Social sciences have become wildly popular with western students in the past decade. With a downturn in the economy, most wonder whether they will be forced to work in positions they do not appreciate. English majors are particularly worried about becoming an English teacher or ending up writing articles in general.
However, a recent Career Say article offers career paths for English majors that might not be as dour as some make it out to be. English majors do not have to resign themselves to becoming a teacher or a writer. Instead, they can often make fabulous journalists or editors. In some cases, they even make amazing film makers, foreign translators, and even news reporters. Anyone graduating from college with a degree in English or any other social science should not be dismayed by the lack of job opportunities. One only has to look hard enough to find them.
I’m writing this article because I’m an English major.
You might be thinking one of two things; that I’m an English major with a career in article writing, or I’m an article writer among other things because I’m an English major.
I am sincerely glad to say that the second premise is actually true. A graduate of Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in English, being a formal English teacher was not my first choice in career paths. (If you’re wondering, it’s actually Psychology.) Little did I realize how versatile this specialization is and how many career options it would present me. Even for a graduate of my course, (which has limited major units unlike a pure AB English degree) the possibilities are numerous. The amount and variety of jobs for English majors are hardly disappointing and present many opportunities for different skills to be utilized.
If you’re wondering just how many English major career options are there after graduation, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provides a list of a few examples of career opportunities for English Majors. By the way, it spans the alphabet and takes an average of 5 downward scrolls on a webpage. Below are some examples:
Author
Bookstore manager
Columnist
Court Reporter
Creative Writing
Critic
Customer Service Representative
Drama
Editor (assignment, book, copy, dictionary…)
Educational Researcher
Environmental Planner
Filmmaker
Foreign Service
Interpreter/Translator
Journalist
Librarian
Musician/Composer
Narrator
News Reporter
Proofreader
Research Analyst
Secondary School Teacher
Singer/Songwriter
Social Worker
Teaching (all levels)
Writer: Technical, Speech, Freelance
See the full list here. Many of these career options are already familiar, but some may surprise graduates. Being in the foreign service or the entertainment industry would not probably be the first career option to cross the mind of most English majors. Most of these career options require additional training and certification, but a degree and specialization in English would definitely command an advantage.
Careers for English Majors.org classifies these career options in three categories:
Teaching Careers
Writing Careers
Social Work
This is not an official categorization, but it gives a good overview of the many English Major career options at a glance. In a follow up article these will be discussed more in depth, including what required additional trainings might be needed for a particular career option. It would help to keep in mind what your expectations are ( length and costs of training, average salary, work hours, etc. ) when deciding on a career path.
A degree or major in English is simply a tool, not a set of rules. There are no black-and-white lines carved in stone to limit an English Major graduate with an open mind. I’ve taught English in an international curriculum, written short stories and a screenplay treatment, worked as an environmental journalist, and published articles online. Each opportunity taught me something and expanded my world a little more while giving me the chance to realize my potential and skills.
With the abundance of jobs for English Majors, there’s only one factor to limit a person: himself or herself.