What Can You Do with an English Degree?

The skills developed by an English degree are in high demand: “Pursue a liberal arts education. For most people, it’s the best foundation for a successful career…The formula for businesses trying to compete in today’s economy is simple: hire employees with the mental agility, leadership and passion to navigate constant change—in other words, hire those who are liberally educated.” (A.G. Lafley, former CEO of Procter & Gamble)

Marketable skills: Employers are looking for clear communicators, critical thinkers, creative problem-solvers (Hart Research, 2013; Pearlstein, 2016). English majors are in demand and fare very well in graduate, law, and medical school applications.

Career success: English majors rate higher than other majors on job satisfaction surveys (Jaschick, 2018), and English majors find jobs and success in their professional careers at the same high rates as those in other majors (Newton, 2019; Deming, 2019).

Personal growth: “The English major particularly fosters empathy; which enables human beings to see things from someone else’s point of view and to care about perspectives different from their own. It also fosters critical thinking about social problems and ways to solve them” (Beal, 9).

What kinds of opportunities are available with an English degree?

  • Writing
    • Journalism
    • Creative Writing
    • Copywriting
    • Technical Writing
    • Scientific Writing
    • Freelance Writing
    • Grant Writing
  • Media
    • Website Development
    • Advertising & Marketing
    • Public Relations
    • Television
    • Social Media
  • Education
    • College Professor
    • High School Teacher
    • Private School Instructor
    • Teaching English as a Second Language
    • Tutoring
    • Educational Administration
  • Publishing
    • Editorial Assistant
    • Copy Editing & Proofreading
    • Internships
  • Information and Research
    • Library Science & Information Services
    • Research