Do you love English and literature, but worry that an English degree will not translate well to the real world? Au contraire. Although increasing technology, specialization, and an overabundance of college graduates with degrees in English have led to the major’s ill repute, English and Psychology are still two of the most popular majors for students who are not math and science oriented.
What the English degree lacks in job training it makes up for in adaptability. If you want to develop critical reading and thinking skills, research skills, and the ability to persuade others, majoring in English might be just your thing. By examining and analyzing literature, evaluating literature in its social and historical contexts, and sharing your understanding and conclusions with others, you develop critical skills that are relevant to a wide range of professions. Consider the following:
English majors graduate with the ability to:
- organize thoughts, ideas & materials
- analyze texts & interpret their meaning
- argue positions effectively
- analyze the written word
- write in an articulate manner
- do research & explain the results
- think creatively
- critically observe the world
- effectively communicate by listening to and questioning data
Forbes Magazine published an article last December highlighting the most sought after job skills for 2013. Critical thinking topped the list. Other valuable skills include complex problem solving, good judgment, decision-making skills, and active listening. Interdisciplinary thinking and outstanding written and oral communication skills are also highly touted. English majors have had to hone and exercise these transferable skills to earn their degrees.
In order to make an undergraduate degree in English valuable, students need to combine passion, imagination and strategic thinking. When choosing electives and fulfilling course requirements, students should think carefully. While one student might select courses in business and technology with an eye towards focusing on business communications, another might opt for classes in theater, film and journalism with the intention of becoming a critic. A third student might choose to minor in political science in order to work in the public policy arena. Extra-curricular activities can also have a significant impact on an English graduate’s appeal to employers. English majors who study abroad in England, take electives in film, theater and journalism, write for the school paper, and intern at a magazine, will be infinitely more employable than English majors who give little thought to how they spend their educational and free time.
The most successful English graduates are those who think of their major as only one of the foundational blocks of their career preparation. One block alone is not enough. Students must consider what they’ve learned academically and how it applies to the workplace, demonstrate their understanding and skills outside the classroom, and use time to their advantage. Developing career search skills is a must for all students.
English as a major has provided the foundation for successful careers in such far-flung fields as acting, business, grant-writing, public relations, lobbying, politics, and event-planning. English majors are often creative and particularly adept at expressing themselves, often succeeding in script-writing and advertising careers. The ability to identify critical ideas and separate important information from distracting jargon is beneficial in marketing, speech writing, and research.
To explore the career options a major in English can lead to, consult the following resource:
www.pdx.edu/careers/what-can-i-do-with-a-degree-in-english
Successful leaders who majored in English
Carol Browner, lawyer, environmentalist, and businesswoman, former head of the EPA
Mario Cuomo, former governor of New York
Joan Cusack, actress
Michael Eisner, former CEO, Disney
Sally Ride, astronaut
Marty Shottenheimer, former coach of Kansas City Chiefs
Sting, singer, songwriter, musician, actor, environmental activist
Clarence Thomas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Harold Varmus, Nobel laureate in medicine, Director of National Cancer Institute
Bob Woodward, journalist, author: All the President’s Men
Renee Zellweger, actress
