f you just ended college and don’t know what to do with your English degree, this blog is for you. And, before you ask me, teacher is not on this list; it is the most generic job you can get with an English degree. And no, most of us didn’t do it to become teachers; some of us, like me, just liked the subject a lot and excelled at it. This is a list of some of the jobs you can get with your newly earned English degree. Don’t worry, you didn’t spend 3 years in college and amass a considerable debt for nothing; an English degree is a very versatile degree to have.
How to buff up your Curriculum Vitae with it?
A CV is always about selling yourself and your skills to your future employees. Under skills, you can include that you are a great critical thinker, have an excellent grasp of the English language, both oral and written, and have excellent research and analytical skills. You learned all these skills along your college journey ad use them to sell yourself. Also, write that you have excellent interpersonal skills, are a team player, and work well under pressure. All those all-nighters you pulled can come in clutch now, so don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. The job market is really competitive, so you need to stand out to be recognized.
Pay levels might not be as high for people with an English degree compared to other degrees but trust me, the career opportunities you can get with it are really interesting and can be particularly rewarding. You can land yourself any job with a good English degree and strong verbal skills as long as you are confident and make yourself desired by your future prospective employers.
This is the list of jobs you with your English degree:
1. Media and Journalism
The media sector covers everything from film to television and even newspaper. Media organizations are always looking for content writers for their websites or even scriptwriter. Who knows, maybe you can be the new Shonda Rhimes or Ryan Murphy. This is a niche market for any English graduate out there; they have job opportunities that depend on your interest, from writer to editor to public relations.
2. Publishing
Publishing also intersects with the media industry and is another market that you could look at to find your next career. Be it working for academic publishing, or as a proofreader or editor for books, this job is perfect for people with a keen eye for mistakes or all you grammar Nazis out there. Eat your heart out and make use of that English degree in a publishing company.
3. Freelance writer
If you did an English degree, the chances that you love writing is pretty high and this might be the perfect job opportunity for you. This one is of the most flexible jobs on this list. It is a unique market that contacts you for your service and you are paid depending on the quantity or, most often, the quality of your writing and content. It is considered one of the most lucrative jobs for an English graduate.
4. Social Media Manager
This kind of job demands a lot of creativity and is the perfect fit for your degree. You have to use social media sites to devise strategies to promote an organization. They also have to write content and even newsletters to advertise their company and keep in touch with their loyal customers. Most of us learn about advertising and how to write blogs or content as part of our degree, so use the skills you’ve learned and this can help you gain traction in your workspace.
5. Technical writer
For this job, you are supposed to create manuals and the frequently asked section that most sites nowadays have; it taps into your ability to be concise with language and to explain things in a straightforward language that any Tom, Dick and Harry can understand. It also demands a lot of editorial, critical, analytical, and retrospective work that you must have learned as part of your degree.
This is not an extensive list of all the jobs you can get with an English degree, but they are the most rewarding and higher-paying options out there. No, you can’t say that there is no avenue and prospect as an English major; you just have to put yourself out there and sell your assets. Sound off in the comment section below and tell what course you studied in college.