8 Unexpected Jobs for English Majors

If you enjoy writing and reading literature, you may have decided to major in English. Unlike some other subjects, English doesn’t lead to a few specific careers, which can cause students to worry about what they’ll do after they graduate. In fact, you have numerous options. In addition to some of the more obvious (like English teacher, journalist, or librarian), there are some unexpected choices that may resonate with you.

1. SEO Specialist

An alternative to journalism that also involves plenty of writing is as an SEO specialist. The job requires adapting content to improve rankings for websites in search engines. You’ll need to add keywords in a way that sounds natural and make pieces more readable, such as by removing the passive voice, adding transition words, and reducing repetition. In addition, you’ll need to learn about the ever-changing technical side of SEO, which means being comfortable with technology.

2. Secretary

A job you can pursue straight out of university before you have much work experience is as a secretary. In addition to people and organizational skills, jobs tend to involve a large amount of writing, such as for taking notes and writing emails. For this reason, employers often like to hire English majors. Ideally, you should search for secretary jobs in a sector you find interesting — for instance, a job at a publishing company could lead to work as an editor in the future.

3. Social Media Manager

If you spend a lot of time on social media and are familiar with all the major platforms, you may like to pursue a career as a social media manager. Business owners will find you to be an appealing candidate because they can trust you to craft compelling posts with the correct grammar.

4. Product Namer

The best product names are catchy, descriptive, and often puns. Not just anyone is able to craft such names — this is the job of a product namer. As an English major, you are most likely witty and creative, making this a perfect option for you.

5. Audiobook Narrator

Many English majors would love to be able to make a living by reading. This is possible if you become an audiobook narrator. The work tends to be freelance — but the good thing about this is you can find projects reading books you enjoy. To succeed, you’ll need to have good inflection and be able to read aloud for long periods of time without making mistakes.

6. Event Planner

Planning for events requires a great deal of written and verbal communication, as you need to coordinate with vendors and venues. If you’re also well-organized, creative, and a good leader, you should find you thrive as an event planner.

7. Tour Guide

Use your writing skills to develop scripts you can use to give tours of a place you know well, such as your hometown or the city where you attended university. Whereas hourly wages tend to start low, the best tour guides receive plenty in tips.

8. Psychologist

If you’re looking to continue your education after you’ve gained a degree, one area to consider is psychology. You’ll likely need at least a master’s, possibly a doctorate, but you’ll be well prepared if you’re empathetic and understand human behavior — things you’ve likely learned through your extensive reading.

As the job market can be competitive, it helps if you graduate with a good GPA. This means studying hard throughout your time at university. However, it can be difficult to focus on complicated texts and to write elaborate papers when you’re living on campus — you need your own space where you can have peace and quiet. You can find all this in a room for rent. Oshawa, near OTU, has Foundry 1805. As well as your private or semi-private bedroom in a fully-furnished suite, you can use our study rooms whenever you want. Apply today for our lowest rates of the year.