"If you want to know the future, read history".

An English major has historically involved a broad exposure to the language itself and everything in the culture that spoke and wrote it. It's one of the oldest 'modern' degree programs, one whose popularity can change from one generation to the next, and yet still one of the most popular bachelor's degrees in North America.

Western culture's history and knowledge has been passed down through English. Since literature derives its stories from the context in which they're written, we gain valuable insight into the era that a piece of prose, poetry, or social commentary originates from. Thus, long before the diversification in degree programs that we see now, English degrees gained a reputation for providing the link to centuries of knowledge. An English major has been considered an excellent tool for career preparation.

Except in the most technical professions, a candidate who is well read and who has a superior comprehension and writing skills is valued above others by employers. An English degree emphasizes one of the most positive advantages of post secondary education - the solid, adaptable communication skills that get you through university are attractive to potential employers. English majors help maintain high standards of accuracy, clarity and finesse of the language in any work place they enter.

An English Degree isn't 'job training', but an education in the English language and what's been created from it. Your education will develop important research and critical thinking skills. You determine where more information is needed and learn to discern what is important and then synthesize the information for the use of others. While you are learning to read with a critical eye, you're also polishing your own writing skills. If you think those book reports you wrote in school were a waste of time, you'll change your mind when your manager asks you to quickly summarize the lengthy report he didn't have a chance to read. When you're asked your opinion of radically differing approaches to a business problem, thank the many "compare and contrast" essays you wrote. And you'll appreciate the obsession for spelling, grammar, and syntax when it comes time to do an edit for a critical marketing piece before it's sent to the printers.

Studying literature offers ideas, cultures, mores, and documented concepts of any one given time or setting. You'll explore English, American, and World literature, spanning centuries, cultural status and genres.

A scan of career ads shows that many management and middle management positions will require a BA or higher degree, and in the case where a preference is stated, and English degree is often mentioned because of the need for excellent communicators in the workforce.

An associate degree may prepare you for entry level positions in business and communications. A Bachelor of Arts degree in English is likely to have a more academic slant, such as critical analysis of classic literature, media, and arts. The curriculum may also allow for electives which you can use to round out your degree according to your career aspirations. Technical and business writing may interest you if you're into technology or business, so take courses in those disciplines. Working in the media will require a different set of electives. To teach English, you'll need a regional certificate and extra credits specifically in education. An English degree is an excellent springboard for further education in law and medicine.

Some English majors choose to specialize in one period, genre or author, and spend their time taking the supporting classes to give them that specialized study. This usually leads to graduate studies. Other graduate areas can include linguistics, film and drama, and writing hypertext for interactive media.

The first jobs when one thinks of what an English degree could lead to are often the hardest to come by. Novelists, creative writers, and poets are important to society, but the demand for their services and the average salary are not very encouraging. English teachers require further education in teaching and are also in very limited demand. If these types of jobs are your dream then you should follow that, but if not you may want to consider some of the many other careers open to an English major.

If you're interested in the media, you can consider working as a reporter, editor, researcher, publisher or literary agent. Public relations and advertising are also fields which are appreciative of the superior communications skills of an English major. Business administration and management careers are often overlooked by English major graduates, but your critical skills and wordly perspective help you do very well in a profession where comprehension, decision making, research and writing skills are valued.

By remaining adaptable and ready to learn new areas of expertise, your career options are wide open.

With the variety of career choices open to an English major, the type of professional designation you seek will depend on what industry you work in and job title you hold.

Technical writers, editors, business managers, and teachers will find opportunities for networking, professional development and certification within their own peer groups.


By C. Nich
Contributing writer to World Wide Learn
*References: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos090.htm