“You’re an English major? You must be planning a career in fast food.” Comments like this haunted me from the moment I declared my major in university. But hearing the sentiment recently, I realized that it was far from accurate. The truth is, people who have a way with words can make a comfortable living in all sorts of ways, so long as they don’t limit their possibilities to the obvious.
The worst mistake that anybody with an English degree – or, in fact, any Arts degree – can make is to hang about on the fringes of academia, hoping for a tenure track position. Ever since my undergraduate days, I’ve been hearing about all the tenured positions that are going to become available as their current incumbents retire, but, between budget cuts and the increasing tendency to hire non-tenured staff or sessionals, the positions are unlikely to materialize. People who were hoping for those positions when I left academia over a decade ago are still waiting for those tenured positions. Meanwhile, they endure semester by semester contracts, last minute hires, and doing the same work as tenured faculty for half the money. That’s fine for a few years, but it’s no way to live in the long-term.
The same is true of editing piece work. Just like academia, the publishing industry depends on having a constant pool of cheap work-for-hire editors. You may be one of the lucky exceptions, but the odds are against you, no matter how talented. Those who run the industry are careful not to employ you so much that they become obliged to offer you benefits.
Instead of lingering in limbo, waiting for the academic or literary job you used to dreamed of, English majors should explore the possibilities in business. Not only is the power of self-expression in demand there, but the competition is far less fierce than in academia – partly because of the greater need, and partly because many English majors seem to consider that taking a job in business is beneath them. Often, too, they make the mistake of thinking that their writing skills are all they need, and are slow to learn the subject matter expertise they need to do the work properly.
But, if you can get beyond the idea that you are dirtying your hands and are willing to learn what you don’t know, then the jobs are there. As a technical writer, you need to write clearly and organize information for conciseness and accuracy; in many ways, the job is writing stripped to the basics. As a communications and marketing manager, writing news releases or blogs, you take on the responsibility of being the voice of the company. As a product manager, you decide how to present a product or line, and you’ll find your skills with textural analysis serve you well when you come to deal with end user license agreements and other legal documents. As an instructor, you are reprising your role as a teaching assistant while you were in grad school, the only difference being is that you are teaching software or policies and procedures, rather literature or criticism.
And these are only the most obvious career paths. Writing and teaching skills aren’t a bad foundation for going on to law school, for example. Best of all, the first thing you’ll notice when taking these positions if you’ve been vying for scraps of work around academia, your yearly income will increase by over fifty percent or more.
Admittedly, some of these positions aren’t on the express way to the top. Technical writers, for instance, may rise to supervise other technical writers at a large company, but they aren’t likely to become CEOs. But they can serve as entry positions, and, if you’re interested in climbing the corporation, you can always expand your skill set later on. Meanwhile, you can reasonably expect a salary that puts you solidly in the upper middle class, to say nothing of responsible and often rewarding work.
Really, the only thing holding you back with an English degree is your own lack of imagination or initiative. Just because those who prefer an education they should be getting at a technical college choose to belittle your liberal education is no reason for you to believe them.
Off the Wall 
Majoring in English seemed to me like a degree in history, what can you do with it? Perhaps I just revealed how much I know about English and history degrees. However, I am a constant reader, although I despise reading, and am just starting to enroll at a local university. At first, my dream was to become a household name through my many publications, but then my “practical” side took over and began considering risk, ROI, probabilities, and “the facts.” Becoming a superstar author is like becoming a superstar (actor), I have a one-in-a-billion shot, and chances don’t pay the bills. However, after speaking with the student adviser for the English department, I learned I am a perfect fit for the major, except my lacking desire for reading. Moreover, she and I discussed a meld of my creative and writing side with my practical and business side. She said, “If a person wanted to do the whole thing on their own and have control of both sides of the biz, a business degree would great. And, with your personality, it’s a perfect fit for you – it seems natural for someone like you.” As a result, I have decided on a double major in English and Business Administration, minoring in theater and marketing. I am very happy to know that there is a future for me (with an English degree) as I pursue what I love. This has become a deep and personal paradigm shift for how I associate my intimate desires with reality.
I heard the old “Do you want fries with that?” slap over and over in college, though generally not directed at me. I went to the University of Chicago and ultimately majored in psychology, but my friends were English majors, classics majors, experts in dead languages, or had studied things for which only academic jobs were directly available. All of them were convinced they need to go to graduate school to get a job of any sort, and a few felt they had no choice other than going to law school to get a JD.
I had been working for years before school and knew what things were like in the corporate world. I would try to get them to see that they would excel doing almost anything, but they were constantly being told by so many people that they had nothing to offer unless they got an advanced degree.
And so, many years later, after interviewing more candidates that I care to remember for technical jobs, I wrote a book: “Networking for English Majors”
People with degrees in English or any social science or liberal arts degree are often just plain smart. I saw candidate after candidate for networking jobs (yes, computer networking, connecting computers together) and found that almost universally, the people with liberal arts degrees did better than the people with computer science degrees.
I’m not saying CS people are stupid. It’s just that the old boys network snatches up most of the very good CS students, so that they’re not directly applying for networking jobs. This means that virtually any liberal arts person with the self-confidence to apply him or herself to learning the material will do a better job of interviewing and actually doing the job than the technical people left over to pound the pavement looking for jobs.
I don’t think this applies only to networking. It’s true of just about anything, baring fields that demand math, art or other skills which require years of immersion or a mark of genius, and I don’t think there are nearly as many such immersion/genius fields as people think.
So the book covers job hunting, application and interview skills which would help anyone in any career field, because I expect people to read it and then go not into networking, but other so-called technical fields.
The book is available on Amazon. You can peruse random pages in the usual “Look Inside!” sort of way, and you might it interesting.
“Do you want fries with that?” is just as likely to come out of the mouth of a CS major as an English major, but for different reasons. It will come out of the CS major’s mouth because he or she didn’t really learn much in school. It will come out of the English major’s mouth if he or she lacks the imagination and self-confidence to see that an English major can do just about anything.
Thank the Lords of Kobol for these insightful comments! The whole world needs to know about them! Can’t stand the innumerable anti-English major tirade I’ve endured for the last couple decades! I say ‘English,’ and I’ve gotten, ‘And you decided not to teach?’ ‘Teaching?’ Teaching, teaching, teaching. A most noble profession, but no field ought to be forced down anyone’s throat by someone who just can’t think of anything else!
I googled “employment for English Majors”, and your little blog came up. I’m glad I read it – it definitely makes me feel a little bit better about my plans for the future.
I am a sophomore in college, and I am at the point where I need to declare my major. This has been a terrifying prospect for me, because it always felt that, by declaring my major, I decided my entire life right there, on the spot. I was fairly confident in my English skills upon entering college, but I was told repeatedly that I would be destroying my future with such a degree. I went back to my high school and told my old English teacher my plans, and she stared at my point blank and said, “Are you planning on teaching?” When I replied no, she said, “Don’t do it. You will be destroying your life.” Another teacher in the room joked, saying that he majored in English too, and now he teaches and works as a pool boy on the weekends.
Needless to say, I was horrified by that! This article, though, confirmed a lot of what I thought about myself and my position. I am, in general, a fairly intelligent person and a hard worker. That, coupled with a degree, has got to get my somewhere. Thank you for boosting my spirits a bit.
My boyfriend has always dreamed of pursuing a career in English. He should; he’s absolutely brilliant. But, the last couple of years he’s been forced to endure Business School, which has been a horrible experience for him. His family is very unaccepting towards his idea of majoring in English, which is why he was strongly pressured into pursuing business. Finally he’s had enough and he is going to drop his business classes and take up his dream major. He’s been told over and over that there’s no hope for his future if he does that, but reading your blog has definitely shown that there is tons of hope. That being an English major isn’t a lost cause. I want my boyfriend to read this; it was pretty inspirational. He needs some proof that what he’s about to do is a fantastic choice for himself. That being an English major is something wonderful. Thank you for allowing us to see the great possibilities for those pursuing English.
I am so glad I came across this blog! I just got off the phone with someone I was trying to network with, but feel absolutely crushed! I really needed to read this for my peace of mind and the motivation to keep going.
I recently graduated with a degree in English- Professional and Technical Writing. Before I switched my major to English, I was a Microbiology major planning to attend Dental school. I am glad I changed my major, because I knew it was the right thing for me to do; this is my passion. However, I’ve had no support from family, friends, or any sort of guidance from the time I changed my major till now in my job search. Everyone said I was throwing away my future and pretty much gave up on me. As they see it, I might as well have no degree. I won’t go into detail, except to say that this whole process has been very difficult and draining in every way imaginable.
I’ve been looking for technical writing jobs, but the very few openings I’ve seen require at least 3-5 years experience in the particular industry, and use of specific programs. Now I’m just looking for any entry level job that will help pay my bills, but I’ve had no luck so far. I can’t even get an internship with a company to gain some experience. I’ve sent out resumes, applications, cold called companies, networked, talked to a recruiter, and attended my school’s career fair.
I have a real passion to work and succeed, and I’d go above and beyond in my job. I could even muster the courage to keep looking when everyone tells me I made a mistake, if I could just know that it’s only a matter of time. But that’s what’s scary. Are the people who say I’m going to end up working at a store or restaurant earning minimum wage, or that I’d have to go back to school, actually right? That’s what kills me! For once, it feels so good to read something positive in this blog. I refuse to believe I’m disillusioned, or that I can’t be a technical writer or find a job other than in the medical field.
This isn’t the greatest time for anybody to look for work, but it must be especially hard on people just starting out. You might try getting experience by doing some volunteer work, or, better yet, doing some documentation for a free software / open source project like OpenOffice.org (I say “better yet” because these projects produce professional level work).
Another way to gain experience is to look for contract work, rather than a full-time position. You might even find, as I did, that you can make a better living and have greater job satisfaction with contract work than full time work.
Finally, have a look at the Techwr-l mailing list. There, you should make connections and find all sorts of ideas of how to break into the field.
“Really, the only thing holding you back with an English degree is your own lack of imagination or initiative.”
Most definitely. I have been in quite a slump during these past few weeks, the first weeks of my 3rd year as an English major in college, for I’ve been dreading the idea of post-graduation employment. For me, as an English major, it is difficult to be strong emotionally when everyone around me is studying something practical like Business or the sciences. When they ask me what my major is, they simply respond with, “Oh, cool.” I have a feeling that employers would respond the same way.
I feel that my fear and lack of confidence is inhibiting my imagination. How do my fellow English majors stay positive?
Hello all,
My daughter is an english major in her second year of college. I am spending around 25k per year for her to attend. In two years she has matured, gained confidence in herself and grown socially. I have no expectation of her landing a even decent paying job with a B.A. in english. My desire for her is to grow, learn more about herself, and experience a kinder transition into adulthood. She is very bright and passionate about life and I love her need to study her favorite subject. Jobs…….are so overrated. I am self employed and make much more money than most people. I do not want to sound like I am bragging. That is not my intention. I would rather inspire especially liberal arts majors to start their own businesses. When you work for someone else you are making money for them, not yourself. Trust me, every hour one of my employees works, I make money. They make just enough to pay their bills and I make enough to live with a higher standard of living. Make no mistake, having your own business is hard work and extremely challenging, but the amount of money you can earn is up to you, not your boss. English majors are typically very creative. Use your creativity to come up with a business idea and frickin go for it. My best advise is to choose a field of work that you love and be passionate about it. The money will follow. By the way, my daughter wants to open a bookstore/coffee shop in our town. She loves coffee too!
Good luck all.
An English majors Dad,
Mark