Ten Things to do With an English Degree

An English degree is a broad and versatile degree which offers graduates a wide variety of career paths to follow. With an emphasis on communication and the written word, English majors learn to research, analyze and interpret information. They are encouraged to be critical and creative while exploring the many cultures of the world around them as well as the cultures that have come before them. English majors also study the history of the English language along with the beginnings of the written word.  They learn how language has developed into the way we use words today and how it may change in the future.

The most obvious career path is writing whether it be creative, article writing, or journalistic. An English degree gives the writer a strong foundation on which to build a writing career. The new writer can learn a great deal by studying the works of established writers. Great fiction is the workbook of the novice writer and every book you read will teach you something about your own writing.

An English major leaves college with the knowledge to pursue many creative writing endeavors including producing and writing for television, movies and radio.

An offshoot of the creative writer would by technical writing which includes grant and proposal writing.  The English major can chose the concentration of the major such as creative writing, technical writing or teaching that best fits the desired career path.

The study of written language, word usage and sentence structure gives the English major the expertise to edit the work of others.  Expert editing is needed in many venues including manuscript and online editing.  Editors are often proofreaders and ghostwriters as well and are needed in the business world as well as the publishing world.

Another obvious path for English majors is teaching. Those with a BA in English can teach at the elementary and secondary level. Further education is needed for teaching at a higher level such as universities and colleges.

An English degree can be a good building block to the pre-education of the law student. The ability to research and analyze information can be invaluable. Also what lawyer wouldn't benefit from the capacity to write and articulate well and be adept at proper word usage with the facility to communicate effectively.

Legal assistant
These same proficiency of research and information investigation can be applied to the job of assistant to an attorney.

An English degree is a good foundation for library studies. Working with the written word on a daily basis, Librarians need a good understanding of literature, and also need the ability to research and analyze data.

The skills acquired as an English major are invaluable in the business world.  Writing and communicating coherently, researching and interpreting information and critical thinking are all valuable assets for the successful business person.

The field of public relations is based on effective communication through both oral and the written word.

Researching information and knowing how to effectively apply it to the real world are skills learned through the English degree program.

Ability to organize thoughts, ideas and materials

Ability to analyze texts and interpret their meaning

Ability to argue positions effectively

Ability to analyze the written word

Ability to write in an articulate manner

Ability to research and explain the results

Working knowledge of grammar and vocabulary

Ability to be a creative thinker

Ability to critically observe the world around them

Ability to effectively communicate by listening to and questioning data

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