Career Spotlight

By: Ellen Hatfield 

This year there has been a lot of focus on-campus and on the national level about the importance of a liberal arts education. Are you asking yourself “What exactly is a liberal arts education?” A liberal arts education requires you take classes for your undergraduate degree in a variety of areas (ie: social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, etc.). This liberal arts education provides a great foundation of skills that can be used in a variety of work settings. For the rest of the 09-10 school year, we are going to be periodically highlighting various liberal arts majors (such as history, philosophy, art, language, women’s studies, etc.) and what career options are available for those majors. First up, is the English major.

What can you do with a Bachelor’s degree in English?

Did you answer “teaching”? While teaching is an honorable and awesome profession, it is NOT the only thing you could do with a degree in English. A great explanation of what can be done with an English degree comes from the skills that are gained through completing courses for the major and related experiences outside the classroom. These skills can be transferred to several different career areas.

- Skills gained:

• Influencing and persuading others
• Adapting/clarifying ideas
• Problem solving
• Critical thinking/thinking independently
• Oral and written communication skills
• Expressing alternative view points
• Editing
• Giving presentations

There are several areas that someone with an English major can pursue. Some of those areas include:

• Writing/editing (Newspapers, magazines, large corporations, universities, freelance­)  
• Education (Public/Private schools, universities, libraries, museums)
• Publishing (Publishers in a variety of areas such as magazines, books, and other media)
• Advertising (advertising agencies, non-profits, large corporations)
• Public Relations (PR firms, trade associations, government agencies, non-profits)
• Business (Management, sales, human resources, insurance, marketing)
• Law (Law firms, government agencies, corporations, private practice)

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville has a breakdown of content areas, employers, and strategies for English majors that are worth checking out. The following strategies are key for being successful with an English major:

• Gain as much experience as possible! This includes volunteering, part-time work, internships, student organization involvement, and a wide variety of knowledge represented in your coursework.
• Create a portfolio of writing samples that show your skill, creativity, and originality.
• Develop strong skills in research, public speaking, social interaction, and leadership.
• Be prepared to be proactive, assertive, and confident to secure work opportunities.
• Obtain knowledge in various areas such as: journalism, broadcasting, politics, and other areas that will be helpful for specialized opportunities.

Check out the following resources for more information and ideas about what you can do with an English major.

• University of North Carolina-Wilmington – career titles and links to several online resources
• UWW Internship Resources – opportunities in publishing and journalism
• BookJobs – job and internship listings
• Writer’s Write blog – resources on books, writing, and publishing
• Occupational Outlook Handbook – writers and editors