Person: "Oh you're an English major? So you want to teach?"

Me: *on the outside*

"...I'm not sure..."

*on the inside*

"FOR THE LAST TIME, NO!"

When I encounter anyone and the conversation about my major arises, that person always assumes that just because I am an English major I want to teach. I am writing this to shed light on the multiple windows of opportunity that having an English degree opens, other than teaching.

I am not in any way degrading or devaluing the education departments of this world. They are all too necessary and provide the basis for our entire population's future. I am merely advocating for all the other options that having an English degree provides.

Admittedly, I have considered teaching, albeit with a Ph.D. and in a college classroom, but I have also considered a multitude of other positions. Here is a list of careers that present themselves to an English major, aside from teaching:

1. Editor

As an editor, one must possess basic writing and grammar skills, and an English major most definitely would have this skillset. The spectrum of editing positions ranges from working with books like novels and short stories to editing magazines, journals, newspapers, and even to advertisements, song lyrics, and speeches.

2. Publisher

A publisher is basically an editor vamped up. Once a piece has been edited and approved of on the technical level, the publisher assumes the task of first deciding whether the piece is worthy of being scrutinized by the public eye, then going through the process of popularizing it within that public.

3. Author

English majors come with no short supply of creative thinking, and a position as an author provides the perfect outlet for those fruits of creative labor to ripen.

4. Journalist

If being a solo author is too daunting a task, an English major can take her skills to a slightly smaller platform like a newspaper or magazine, and write to her heart's content, but with guidance.

5. Tech Writer

For those English majors with an affinity for science, a tech writer might be a perfect position. A tech writer creates documents explaining the techniques and functions of certain products, no matter how big or small, valuable or trivial. A tech writer may also be hired by big firms, for example in engineering.

6. Poet

Like an author, but a little more sentimental. The poetry ground is hard to break through, but once an English major has found her poetic grace, the public will lend its ear and won't turn away. Poetry provides an English major with an outlet for the more emotional days, whether those emotions be whimsy or worry.

7. Blogger

While blogging might seem more like a hobby, some people have real success with it. No, one does not necessarily have to have an English degree to run a blog, but it helps in the writing and advertising area. The more popular a blog is, the more a blogger can get paid for advertisements on her blog. Some bloggers even go on to write books. Blogging has the potential to be quite lucrative.

8. Copywriter

This career sits within the marketing and advertising field. A copywriter creates the text that is showcased in advertisements or publicity material, so the creative and critical mind of an English major perfectly fills this mold.

9. English-as-a-foreign-language Teacher

This career provides the role of an English teacher, but in a less conventional manner. Being able to understand the complexities of the English language and explain them simplistically enough for a non-English speaker to understand is certainly not a task for the faint of heart.

10. Public Relations Consultant

A public relations consultant assumes the arduous task of dealing with the press and managing publicity for a certain organization or business. This job requires a fluidity and confidence when communicating the English language, and an English major is certainly no stranger to manipulating its quirky nature.

If you are an English major seeking a career outside the educational field and find yourself having a conversation like the one first mentioned, have patience. Not many people know of the broad realm of opportunities that the world of English holds.

If you are not an English major, I encourage you to open your mind to the many worlds this beautiful language has created.