Is English a Good Major?
Despite all the living-out-of-a-cardboard-box jokes, English is a great major. I’ve benefited as an English graduate in so many ways, but perhaps the most noteworthy benefit is the transferable, versatile skills I learned as an English major.
When you major in English, you learn so much more than how to write well or analyze texts. The transferable skills I gained as an English major that have proven most beneficial to me in my career are critical thinking, communication/storytelling, researching, time management, and knowing my audience.
The Liberal Arts Stigma
Ah, liberal arts. There’s this weird societal stigma around majoring in any liberal art: philosophy, sociology, psychology, and—yes—English. Many assume we’re going to be the moochers in society once we graduate—because what would we even do with those degrees?
It’s a reasonable concern, I guess. To be frank, I had no idea what I’d even do with an English degree.
It wasn’t until I was standing in the registrar’s office at West Virginia State University that I decided I was officially going to be an English major—a technical writing major, to be precise. I didn’t quite know what that was, and it wasn’t until I’d met the instructor who built and taught the technical writing courses that I realized the weight of the decision that I’d made. (And shew, did I luck out.)
A lot of people don’t realize the possibilities that are available to them when they major in English. It’s the great thing about liberal arts degrees. You learn a lot about a lot—all transferable skills that you can use in whatever career you embark on after you graduate.
Transferable Skills You Gain as an English Major
Truthfully, when I decided to major in English, I thought I’d learn how to write well.
I learned so much more than that, though.
I gained a ton of transferable skills as an English major that have benefited me in my career time and time again. Here are a few of my favorites.
1. Critical thinking
A fact that surprises no one: majoring in English means a lot of reading and writing.
The prompts you address as an English major help you make connections and synthesize information. They help you learn to make things make sense—a transferable skill that has helped me in every single job I’ve had post-graduation (not to mention grad school).
Critical thinking makes you question everything and teaches you how to think for yourself. You learn to analyze facts and form your own opinion. And even better, it’s a form of emotional intelligence—something that’s often sought-after in the workplace.
2. Communication/Storytelling
“Sell me this pen.” -Sales leaders
“Why do I need this product?” -Prospective customers for virtually any business
“Why do I need to change my car’s oil every so often?” -Customers to mechanics
“Tell me about yourself.” -Every job interviewer ever
The responses to these questions all have a common theme: they’re best answered through storytelling—a skill you master as an English major.
Telling a good story increases your credibility, no matter what industry you’re in. At the end of the day, the ultimate goal for many people in their jobs is to make people care—about services, products, ways of doing things, people.
Storytelling—whether through written or spoken words—is a key transferable skill in virtually every industry, and it’s one you spend a ton of time perfecting as an English major.
3. Researching
You may be surprised at how stringent the requirements are in terms of researching as an English major.
Throughout college, I had to thoroughly vet and cite my sources. They had to be credible, peer-reviewed, and thorough. I couldn’t just form an opinion and find sources to back it up. I had to begin projects with an open mind, letting my research form my opinions and guide my writing.
Researching is a skill I use every day—both in and out of work—and shew, did I have my practice as an English major!
4. Time management
How many times have you found yourself down a rabbit hole as a result of a simple task?
I was recently given a prompt to explain what the cloud is, and let me tell you, my time management skills helped me avoid falling into an informational black hole—a black hole that in no way resulted in a polished paper.
What saved me from this excursion was my time management skills—another set of transferable skills you gain as an English major. I kept the prompt in front of me and specifically answered the prompt without falling into the trap that research can often lead you to.
When you have multiple deadlines you’re working against, you have to master time management and focus on exactly what’s needed—nothing more. Having these consistently pressing deadlines in college as an English major made transitioning into a fast-paced workforce a breeze.
5. Knowing your audience
Knowing your audience is such an underrated skill.
To sell something, you have to know who you’re talking to. The same goes for marketing, teaching, parenting, and so much more! You have to have a baseline understanding of who you’re communicating with so you can meet them at their level and bridge the gap to where you’re hoping to bring them.
This was a skill that was a critical outcome of earning a technical writing degree. You can’t explain technical concepts without knowing who you’re explaining them to. If you simplify things too much, you could come across as insulting. But if you don’t simplify enough, you’re going to lose your audience.
This is why knowing your audience is such an important skill, no matter what you do.
Careers for English Graduates
There are so many careers available to English graduates, largely because of the transferable skills you gain as an English major.
From research analysts to communications managers, there are so many options that don’t include the typical assumed careers like teaching (and a professional cardboard box resident).
I’ve written before about having attended a Cyber Defense Analyst Program, and truth be told, my English degree set me up for success—and dare I say, gave me an edge.
Why? Because I knew how to write.
A lot of folks who specialize in a STEM field from the start may gloss over what they learn in English 101 and 102. The problem with that for some careers is that you miss out on how to communicate concepts to others.
For example, in the program I attended, I learned that knowing how to look for malicious indicators is only part of the battle. You have to be able to explain—often in write-ups—what that information means—to your fellow cybersecurity analysts who are technical, and to the CEO who may be less than technical.
This requires that you know your audience—and how to write or speak in a way that will make sense to them and be relevant to them.
(And my apologies to my instructors in the Cyber Defense Analyst Program, who likely heard me snicker when they said my English degree would help me succeed in class. I didn’t believe them at first—but they were right!)
English is a Phenomenal, Versatile Major
I mean this with all sincerity: I have never once regretted my decision to major in English. For me, it’s been the gift that keeps on giving.
I’ve been able to land jobs in state government, edtech, cybersecurity, and sysadmin firms in roles such as a Communications Specialist, Content Marketing Specialist/Manager/Strategist, and even a Marketing Lead.
Of course, the decision is deeply personal, but I hope the one thing you take away from this blog is not to let others discourage you from majoring in English.
I was a barista while I majored in English, as cliché as cliché gets—and the teasing/borderline bullying I was victim to for majoring in English was unreal.
But take those critiques with a grain of salt. Do your own research (good practice for when you’re actually an English major!), and make the decision that feels best for you.