I’ve always been baffled about why the English major gets such a bad rep. Perhaps this is because it’s an open-ended degree that requires the recipient to ask him or herself, “what would I like to do with these skills I have acquired?” rather than existing as a degree with a built-in career path like marketing, finance, or real estate. DegreeInEnglish
If you majored in English in college like I did, then you’re probably used to people asking you if you want to be a teacher… all of the time. While some English majors follow their own individual desire to work in education, teaching in secondary schools is actually only the third highest occupational field that employs individuals with only a B.A. in English. The first? They are artists, broadcasters, writers, entertainers, and public relations specialists. The second? They are top and mid-level managers, executives and administrators. As I mentioned, teaching in secondary schools is the third occupational field shown on the list (and all teaching combined is only a bit more than one out of every ten English majors). Despite all of the occupations listed here, I’ve still heard time and again that there isn’t much that one can do with an English major