Is your high school graduation around the corner? If so, brace yourself to answer all career-related questions. Some people would question your choices while your friends would give the most impractical career suggestions. At the same time, your parents might push you to become a doctor or engineer since these are the two most viable careers. You can always keep yourself open to suggestions but opt for something that you like.
If you like helping others, become a social worker. Likewise, an English major could be perfect if you want to explore and learn about the culture and human beings. English cultivates curiosity and equips students with reading skills. In addition, it also helps in building research expertise so that students can adapt and learn throughout life.
Besides theoretical things, the major prepares students for careers in business, public service, education, law, and many other areas. Precisely, the entire world would be your oyster when you pursue an English major. However, if you are having second thoughts over this, have a look below. Here we are highlighting six reasons why you should opt for an English major.
1. Improves Communication Skills
As an English major, you would get an opportunity to forge connections through reading, writing, and communication. And the better you can communicate, the more you can connect and share ideas with the rest of the world. In addition to facilitating change, you will develop a keen understanding of your audience that can influence a change. If this seems intriguing to you, an English major would be a perfect choice. You can look for higher education programs to kickstart your career in this field.
Instead of going to college, you can explore eLearning programs to learn from the comfort of your home. Hence, lookup for a bachelor’s degree in English online and get yourself enrolled in any reputable online school. It will help you drive a change while improving your language skills.
2. Unfolds Variety of Career Opportunities
Most people believe majors in English would lead to a career in teaching, but that’s not true. Remember, English is one of the conventional subjects like Math and science that would always appeal to employers. After all, it helps students develop transferrable skills applicable to a variety of careers. Thus, you can start a career in journalism, public relations, advertising, law, or any other field that fascinates you. Here we are also listing a few career options for English majors.
- Public Relations Specialist: The job role of public relations specialists revolves around storytelling. They have to tell a creative story that captures the media’s attention and spreads the word in the market. Having command over the language, English majors can be a perfect fit for this job.
- Human Resource (HR) Specialist: Drawing organizational and employment policies isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Employers look for HR experts who are well-versed with the language.
- Technical Writer: Do you like writing? As a technical writer, you will create documentation relating to products and services. After all, English majors know how to explain ideas in simple words, making them understandable for general audiences.
- Content Manager: Content managers have to evaluate the writing abilities of contributors. In addition, they also have to give direction and provide feedback. And honestly, no one can do this better than someone with an English major.
3. Fiction Develops Empathy
When it comes to choosing a career, almost every person wants to pick a pathway that helps them earn money. Instead of running in a rat race, an English major enables you to become a better person that can go a long way in your life. Reading fiction develops empathy while forging a connection between the reader and the author. It would allow you to understand someone else’s experiences, building empathy.
Even though this is an interpersonal skill, it is equally essential to thrive in the professional world today. People with emotional intelligence and agility can empathize with others are more likely to succeed in their careers.
4. Promotes Cultural Awareness
Believe it or not, being aware of cultural customs and patterns has become more crucial than ever. Employers are aiming to create a culture of appreciation and acknowledgment at the workplace. After all, people are too focused on earning money that they forget about the meaningful things in life. Fortunately, that won’t be the case with English majors. You will get cultural education including, philosophy and arts, allowing you to focus on deeper thoughts.
At the same time, you will learn about the importance of acceptance in the workplace, closing doors for prejudice and discrimination. The entire concept of cultural awareness would broaden your horizons while allowing you to drive a change in the community.
5. Provides Opportunity for Double Honors
Prospects and growth are two significant concerns of every student when picking a career. Well, an English major is full of career and growth opportunities. The higher education programs will give you dual honors to pick an English major with another subject. Perhaps, you can opt for modern history, languages, humanities, literature, or any subject that complements your English major. Hence, you would graduate with two majors after four years. In addition to giving you an edge over other candidates, it would open doors to tremendous career opportunities.
6. Adaptable to Change
Today, the world is progressing at a face pace. In a blink of an eye, new trends come and go, making it arduous to keep up with tech evolutions. If you don’t want to keep lagging, become adaptable to change by pursuing a major in English. It enhances critical thinking and research skills, which are integral to becoming adaptable. In addition, it fosters personal growth and relationships that can help in adjusting to the changing cultural norms and ethics.
Moreover, an English major is a study of other’s creative work. You will come across some of the greatest works of literature that can change your perspective towards everything. It would help you understand how people think critically and adapt to different situations.
Final Thoughts
Even though English majors aren’t as famous as other professionals, it develops analytical and critical skills that would never go out of demand. Students will get an opportunity to discover how languages shape the world while enhancing reading and writing skills. Most importantly, you can pursue a career in different industries such as journalism, film, literature, etc. In short, an English major can be the perfect career choice to thrive in today’s ever-changing world.