When you are in college, people ask you about your major at least three times a day. Seriously.
All my fellow English majors out there can tell you, that when you tell someone you are majoring in English, they give you "the look". The surprised look with a hint of a pity for the girl who, in their minds, has set herself up for a career in being poor and homeless. The first thing they ask is, "What do you want to do with that? Do you want to be a teacher?" My soul sighs. While some English majors do go on to be teachers, a career I once considered for myself, there is such a stigma that all an English major can get you is a teaching career. I think teaching is great, but there is so much more one can do with an English degree.
Earning an English degree hones one's reading and writing skills. English majors can often comprehend things better and express themselves better than others. As an English major, you can have a career as an author, journalist, editor, copywriter, scriptwriter, technical writer, or advertiser. A degree in English can set you up for a more creative career or a more professional one. Some English majors choose to write their hearts out on paper to be published, while others are hired by companies to write manuscripts, news articles, or advertising. In either case, English majors are more well-spoken than your average STEM major and are valuable assets to companies. With the increase in text-speak, fewer and fewer people can write and communicate well.
English majors are vitally important. They are often overlooked with the influx of STEM majors and STEM-related fields filling the job market, however, they are the unsung heroes. The world needs more English majors to write down history and to keep company communications clear. English majors document the world. They are also artistic.
The written word is beautiful. Quotes, books, poetry, and plays are all hand-crafted by writers. Not only do they create something beautiful, but often their pieces reflect emotions or events of the times. The writers of a region help to create its culture. Culture is shaped by the products of the area. Writers write what they see and document it for all eternity. Writers take everything in and paint it onto a page, making art and shaping culture.
Without English majors, there would be no clear communication or written art. The world needs the English majors just as much as it needs STEM majors. So next time someone gives you "the look" take comfort in knowing that English majors are going to change the world one word at a time.
