “That was really good?” Coming up with genius captions, blog posts, and media content could be your job. Those amazing writing skills will come in handy!
- Administration- An English major is a great thing to have when it comes to jobs in administration. Having the skills to project manage are important and an English degree can assist with that.
- Business- If you want to work in the business world but don’t want to major in business, English is a great alternative. You’ll learn important skills in order to succeed in the business world.
- Typist- A typist is a great career to look into as an English major, as your job is focused on typing for various reasons and you can work in a variety of places.