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What to English Lit majors do?
What's studied in an English Lit major course? What is it used for? What kind of jobs can it get you?
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4 answers
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Teresa’s Answer
My brother got his Masters in English literature and Creative Writing from University of California at Santa Cruz and he is a senior technical writer for Google. He has been there for almost 20 years. Writing prepares you for a career in almost anything else -- it is a foundation upon which you can build. You can go into law, teaching, politics, journalism, hi tech -- anything that requires systematic thought and communication. At my previous position at Cisco Systems, our VP of Marketing had a Masters in English from UC Berkeley. He was a creative genius. This is a launching pad for you.
thanks for being clear
Alessia
Fantastic advice, Teresa! Thanks for sharing your brother’s journey — it’s great to hear that this degree can turn into a great career despite what its reputation might be as far as job outlook 💚
Alexandra Carpenter, Admin
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Gloria’s Answer
Hi Alessia,
I am an Instructional Designer, which is someone who writes training content that is either taught by someone or is taken directly by a student. A lot of individuals around me are English Literature or English majors. The idea is that from the study of writing that you are also a good writer and storyteller. In many fields, story telling is a valuable way of completing various tasks. In my field, individuals write training in tools as well as creating training videos. The most impressive products have a great narrative. I have seen this major in fields like marketing and education as well. In addition to write skills, there is a layer of verbal communication skills among these individuals as well.
Gloria
I am an Instructional Designer, which is someone who writes training content that is either taught by someone or is taken directly by a student. A lot of individuals around me are English Literature or English majors. The idea is that from the study of writing that you are also a good writer and storyteller. In many fields, story telling is a valuable way of completing various tasks. In my field, individuals write training in tools as well as creating training videos. The most impressive products have a great narrative. I have seen this major in fields like marketing and education as well. In addition to write skills, there is a layer of verbal communication skills among these individuals as well.
Gloria
Updated
Isaac’s Answer
My sister majored in English Lit - she currently works as a copywriter for a small marketing firm. The best thing she did was get a second major along with her English major (business). It helped her focus her English skills on a certain pathway, and definitely made her more attractive to businesses.
From the description of her classes, I found she was enrolled in a lot of creative writing courses. Past a certain point, your marketability as someone with an English degree depends on how much your writing stands out. What helped her develop a portfolio to stand out was a lot of freelance writing, which ultimately got published in newspapers and magazines.
Hope this helps!
Thanks so much!
Alessia
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
After earning my degree in English Literature with distinction from university, I initially envisioned a future as a teacher or professor. I even went as far as to relocate to a new city to pursue my Master's degree. However, before the commencement of my classes, I realized teaching wasn't my calling, primarily due to my fear of public speaking. I then set my sights on becoming a copy editor, a role I still find appealing, though my career path eventually diverged. I've spent over two decades with the same company, working in a field entirely unrelated to literature.
The beauty of an English Literature degree lies in its versatility. It equips you with a broad range of skills that are transferable across numerous industries. Key abilities such as critical thinking, written communication, interpretation, and analytical skills, to name just a few, are all part of the package.
The beauty of an English Literature degree lies in its versatility. It equips you with a broad range of skills that are transferable across numerous industries. Key abilities such as critical thinking, written communication, interpretation, and analytical skills, to name just a few, are all part of the package.