Jobs for English Majors
Do all English majors become teachers? No. Do you have to go on to graduate school? Not usually. Research shows that the skills our majors acquire as they earn their degree in English are useful in a variety of careers and more resilient than those associated with narrow industry or market trends. Studying English will make you competitive and desired in the job market.
What You'll Learn
Our collection of experienced faculty will help you hone your interests into these highly marketable skills:
- » Strong writing, editing, and revision
From writing research papers to speeches to short stories, our English classes will prepare you to write, evaluate, and rewrite anything technical or creative.
- » Giving, receiving, and integrating feedback
A key to growth in any field is the ability to receive criticism positively and use it to adjust one's work; just as important is the ability to give others useful feedback. Our English classes' peer review system will do just that.
- » Recognizing patterns and underlying messages
Studying texts for their hidden meaning and applying those meanings to large research conversations is a consistently taught skill in our English classes. Similarly, making connections between different texts or research can prove invaluable in many jobs.
- » Brainstorming and innovation
While this skill can be learned in other fields, the mark of a successful English major is the ability to take risks with proposing their ideas, applying it to pre-existing research, and presenting their findings.
- » Communication
English classes nurture your written and verbal skills through class discussion, assignments, workshops, and conference opportunities. Learning how to make your ideas translate to appealing language textually and orally will put you a step ahead of your job market competition!
- » Presentations
Giving presentations is common among our English classes
(especially the PTC concentration), and is an invaluable skill to have in the professional workforce. Knowing how to dress, how to prepare, how to act, and how to speak will make you a more industry-ready candidate. - » Digital research
Knowing how to conduct professional research by navigating the web will benefit you in any field requiring research expertise, and our English program focuses on this aspect in almost every class we offer.
- » Digital design
While our program doesn't teach students how to make websites through coding, we do teach how to format and design things on websites, presentations, writings, and publications.
- » Flexibility
Our English students learn how to work as well individually as they do in teams. They also learn how to work with multiple different genres, time periods, and perspectives, making them adaptable to almost any work environment.
Choose Your Own Adventure
Having a degree in English could result in an academic-focused career, but it doesn't have to. Some of our alumni have gone on to careers in law, government, editing/publishing, and business management, to name a few. Equipped with the skills listed above and many more, English graduates can acquire jobs over a wide variety of career paths.
While income depends on the career path you choose, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the median annual wage for U.S. residents with English degrees was $51,000, as of 2019. When choosing English, rest assured that you'll acquire skills to make you marketable to careers that can support you. All you have to do is be critical, creative, and persistent when applying.
Useful Links
- What Can I Do with an English Major? (MLA Humanities Commons)
- What Can You Do with an English Degree? (BestColleges.com)
- 10 High-Paying Jobs for English Majors (Coursera.org)
- 16 Jobs that You Can Pursue with an English Degree (Indeed.com)
- Best Jobs for Graduates with an English Degree (TheBalanceMoney.com)
