Discover Career Options after English honors: What’s next?

With the increasing competition in every field, there are lots of speculations among students after their 12th- What course to choose? Where to study? Am I in the right direction? Where my career is heading? What kind of job am I going to get after this? Does this course align with what I really want to be or where I see myself in the next 7 years or so?

 

God! There is an awful lot of questions!

Let’s get our answers one by one. 

 

Even when students make up their mind there is always a “What’s next ?” English honors students are no different. More often Literature students find themselves in situations where they are not clear about which path to take next. And also surrounded by confusion with the stereotypical belief that literature is just “entertainment” reading with very limited scope for career growth which is definitely misleading.

 

 

 

What’s English Honours Degree all about-

 

There is a very widespread misconception about the course that it deals only with ‘grammar, vocabulary and English language skills with an enormous reading of prose and poetry’. But that is not all about studying “English Honours”, the scope of the course is much wider and multidimensional. To put it in simple terms Bachelors in English literature course covers a wide range of literary works that have been published during different centuries reflecting the culture, society, politics, psychology, history, economy etc of the time; they study literature in relation to the prevailing ethos of a given timeframe.

 

The students need to analyze scenarios like-

  • What is the take away from that literary piece of work?
  • Why the characters have certain traits?
  • Historical background of the literature.
  • Socio-political behavior of the people.
  • Prevalent taboos are also reflected in the works.

 

What does the course include-

 

Besides reading the classics of Chaucer, Milton, Shakespeare: the syllabus incorporates the following:

  • Classical Literature
  • Contemporary Literature
  • Modern Literature
  • Literary Criticism
  • Indian Writing in English
  • Linguistics
  • Prose and Poetry
  • Drama
  • European Literature
  • American Literature
  • Composition and Interpretation

 

Having been thorough with the course, the students are skilled to analyze, communicate and construct or reconstruct literature to a T.

 

Employment for English Major-

 

Practically, education is weighed in terms of earnings. This degree may seem to have narrow purview when it comes to employability, but that’s not the case. There is enough scope than just being a professor or an author. Across different industries, there is a requirement of a workforce skilled in communication, critical thinking, writing with correct grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation. Every business has their fair share of literature (here literature means anything that is written) be it blogs, articles, in-house memos, emails, MoMs, etc. to deal with and who better than a person who holds a degree in doing that for this job.

 

OK! no doubt that all other subjects require reading and writing. 

So ! why the hype for English Majors?

Because! Writing and Reading is the main subject matter here.

And who better to hire than the expert, right?

 

The different careers options for an English Major are-

 

  • Freelance writer or blogger- This can be a dream job, be your own boss work as you like. But to succeed as a freelancer discipline, dedication and passion toward your work is the key. “Sky is the limit” is the perfect term here. There is so much scope for you to grow and earn. Blogging is here to stay. Almost every business has an online presence and they like to hire people to sell their story, they prefer freelancers to experiment with their contents.
  • Media- Be it print, online or broadcast media, a person with the grip of the language can be an asset to the team as a writer or editor. They are well versed with how to create, recreate, reframe or present any news. The ability to grab attention with witty titles shows the creative steak which is preeminent in a literature student.
  • Public Relation Manager– Many firms strive to be in the limelight, regular press release and content marketing is the way to do that. So it becomes a lucrative career option for a graduate in English subject.
  • Interpreter and Translator– The demand for this profession has skyrocketed. You must be fluent in at least two languages to pursue this career.

 

Besides these career options, the traditional role of Teacher, Professor, Author, and other Academia are always there. But with time the scope for an English major has widened so much so that you can explore any industry where communication or any written works are involved.