What Can I Do With a Major In English?

• Department of English
• Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society

To find additonal clubs and organizations, visit the Center for Student Organizations.

Connect with your Career Consultant!

General Information and Strategies

• A bachelor’s degree in English is very broad and is sufficient for entry level positions in business and industry, as well as in areas such as entertainment, radio and television commentary, and museum work. Because English can lead to many different career paths, it is important to identify an area of interest and be planful about gaining the right skills, experience, and credentials to enter that field.
• A major in English is also good preparation for continued graduate or professional training in areas such as English, law, political science/government, public administration, communications, religious studies (e.g. seminary).
• Be proactive, determined, assertive, and confident in order to secure freelance writing opportunities. Writers typically experience many rejections for each piece that is accepted for publication. Save samples of written work to be used for a portfolio. Cultivate other career opportunities in order to supplement a freelance writing income.
• Obtain additional areas of expertise such as journalism, broadcasting, technical writing, or politics for specialized positions.
• Conduct informational interviews or shadow professionals in careers of interest to learn more about their jobs.
• Join relevant professional associations. Attend their conferences and read their journals.

(source: http://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major/english/)

Tip: Join LinkedIn groups that are related to your career interest. To search, select “groups” under the “interests” tab. Also, review the groups that professionals in your field of interest have joined and consider joining them as well.

Interested in graduate school? Find current information on getting into graduate school at UGA’s Career Center webpage.

• My Next Move - Powered by O*NET 
• Occupational Outlook Handbook (type in general term for career of interest)
• Career Insider: Vault Guides
• Candid Career - View professionals speaking about their careers
• Jobs for English Majors
• Idealist Careers - Helping You Find a Nonprofit Career

General:

• GoinGlobal - International (to access, login with your MyID and password)
• Idealist - Nonprofit
• USAJOBS - Federal

Major/Career Specfic:

• Bookjobs
• Investigative Reporters and Editors
• Journalism Jobs and Internships
• Careers at National Geographic
• National Public Radio (NPR)
• The Write Job (Journalism, Media, Publishing, Technical and Medical Writing Jobs)

• Association of Writers and Writing Programs
• American Copy Editors Society
• American Library Association
• American Society of Journalists & Authors
• Association of Literary Scholars and Critics
• Magazine Publishers of America
• National Writers Association
• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
• Association for Business Communication
• Association of Teachers of Technical Writing
• College English Association
• International Writing Centers Association
• Modern Language Association
• National Council of Teachers of English
• Screen Actors Guild
• Society for Technical Communication