What sort of work can i go into into with an english degree, not teaching?

Question

I have ruled out teaching. Its not something i want to do, so what other avenues can i explore? Thankyou.

I went to the careers advuce centre but they are pretty useless.

erm, no i dont have it yet but i soon will, believe me.

for gods sake, give me a break with spelling please.

I get the impression that some people on here dont think im capable of getting the degree. Well let me tell you something. I will get it if its kill me, so there.

Do you want a medal, Kimberley. Get over yourself.

Do you want a medal, Kimberley. Get over yourself.

This is getting ridiculous. There are mnay students who have english degrees who proceed onto PGCE courses. I dont see them having any problems.

Its absolute rubbish people saying that to teach you need a master's degree? No, you dont.

Masters! You have to be joking. Im already struggling with the BA in some areas. A master's would be too hard for me.

Answer 1

Here are some jobs that people I know (from doing English at uni) currently do. We are all about 30 with established careers:
- Barrister/Solicitor (with conversion course);
- Marketing (advertising) co-ordinator;
- Managing arts department for the council;
- Graduate PA;
- Working for a publisher in Marketing and Training;
- Administrating a college (managing the day-to-day running).

There are plenty of jobs out there apart from teaching. I'm a teacher though, myself.

Answer 2

Degree title does not equal job title. Repeat that 10 times.

A Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Arts in Music all have in common that they are a Bachelor of Arts first, and a subject degree second. That's the nature of a liberal arts degree and what gives them value. You have spent more time in your degree program learning things other than Literature than learning Literature.

This is also the difference between a liberal arts degree and an applied professional degree (BEd, BBA, BM, BSN, BEng) -- with the applied professional, the degree title is highly related to the job. All jobs don't require an applied professional degree.

Most people don't understand that an English major is not a writing degree - it's a literature degree. It's not journalism, it's not communication, it's literature.

So, what can you do with your BA in English (or History or Music or Sociology or Art History)? You can apply for any job that requires a BA in English. There are plenty. Usually because the employers think BA in English = BA in Writing.

You can also apply for any job that requires a Bachelor's degree but where the major is immaterial. This is a lot of fields. No, you can't be a nurse or an engineer without some more school. You can, however, examine insurance claims for example. You can work as an HR or management generalist. There are plenty of fields where the major isn't as important as having a degree in something.

You can't teach with a BA in English. You need a degree in education and a license from the state for that. So, you are correct, teaching is out without some more credentials.

Until the job applicant understands the idea that degree title does not equal job title in all cases, there is nothing a career counselor can do for you.

The better approach to finding a career is not this reactive approach (I have a degree in X, what can I do) but instead is a proactive approach of "I'd like to be an X, what do I need" -- once you explore a couple you might be surprised to find that a degree in anything is sufficient entry for many.

Answer 3

English Degrees are very open and flexible to all types of jobs.

I know several Marketing Managers in my Faculty at Uni all have English Degrees.

If you feel like you've got no sense of direction with your career try doing a Masters in a particular area. Many students with generic degrees tend to do Masters in Management

Hope this helps

Answer 4

Unless you're in Journalism or have several pieces of published work already you're essentially looking at a go-nowhere degree. English degrees are primarily teaching degrees unless you have the right connections.

A lot of people will say you can get a job as a writer or in the publishing arena with an English degree but such is often not the case. Sad truth of it is that most students leaving with an English degree still cannot write worth a damn. You are evidence of this.

Case in point:

"I have ruled out teaching. Its not something i want to do, so what other avenues can i explore? Thankyou."

Fragmented sentence for the first sentence and a series of lack of capitalization.

This is how you; Ms. English major should have written that sentence:

"I have decided against teaching as it is not something I am interested in. Are there any other avenues I can consider with this degree?"

Re-evaluate yourself as a writer, as a student, and decide overall if English is your best choice as a degree. If you're too far into it, then well, you're screwed. Regardless, unless you're published, connected, and/or are a brilliant writer, don't count on a great job with an English degree. One of my friends has a degree in English and he's working in retail. Think about it.

Answer 5

Many positions I’ve come across require simply having a degree; not necessarily in any particular field. Obviously, these type of positions may not take advantage of your actual coursework, but your diploma is still important to these types of employers.

Think of other things you'd like to do that are language-related (editing; publishing; etc.), but keep in mind the other industries (financial / banking; medical; business; sales).

Answer 6

Out of interest do you already have the english degree ?

Edit: all i meant was if you cant find a career path with an english degree background that you like, surely its worth looking at another type of degree ?

Answer 7

the point is it is a degree that people are after, not what subject it is in.

by getting a degree you are showing a certain intellect and abiltiy to learn in a structured manner and to question information.

that is what employers want when they say degree, they are not really bothered about the subject - okay - if it was computers or IT maybe, but for a humanities degree - the world is your oyster,

Answer 8

I had a pal that shot himself because after 9 years, he might want to no longer come across a job in his container. He replaced into operating at taco bell as nighttime manager with rude teenage childrens. Hated his existence. might want to never come across a sturdy interest. -- Oh, he never had to instruct. He even were given a masters.

Answer 9

Do you like working with people? You might consider Human Resources or Recruiting. If you don't like working with people but like computers, you might consider an Internet research position or a consulting firm. Employers are always looking for people who can express themselves clearly and write well.

Answer 10

Human Resources, head hunter, writer, poet, journalist, editor, any federal government job you can get since most jobs only require a degree, not a specific degree.