Top Row (L-R): Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court Justice; Diane Sawyer, TV journalist; Carol Browner, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency and now chair of the Board of the National Audubon Society; Geoffrey Rush, actor (we're not sure about the monkey); Barbara Walters, TV host.Middle Row (L-R): David Duchovny, actor; Cathy Guisewite, cartoonist (we figured you'd recognize the cartoon better than her picture); James van der Beek, actor; Vin Diesel, actor; Randy Owen, lead singer of Alabama; Joe Paterno, legendary football coach; Sally Ride, astronaut.
Bottom Row (L-R): Amerie, singer; Harrison Ford, actor; Reese Witherspoon, actress; Harold Varmus, Nobel Prize laureate, former head of the National Institutes of Health and now CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Research Center; Jodi Foster, actress/activist; Alan Alda, actor-activist.
What can English majors do?
The obvious choices are teaching, graduate school, or becoming a writer, but graduates also excel in many other areas. Because English majors have learned how to write, analyze material, and communicate effectively, and are good problem solvers, they work in many different fields, including sales, management, advertising, and many others. English majors are found in program management, marketing, editing, reporting, creative and technical writing, public relations, medicine, social work, government work, non-profit organizations, and financial services. The kinds of text analysis, writing, and thinking English majors specialize in enhance their creativity, their understanding of human motivation, and their ability to present clear and logical arguments, both in writing and orally.
The obvious choices are teaching, graduate school, or becoming a writer, but graduates also excel in many other areas. Because English majors have learned how to write, analyze material, and communicate effectively, and are good problem solvers, they work in many different fields, including sales, management, advertising, and many others. English majors are found in program management, marketing, editing, reporting, creative and technical writing, public relations, medicine, social work, government work, non-profit organizations, and financial services. The kinds of text analysis, writing, and thinking English majors specialize in enhance their creativity, their understanding of human motivation, and their ability to present clear and logical arguments, both in writing and orally.
September 22, 2009
Jobs for English Majors: They Do Exist
Posted by Bridget Quigg
Jobs for English Majors: They Do Exist
Posted by Bridget Quigg
The butt of every cocktail party joke – the English major. “Oh, that’s nice that you read Shakespeare. But, how does that get you a job?”
Well, it turns out that wordsmithing just might be the ticket in to today’s job market. According to a survey of HR professionals by global outplacement agency Challenger, Gray and Christmas and quoted in a New York Times article, “Young Workers: U Nd 2 Improve Ur Writing Skills,” the number one skill missing amongst entry-level job applicants is “writing skills.” Huh, sounds like that business degree may not do the trick for getting started in a new career.
In even better news for English majors, according to PayScale’s 2009 College Salary Report, English majors end up in some reasonably lucrative careers post-college. The most popular jobs for English majors and their median annual salaries 10 years out of school are:
Career Salary
Technical Writer $65,700
Paralegal $54,300
Copywriter $53,400
In terms of cash flow, the problems of English majors aren’t exactly solved. Their salary after 10 years doesn’t top aerospace engineering majors, who come out number one overall with $109,000 per year. But, hey, the English major probably is happier writing the next “Just do it” campaign rather than negotiating where to place the toilets on an airplane - not that ensuring comfortable bathrooms isn’t a worthy pursuit.
We’ll end with some other artsy, socially-minded, non-lucrative majors and their median yearly salaries according to PayScale’s 2009 College Salary Report:
College Major Starting After 10 Years
Journalism $36,300 $65,300
History $38,800 $70,000
Art History $36,300 $62,400
Public Relations $36,700 $62,600
Anthropology $37,600 $63,200
Social Work $33,400 $41,600
3 comments:
I think you should be vin diesel. He's pictured there.
I tried, once. Didn't work. I just don't have the guns for it!
or the deep manly voice...
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