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lydia
Student
Colorado Springs, Colorado
2
Questions
Asked
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What kind of jobs are available to an English major after completing school?
I love literature; however, I am nervous that dedicating all my time in college to this subject may ultimately leave me without a job. #literature #english-composition #shakespeare
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Annie Tvetenstrand
Senior Associate at PwC
2
Answers
Boston, Massachusetts
Updated
Annie’s Answer
Hi Lydia! Apologies if my answer comes too late, but I was in the exact same position as you a few years ago, and I wanted to give you some encouragement. I majored in English Lit and Classical Studies as an undergrad, and right out of college I started working with PwC as a financial services consultant. Whether or not you want to go into consulting, I have some advice for how to find career paths that interest you and how you can market a liberal arts education.
A helpful way to think of your college major (and any extracurriculars, for that matter) is to focus on the skills rather than the content. Maybe your encyclopedic knowledge of Lord Byron's sonnets won't come in handy during your job, but a lot of other skills you're using as an English major are highly sought after by recruiters. Here are a few skills I gained as an English/Classics major that I used to show that I could succeed in a job after college (as well as the examples I used to back it up):
-Communicate complex ideas concisely and clearly, particularly in writing (essays)
-Strong attention to detail (paper editing)
-Lead meetings and guide group discussions (seminars and classes)
-Synthesize data from a variety of sources (research papers discussing art, architecture, literature, etc.)
-Research using several databases (JSTOR, etc.)
I'd advise you to consider what skills you like using in your classes and extracurriculars, and let that guide your job search. Then use those skills to sell yourself as a strong candidate. Good luck!
liberal-arts liberal-arts-major careers-for-people-with-liberal-arts-degrees
A helpful way to think of your college major (and any extracurriculars, for that matter) is to focus on the skills rather than the content. Maybe your encyclopedic knowledge of Lord Byron's sonnets won't come in handy during your job, but a lot of other skills you're using as an English major are highly sought after by recruiters. Here are a few skills I gained as an English/Classics major that I used to show that I could succeed in a job after college (as well as the examples I used to back it up):
-Communicate complex ideas concisely and clearly, particularly in writing (essays)
-Strong attention to detail (paper editing)
-Lead meetings and guide group discussions (seminars and classes)
-Synthesize data from a variety of sources (research papers discussing art, architecture, literature, etc.)
-Research using several databases (JSTOR, etc.)
I'd advise you to consider what skills you like using in your classes and extracurriculars, and let that guide your job search. Then use those skills to sell yourself as a strong candidate. Good luck!
liberal-arts liberal-arts-major careers-for-people-with-liberal-arts-degrees