lack of options???

Society Business and Career
1

So, I’m an English major, with a concentration in creative writing. I want to declare another major in studio art, but that’s another issue there. I love what I’m doing and I know I’m very good at it. I hate the idea of changing majors dropping it but it seems I have no other options left :bummer:

Lately, I’ve been having doubts about continuing with this major. I don’t see many career opportunities for a degree in English besides teaching, which I don’t want to do. The thought of a typical 9 to 5 job doesn’t thrill me to say the least. I want to be able to stay home and devote full attention to my family inshallah. However, I realize that I may not be able to afford this luxury. It’s simply not realistic and smart to assume that I’ll marry someone financially well-off, or I’ll get rich off some novel or my fashion designs (hey a girl can dream right? :wink: :smiley: )

So, for any English majors here (though I doubt it) what do you see as potential careers? And if English truly is impractical and foolish, what else should I look into? I don’t want to go into medicine or finance. Any serious help would be appreciated, thanks a lot.

2

well Sara..I think if working 9 to 5 is not your thing..then teaching is the best option...I do not know if you are in the US but I am assuming you are..

other than that...well English majors..umm...normally i think they go on to do their PHDs and stuff but you are right they ususally choose teaching as a career option...
you dont like finance of medicine..so that really narrows ur choices...how about Marketing or HUman resources...these are 2 majors in great demand..

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Like I said: i don’t want to teach. I’d rather 9 to 5 it than teach :smiley: Yeah I am in the United States. Reason I’m shying away from finance is that there’s a lot of math involved, and I’ve never been good in math. But then I’ve got friends who are business/accounting/corporate finance/etc majors and say that there’s not a huge emphasis on math. I don’t know. But I"m taking an intro accounting course next semester. I guess I’ll ese where to go from there :halo: And yes, I am in the US

4

Sara, let me just start by saying that your options are NOT limited. The reality is that an undergraduate degree is meant to develop your personality and instil basic professionalism that will help you in any career path that you choose for youself. That's why you see so many history and poli sci majors managing corporate HR offices, IT ventures and what not.

Just from the outset, given that you're not interested in teaching (:)), I can think of the following applications for someone with a degree in English:

1- Marketing: ever considered a career in advertising? from experience, I can tell you I absolutely love Marketing! I've interacted with English majors who work in advertising copywriting for media ranging from newspaper, magazine, billboard, packaging, television and
radio... another option would be to go into copy editing/reading... which is a lil less fun.

2- Public Relations: you can either be in the forefront or just help out behind the scenes and write press releases, speeches, annual reports, and other promo material for a company to improve its image.

3- Broadcasting: generally, you'd be a staff writer specializing in an area and helping formulate speeches etc.

4- Journalism: with your interest in fashion, you could work for a fashion magazine...

All you have to do is pick something that interests you even slightly... and add a complementary skill to your English major... go for a certificate course in one of the above mentioned areas or something else that can utilize your current qualifications.

In today's world, a degree plus some professional certifications / endorsements go a very long way. As I always say, at University, you learn how to learn - so nothing is a waste.

When I was doing my MBA, I had a colleague who studied Music in her undergrad... all of us used to wonder what she's gonna do with a Music degree and a Business degree... guess what, she's now working as a PR Manager for Sony Entertainment.

5

Thanks so much!! :slight_smile: :blush:

I’d love to combine fashion and writing. Anything that involves writing, I would love to do. Now, my next question is, are those careers stable? I.e., what is an average amount I could make in a year? I’m not sure if I want ot continue on with any professional school after graduation. i’m having a hard enough time dealing right now :bummer: I can’t even think that far ahead of the future

6

your welcome! :slight_smile:

my initial reaction is to say that Marketing and PR are more stable than Broadcasting & Journalism. In the latter two, you have to really make a mark for yourself and the barriers to entry are more rigid. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to tell you salary ranges… but journalism pays substantially lesser in an entry-level job.

oh c’mon you can take 12 months in a vocational school/community college setting, and its quite different from University because you get to learn from the pros - people who’re already in the industry… you just have to choose the program wisely to make sure it has an application aspect to it… a lot of schools would also have a practicum placement where you will work for free for a few companies to get credit but that placement may very well end up being your starting job after you graduate.

Good luck with everything! :slight_smile:

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Sara, these might be of some consolation:

http://www.angelo.edu/dept/english/english_major.htm :slight_smile:

http://www.utexas.edu/student/careercenter/careers/english.pdf

Also have you started building a portfolio yet? If you start now, it will be invaluable by the time you graduate. I dunno if you do this already, but write some pieces on a voluntary basis for your college newspaper, even an online newsletter… an op-ed of some sort on a particular subject, and start collecting your contributions and start compiling them slowly into a desktop publishing application… you can also start a basic website highlighting your skills, and contributions… and put a link to your resume’. Believe me, a portfolio is very helpful in any job that involves creativity. It also shows your potential employer that you’ve gone the extra mile and this might differentiate you from your peers.

8

UT,

Thanks so much!

I've done a lot of writing for my classes. I also write in my personal journal a lot, as well as post on here :) though i doubt that can be considered "writing."

I'll check out those websites though. Thanks again :)

9

Up grade ur skill

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by humsaad: *
Up grade ur skill
[/QUOTE]

can you plz elaborate?