English

The skills you gain through studying English are marketable in most job sectors. Read on for inspiration on where you could use your degree

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Digital copywriter
• Editorial assistant
• English as a foreign language teacher
• Lexicographer
• Magazine journalist
• Newspaper journalist
• Primary school teacher
• Private tutor
• Publishing copy-editor/proofreader
• Secondary school teacher
• Web content manager
• Writer

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Academic librarian
• Advertising copywriter
• Archivist
• Arts administrator
• Charity officer
• Civil Service Fast Streamer
• Financial adviser
• Information officer
• Marketing executive
• Media researcher
• PPC specialist
• Public relations officer
• Records manager
• Recruitment consultant
• Social media manager

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

As English is a non-vocational degree, it's important to include skills developed outside of your course on your CV.

At university, for example, many English students write for student newspapers and magazines, get involved with student radio or film societies, or volunteer in the community or local schools. Evidence of any skills gained from work experience and extra-curricular activities, as well as through study, can help boost your job prospects.

If you have a particular career in mind, apply for relevant work placements and summer internships to get some practical experience and build up a network of contacts. This experience will also help you decide whether you would enjoy the role. Opportunities will be advertised on company websites, on sector job sites, careers service websites and in the national and specialist press. For experience with smaller companies, you may have to approach them directly.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

English graduates find opportunities with many employers, across a range of public, private and charity sectors, including:

• administration
• advertising, marketing and PR
• arts management
• education
• events management
• finance and accountancy
• general management
• leisure and hospitality
• research
• retail
• tourism.

Employers such as advertising, marketing and public relations agencies, media organisations and publishing companies, the NHS, schools, colleges and universities, financial and legal firms, and local and national government all value the broad set of skills English graduates have.

Find information on employers in media and internet, marketing, advertising and PR, teaching and education and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

You will develop subject-specific knowledge in areas such as creative writing, drama, linguistics and literature.

The major strength of all English graduates is the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Studying an English degree also develops skills in:

• independent working and the ability to use your initiative
• time management and organisation
• planning and researching written work
• articulating knowledge and understanding of texts, concepts and theories
• leading and participating in discussions
• negotiation and teamworking to present ideas and information
• a creative approach to problem solving
• effectively conveying arguments and opinions and thinking creatively
• using your judgement to weigh up alternative perspectives
• critical reasoning and analysis
• using IT.

Further study

Some English graduates choose to continue their academic studies by doing an MA or a PhD in areas such as English language and literary studies, creative writing, Victorian, fantasy or mediaeval literature, or linguistics.

Others choose to study more vocational postgraduate courses in areas such as teaching, journalism, librarianship or law. Such courses allow you to study in an area you wish to enter as a career.

More information on funding for postgraduate study and research is available from the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

English graduates may decide to undertake professional vocational study in areas such as publishing, marketing and management, finance, human resource management and business to enhance their knowledge of a specific career area.

For more information on further study and find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in English.

What do English graduates do?

Just 3% of English graduates are working as authors, writers and translators. The top five jobs reported include secondary education teaching professionals (10%), advertising and marketing associate professionals (8%), public relations professionals (5%), sales and retail assistants (3%), and primary education teaching professionals (3%).

Find out what other English graduates are doing 15 months after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.