A&S Careers, English

CAREER OPTIONS FOR ENGLISH MAJORS

This “pre-professional” major provides the necessary foundation for successful graduate studies in the humanities, social sciences, law, business, and public administration. As liberal arts majors in English, students develop invaluable skills in critical thinking and analysis, allowing them to creatively and effectively contribute in numerous ways to their communities. Graduates of an English program use their communication skills, both oral and written, to influence trends in such areas as:

• Education	• Banking	• Commerce
• Marketing	• IS/IT	• Medicine
• Sales	• Law	• Real Estate
• Publishing	• Government	• Insurance

The solid skills derived from a liberal arts degree in English are further enhanced through minors/certificates received in disciplines such as psychology, finance, computer science, communications, and political science. The key to success after graduation is in understanding the multiple skills obtained through both academic studies and practical experience and learning to market those skills to the best advantage!

TRADITIONAL JOBS WITH A B.A. IN ENGLISH

Editorial Assistant	Free-lance writer
Copy Writer	High School English teacher
Publications Editor	Communication consultant
Print Journalist	Fed. Gov’t. Information officer
Advertising copy writer	Personnel analyst
Screen Writer	Executive assistant
Technical Writer	Marketing/P.R. Specialist

B.A. IN ENGLISH WITH ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Attorney	Physician
Psychologist	Pharmacist
Architect	Dentist
Engineer	Bank officer
Financial analyst	Business executive
Realtor/Developer	Librarian
Sales manager	Community college instructor

B.A. IN ENGLISH WITH ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Caterer	Flight attendant
Innkeeper	Travel agent
Farmer	Software developer
Vintner	Songwriter
Photographer	Entertainer
Interior designer	Theater director

Wages for 2004 English graduates rose 8.1% over the previous year. According to statistics compiled by N.A.C.E. (National Association of Colleges and Employers, www.jobweb.org), starting salaries averaged $31K for diligent graduates who attended to their studies and their GPAs and who took advantage of on-campus career-related services offered by their institutions.

PROOF OF THE PRACTICAL VALUE OF AN ENGLISH DEGREE

Alan Alda,    Actor, writer
Russell Baker,    Journalist
Dave Barry,     Humorist writer, actor
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, TV producer
Carol Browner,    Former Head of EPA
Chevy Chase,     Comic, actor, writer
Michael Eisner,    Walt Disney CEO
Jodi Foster,     Actor, film maker
Kathryn Fuller, World Wildlife Fund CEO
A. Barlett Giamatti, Yale President
Cathy Guisewite,   Cartoonist (Cathy)
Chris Isaak,   Songwriter, singer
Stephen King,     Novelist
Paul Newman, Actor, Food Entrepreneur

Joe Paterno, Football coach (Penn State)
Sally Ride,    Astronaut
Joan Rivers,     Comic
Diane Sawyer,    Broadcast journalist
Paul Simon,     Songwriter, singer
Brandon Tartikoff,   Television executive
Steven Spielberg,    Film maker
Christopher Reeve,    Superman
Clarence Thomas,    Supreme Court Justice
Grant Tinker,    TV Executive/Producer
Harold Varmus,    Nobel laureate
Barbara Walters,    Broadcast journalist
Pete Wilson,   Governor of California
Bob Woodward, Journalist, writer

Thanks to Mississippi State University English Dept.

WEB SITES OF INTEREST

www.mla.org
Modern Language Association

www.stc.org/
Society for Technical Communition

www.neostc.org/
Northeast Ohio Chapter of STC

www.ohiofilm.com
Ohio Film Commission

http://www.famous-quotations.com/
The Home of Quotations

http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/
http://www.techwriters.com/
Info on technical writing

http://www.publaw.com
Info on publishing legalities

http://fairuse.stanford.edu/
Copyright & Fair Use info

Study Abroad Scholarships, Fellowships, and Postdoctoral Awards
http://scholarships.fatomei.com/scholar14.html

Federal Grants
http://www.fedmoney.org/grants/0-scholarships.htm