Everyone knows that English majors can become teachers, but what if you love reading and writing—and don’t want to teach?
Many, if not most, English majors go on to careers outside the classroom. Some of those careers may be associated with education in other ways, and many may be apparently completely different: law, medicine, journalism, editing, not-for-profit, business, and more.
An English degree not only familiarizes you with Shakespeare, Woolf, Morrison, Tolstoy, Chaucer, Whitman, and other great authors, genres, and critical theories; the study of literature and creative writing also develops valuable skills such as critical thinking, creative problem solving, written and oral communication, research methods, and attention to detail.
More on the importance of these skills in the marketplace:
Matt Asay, “Why Every Tech Company Needs an English Major”
Vivian Giang, “Logitech CEO: ‘I Love Hiring English Majors’”
Bruna Martinuzzi, “Why English Majors Are the Hot New Hires”
Steve Strauss, “Why I Hire English Majors”
Before you leave Brockport, you can get a head start on a career through an internship. Recent English majors have done internships for college credit at the Democrat and Chronicle, Writers and Books, Boa Editions, After Image, The Post-Standard, Planned Parenthood, Drake Memorial Library, Stephens Media Group, the Orleans-Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Services, the Livingston County News, Eye Care of Central New York, and Hostelling International, among many others. The opportunities are broad. For more information, talk to your advisor and visit the Career Services office in Rakov.