If you thought the only viable career path English majors had was teaching, you thought wrong. An undergraduate degree in English can unlock a whole world of possibilities that doesn’t involve teaching snotty middle schoolers what a gerund is. Here are just a few of the most popular jobs — besides teaching — that you can get with an English degree.
Technical Writer. – Technical writing is not all about writing instruction manuals. Nowadays, companies need to be putting content out there on the web, and they need people to write scientific, legal, or technical communiques for lay people. Technical writing is such a burgeoning opportunity for those who have English degrees that the Department of Labor forecasts technical writing jobs will grow by 18% between 2008 and 2018. Best of all, it’s a well paying job. Back in 2008, technical writers earned an average annual wage of $64,210.
Marketing Manager. – In order to succeed in business, you need to have people who can communicate well — people who can convince other people to do business with your company — which is why English majors make perfect marketers. In 2008, marketing managers earned a staggering $118,160 on average.
Public Relations. – When dealing with tricky situations, it’s very easy to get your foot stuck in your mouth. Say one wrong thing, and the consequences can be disastrous. Luckily, earning an English degree not only gives a student persuasive powers of rhetoric, but also helps them gain the tact necessary to deal with handling tough communications. English majors make perfect PR Specialists, because the job requires competencies in written and verbal communication, cultural sensitivity, research, and problem solving, all of which English majors have. Plus, they earned $58,960 in 2008.
English degrees aren’t the only programs that can unlock a multitude of career opportunities. Psychology degrees, family studies degrees, and communications degrees can all set a student down a path towards success.
If you have any questions about career opportunities, feel free to share in the comments.
