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The more accurate question might be, "What can't you do with an English major?" Because English majors can write, analyze, think, communicate, synthesize, and describe better, on average, than any other majors, they are often in high demand in many different professions. Consider the following anecdotes:
A recent English major graduate from Northwest was asked to apply for three different jobs in the St. Joseph area, three jobs which were not stereotypical "English major jobs." One of these jobs, a marketing position, had a starting salary of more than $40,000 a year. "They told me they wanted English majors first, then marketing majors, because English majors can think and write. 'We'll teach you the marketing,' they said, 'We know you can learn it because you're an English major.'" Because she performed so well in that interview, she recently got a call out of the blue from another company asking her to apply for the position of Director of Human Resources.
A doctor in the United States Air Force told one of our professors: "If I have two candidates for a promotion and they are equal in most respects, I'm going to promote the one who has better communication skills every time. And I'm not going to apologize for that--ever. It's simply the most crucial skill I want in the people that work for me."
Jim Moore, a Northwest graduate and the Director of Development for the Northwest Foundation, told one of our professors: "You know all that stuff about clear writing and good organization of your thoughts that you learn in composition and English classes? I use those qualities every day of my business life. Every day."
We live in the Information Age. That means that most jobs today deal with analyzing, synthesizing, diagnosing, problem solving, and communicating information to others. To be successful in the job world, you have to have the skill to be able to read well, to separate the false from the true and the valuable from the merely trivial, to be able to understand the value and importance of what you read, and to communicate that wisdom to others. These are the skills and abilities of an English major, and more and more businesses are coming to that realization.
English is a marvelous pre-professional degree: you can go to law school, business school, even medical school with an English major, and succeed better than your peers because you can understand and analyze the volumes of information these careers require.
English study is especially appropriate for careers in Human Resources, Marketing, and Public Affairs because of the communication skills required in these jobs.
Northwest English majors are now bankers: a former member of the Board of Regents is now a top banker in Northwest Missouri and credits his English background for his success.
Majoring in English is a natural choice for careers in publishing, publications, and advertising--again because of the focus on language and communication skills. Editors, publishers, and advertising managers report that English majors are highly regarded candidates for their positions.
Many businesses now have in-house publications which communicate the company's activities, future plans, and ideas to employees and stockholders. English majors are eagerly recruited as writers, editors, and directors of these enterprises.
And, of course, there are careers in writing: journalism, technical writing, and freelance writing. English majors tend to start out well-and also tend to get promoted more quickly than others. Why? Because once they are on the job, their communication skills and creativity show their superiors that they are always looking for ways to improve the company.