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While I was in college, people would ask me why I was an English major. Did I want to teach? No. Not at all. Next question. What did I plan to do with my degree? My response: Well, if I don’t marry someone with money, I’ll sleep in a box with nothing but student loan bills to keep me warm. I had no idea how (almost) right I was.
I wanted, and still want, to be a writer. But every writer needs a day job, because being a writer sucks. Rejection letters suck. Living in a town that doesn’t appreciate creativity sucks. But I keep wanting, so I continue writing in my free time. Unfortunately, my day job has nothing to do with my degree. Apparently an English degree isn’t specific enough to write for the local paper or work at the library–unless you have experience–but it’s broad enough to work for a car rental company.
Don’t get me wrong, there are tons of things that can be done with an English degree, all of which are incredibly rewarding (though not financially). If you don’t need the money, here’s what you can do with your English degree.
1. Tutor
If money isn’t an issue, tutor while you’re in college. Most campuses offer a writing center and they hire students to tutor others. Then, use your knowledge in the real world and work for a tutoring business. Be aware that some learning centers require, aside from experience and a degree, a teaching certification license. So, there’s that.
2. Teach Or Substitute Teach
If you didn’t take any education classes, don’t fret! You can get certified to teach English in your state. If you’re not sure about teaching, try substitute teaching. Keep in mind that if you’re passionate about literature, kids will more than likely try to kill your passion–teaching is not for the lighthearted.
3. Write
Creative writing doesn’t pay well. You’ll want to start out by submitting your work to free contests in order to gain exposure. Once you build confidence in yourself, try submitting to contests that require a small fee per submission. Maybe you’ll win big, but the chances are unlikely. Be sure to save all those rejection letters so you don’t freeze to death come winter.
4. Become A Freelance Writer
This requires a bit of research and a lot of time. If you have a specialty, say cooking, look for blogs, websites, or magazines that pertain to your area of expertise. Pay varies, but it usually isn’t much.
5. Teach English As A Foreign Language
There are tons of online courses that offer certifications to teach English as a foreign language, but make sure to research before you purchase! This is a great way to travel while getting paid. Pay and requirements (some countries require experience) vary from country to country, so be sure to do your research on that, too. It can be kinda sketchy, so this isn’t for everyone. This could be a way to escape those student loans, too.
6. Become A Publisher Or An Editor
Start small, gain experience, and maybe one day you’ll be an editor or publisher. Eventually. Maybe.
7. Go Into Marketing Or Advertising
Remember that car rental company I mentioned? There you go. English majors have a way with words. We can easily pitch sales and promotional ideas. All, of course, for the benefit of the company, not ourselves…
I love my degree but it doesn’t love me back. Why the hell did I choose this path?
You know who have English degrees? Rich people. People who want degrees for the hell of it. James fucking Franco has an English degree. Actually, he has an MFA and is working on getting his PhD in English because why the fuck not?
Do yourself a favor and get a useful degree. If you decide to get an English degree, you better be damn good at something else, because chances are you won’t do shit with your degree.
At least I can pride myself in being a (borderline) alcoholic like the greats: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Poe, the list goes on. That’s about as far as this damn degree will take me.
Respond
“4. Become A Freelance Writer
This requires a bit of research and a lot of time.”
PGP articles are researched?
One of my English professors in college frequently missed class because she was an active member of the Connecticut State Vampire Hunting Association. Don’t get an English PhD, the world will thank you.
I have no idea Connecticut had such a serious problem with vampires.
Your degree isn’t the problem here. It’s you. You’re pessimistic and ignorant. The least you can do is stop publishing garbage like this on the internet because, honey, I can assure you this isn’t good writing. You’re murdering people’s passion for literature just because you don’t have the balls to figure it out or at least privately rethink some life choices. My mother majored in English, and she’s a successful lawyer. Did you even think that law was a profitable, relevant option to an English degree that utilizes all of the skills you gain from pursuing such? No, because you’re short-sighted. Do me and everyone else a favor and stop writing if this is garbage you’ll continue to produce, because you clearly don’t understand that hard work is the only thing that gets one where she wants to go.
“My mother majored in English, and she’s a successful lawyer. Did you even think that law was a profitable, relevant option to an English degree that utilizes all of the skills you gain from pursuing such?”
LOL I wish I had a dollar for every English major that went to law school based on this train of thought only to end up with two useless degrees…
^ so credited. Getting a law degree because you majored in English is like doubling down on bad decisions.
Also LOL if you think being an English major is relevant preparation for doing such legal tasks as reviewing 2000 pages of discovery for responsive documents or making sure the commas in your deal docs are in the correct place and then sending said docs to the printer.
MBA programs usually don’t require a business degree and if it’s a shitty enough school, they won’t require the GMAT. So there’s that. Roll the dice again, maybe you’ll turn those snake eyes into a 7.