The skills we acquire as English majors…

Thanks, Whitworth English!

When thinking about an English major, people usually think all we can really do is read and write. That isn’t the case, however, because in order to do these tasks successfully, it takes so many other skills.

English majors have:

“…the ability to comprehend, digest, summarize, analyze, and interpret complex discourses; secondly, it requires skills in research, bibliographic control, database management, and effective presentation and publication of reports and documents of all kinds. ” Thanks, GMU.

From my own experience, especially, I have learned how to analyze things thoroughly, whether that is a book, a concept, or an argument. It is easy to read an article or a statistic or what-have-you and believe it because you read it, or believe it is reality without looking into why someone wrote it or presented it. As an English major, you learn to look beyond what is in front of you. This is important in so many different careers. Some careers that we have discussed, like marketing and public relations, are a few examples that use these skills. If you are a marketing manager and see a statistic about how your company is making less money than your competitor, you could either think, “Well, this sucks. They must just be better than us,” or you could think as an English major would and say, “There is a reason behind this. I can fix this if I find the root of the problem.”

There is more to analyzing a text than most people think. We learn about reading between the lines not so we can see the overlaying metaphor of a Shakespearean play, but to use this skill later in life when we are working at a company, teaching, or writing.

An unexpected choice: Public Relations

My other major, other than English, is in Public Relations Communications, so I thought I would start out my first career post with Public Relations. I think an important tip for an English major is to have another major to go along with it. Communications is an excellent choice because it opens up countless opportunities and career paths. One of these is Public Relations.

It may surprise people that a lot of writing and knowledge of the written word goes into PR. A Public Relations specialist is, essentially, the face of the company. The company’s reputation depends on the PR person’s decisions and ability to write positively for the company. According to princetonreview.com, a PR specialist must be a great communicator in print, person and over the phone. They work alongside journalists, consumers, management, sales and much more in order to get the best information and perspective on the company.

It is important to note that any company needs a Public Relations specialist. Whether it is in the media, food industry, retail and so much more. So, if you’re looking into English, this is definitely an option for you! You will constantly be writing and producing professional content like press releases, speeches, tweets, and more.

Internships for PR are constantly available and a great way to break into the business. March is the perfect time to start looking for summer internships, so if you think this career could be an option for you, get started today!