4 Reasons Why Being an English Major Isn’t Such a Bad Idea

It’s not as limited as you might think

I myself am an aspiring English Lit. major, hoping to convert my passions of reading and writing into a career of some sort. Usually when I tell someone my major they say, “Oh, so you want to be a teacher?” Well, not necessarily. To be honest I have an unclear view of what I want to do with my major once I graduate. As of now it’s going into book publishing, but what are the odds I will get a copy editing job right out of college? Very slim. So far you have no hope for me. Keep reading.

Even more than reading great books!

One of my professors gave me some hope today. Although he is an English professor, he was unbiased (almost). He said that most of the business professionals he talks to love two majors. Those two majors are philosophy and English. These majors gain practical job skills that can be used in various ways. There are many benefits of being an English major, here are four of them:

1. Critical thinking. By critically observing situations, experiences and arguments, you can determine the meaning and significance of a situation and know how to respond. In the classroom this looks like thinking about the themes, plot, significance of certain key images in a book, and in the working world this looks like facing an issue and being able to resolve it through observing other factors.

2. Analysis. By analyzing a situation, breaking it up into pieces to see the depth of it, you will more accurately understand and comprehend the core of a situation or conflict. In the world of literature this looks like breaking up a poem, novel, etc. to more easily understand it. In work this looks like breaking down a situation to identify needs and determine solutions.

3. Writing. Writing is an essential tool that everyone should be trained in. By writing well, other things such as analysis and thinking critically will come naturally. They come more naturally because writing well forces you to get to the deeper issue of situations. Writing well doesn’t only require accurate grammar and punctuation, but wholly understanding something and being able to communicate that through words. This is beneficial while writing an analytical essay on Dante’s “Inferno,” and while writing a memo on your recent productivity for a project at work.

4. Speaking. The most important and beneficial way of communicating is speaking (Duh, you already knew that). And being able to do it in a professional and effective way is important in a job and classroom setting. English majors are constantly challenged to speak through articulating their thoughts and through oral presentations. Speaking is an important skill to have while presenting something at a business meeting or while talking to colleagues or the BBB (Big Bad Boss).

Another bonus: During finals week while your friends are slaving away over their textbooks, you will be sitting out in the sunshine on a bench reading Emily Dickinson or William Blake. How much better could it get?