I got an English degree. What now?
It depends on who you ask. If you surveyed the internet via its unofficial frontpage, Reddit, you might get the impression that an English degree is the most useless educational investment one can earn alongside Gender Studies or Anthropology. Those of us dedicated to the field have a different answer: Absolutely! But you must be ready for the journey. Approximately 63% of English degree holders are using their degrees for employment in today’s market, and getting a job with an English degree isn’t as hard as the internet makes it sound.
Allow me to explain.
An English degree is applicable across almost every field and discipline, from legal to medical to IT to construction. The caveat is that each of these fields often requires niche training in order to start working in the field. For legal professions, you may need additional training in how to organize legal documents and filings. Medical legal consultants, who are often doctors, enlist the help of proofreaders all the time to ensure reports are error-free. Tech professions employ English majors for crafting the user experience; all the prompts you see when navigating apps and websites were written to be easy to understand and create a smooth experience for everyone. Construction companies utilize writers for specifications; these specifications go into construction documents referenced by contractors.
Each of the above niches I’ve described requires an additional step or steps to bridge the English degree to the vocation, but they are all viable, lucrative career options for English degree holders. Networking with professionals in these fields is a great way to create an in for yourself, as well as informational interviewing. For some fields and niches, you may need to get a certification.
Even with a rise in the use of AI tools, humans with English degrees still hold value in today’s job market. While AI can create lots of content quickly, AI is not able to synthesize material the way humans can, meaning English degree holders who can convert material types – such as taking course material and making it into a blog, or taking blog content and turning it into a book – will always be employable.
Don’t fret, my English nerd buddies – we’re still here! The world still needs us.
