"You're majoring in English? What are you going to do with that?" If I could have a dollar for every time I’ve been asked what I’m going to do with a degree in English, I’d definitely be able to pay for my books every semester. If you’d stretch that to how many times I’ve been told that I’ll have trouble finding a job with my degree, I would be able to pay for at least one year of tuition. BuzzFeed even wrote an article detailing everything that English majors are tired of hearing! Why is that, though? Just because I’m hoping to earn a degree in English does not mean that I will end up being a teacher or a waiter while I wait for my next book to hit it big. This is a real issue with students who choose to major in English. I think that there is a stigma surrounding the degree because we English majors are led to believe that the job market for us is nearly nonexistent.
Honestly though, what is the point of majoring in English? English majors are sometimes thought of as introverts who spend their days reading and analyzing endless texts that nobody really cares about, right? A degree in English has a lot of different purposes, such as developing skills in written communication and understanding critical and creative ways language is used. This might sound boring, but these skills are what bring you everything from advertisements to corporate emails. The point of majoring in English is to develop critical thinking skills and a love for literature.
One major option for English majors is a career in education. But for many, education is of no interest to them. That statement really leads to a dead end, because today, there’s nothing else, right? In reality there are multitudes of qualities that English majors have that can make them invaluable in the workplace. These qualities include: setting schedules and working efficiently under deadlines, communicating clearly and grasping tone, critical thinking and simply being able to write effectively. In the workplace, a person with skill in writing can be the go-to person for sending important emails and communications. Again, English majors can communicate effectively. Whether verbally or electronically, everyone uses words. Wouldn’t it be great to hire someone who is a master at it?
Majoring in English is not a death sentence for careers. There have been a lot of notable English majors! Some of them are: Mitt Romney, Grant Tinker (former CEO of NBC), Andrea Jung (former CEO of Avon), Conan O’Brien, Mario Cuomo, Barbara Walters, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Steven Spielberg and the list goes on. A degree in English is an excellent stepping stone to law school or even business. It’s not worthless.
If you’re an English major and you have no clue what you are going to do with it after graduation, don’t be afraid! Having an English degree is not a life sentence to teaching or becoming a waiter. Having an English degree opens doors in many different careers, not just the ones we always hear about.
So the next time someone asks me what I will do with a degree in English, I’ll just keep smiling and say I have no idea. Something will come up after all, that’s for sure.
