Dis'ers need your help/ ideas!

snickerharley

better be movin' along
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
I just graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in English. I live in the Detroit area and need to find a new job outside of the retail industry, trouble is I don't exactly know what an English major is qualified for. So can any of you help with ideas, or departments to look into. I am also willing to move so if there are any places with booming employment give me a heads up please.
 
Anything with writing-tech writing, editing. Administrative work, publishing.
 
I'm sorry, but I had to chuckle when I read this thread. I've never known somebody who earned a degree in a field without knowing what jobs he/she would be qualified for. :laughing:

I agree with the suggestions the last poster had. You could also look into getting your teaching certificate.
 


I graduated with an English degree (planned on teaching and later got out of it). I have worked in tech writing and documentation departments for companies. Right now, I am a scheduling manager.
 
I graduated with a BA in English...I'm a nurse! :laughing: Obviously, I went back to school. I don't kow of much, other than teaching, for which you are qualified. Obviously you do not have a certification to teach.
 
I laughed when I read this. My cousin graduated 2 years ago with a double major...english and christian thought. Yeah...I know...huh? She STILL doesn't have a job other than working at a local farmer's produce stand in the warmer months. I don't understand WHY she would spend 4 years in school getting 2 degrees that are basically not helpful in getting a "real" job at and I don't get why it was ok with my aunt and uncle. But it's nice to know that she's not the only one that has a degree and no idea what to do with it. LOL Good luck. I'm not laughing AT you or anything, please don't get offended. It just struck me as funny because my cousin did the same thing.
 


I would check with the career center at your university. They usually have lots of resources and would help you find some direction about where to look.
 
Your university should have a career department, that can help you out. Take full advantage of them... it's their job to find graduates jobs.
 
I'm from the Detroit area myself, and the best advice I can offer you: if you can move, do it!!! Its better to do it now when you don't have any attachments to keep you here, than later.

I think NC and SC have booming (or at least better) economies than we do. Also maybe TX and AZ.

Don't stay here. Michigan is dead, dead, dead.

Also, you may want to consider a Master's degree. There seems to be a big difference in the amount of money you can earn between a BS and an Masters.

The important thing to consider: what do you like to do? I'm 35 and just finished my BS right now. I am getting a BS in accounting. Then going on to get my MBA. I do have to stay in Michigan until my son is 18 due to divorce laws and custody. If I didn't, I promise I'd be out of here in a heartbeat. This state is just so sad. I could go on and on about it.

Good luck to you!!!
 
An English major is qualified for jobs in which a college degree but not a specific major is specified. This includes a number of sales and corporate jobs, even banking. I recommend that you apply for jobs that require a college degree but don't specify a major and that you get some experience that isn't retail by volunteering for a non-profit. See if you can help with marketing/communications or do something that takes organization, such as planning an event. Also, look for post-graduate internships as they sometimes lead to jobs.

Of course, writing and editing jobs make the most sense, but entry level ones are hard to get.

My DH has an English degree and is a newspaper editor, but that's definitely not where he started!
 
You don't by chance speak Spanish? I just saw the other day that the Disney company in Anaheim was looking for a bilingual copy editor w/ a degree in English.
 
I am a fellow English major - congrats on the new degree! I graduated with a secondary teaching certificate, so I taught for 6 years before becoming a stay at home mom. I have to say that while right now your degree seems like a liability because it is not as specific as many others, in the long run you will find that is an asset.

I can name 5 different fields off the top of my head that my English major friends from college are working...teaching, editing, business (generic, but there are a TON in this area) human resources, college administration.

Your degree is really just an open door to a certain level of employment (those with a BA/BS). Now the hard part is picking what area you are intesested in pursuing. I agree with others who suggested you look at your career center on campus. They really should be able to help you through this process. Good luck!
 
They say the majority of college grads don't work in their field anyway... I certainly don't!
 
You were just begging for laughs weren't you. (sorry)

I also have a degree in English but before I would declare that as my major I made my advisor give me a list of possible job opportunities with that as a degree. He gave me a very large list.

Did you simply major in English or do you, by chance, have additional coursework in a "related" field. I took all of my extra courses in the business school. Most of my jobs for the past 20 years have been in the marketing and public relations arena although I also do freelance writing.

With an English degree you should have outstanding communication and research skills. These are perfect for work in law offices working toward a paralegal career. Obviously writing and editing are good choices but truthfully those are somewhat limited fields.

Did you have any goal or plan in mind when getting the degree? Take some time to think about the things you really enjoy doing and try to find a job that involves those things. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy.

Good luck.
 
I'm sorry, but I had to chuckle when I read this thread. I've never known somebody who earned a degree in a field without knowing what jobs he/she would be qualified for. :laughing:

I agree with the suggestions the last poster had. You could also look into getting your teaching certificate.

Yeah that! And that was exactly what I was going to suggest. I just graduated with a bachelor's in English, too... but I minored in Secondary Education and now have acertificate to teach high school English.

Never thought of anything else to do with the degree, though... all I want to do for work is teach.
 
Thanks for all of the great advice, and yes I too chuckle at myself. I decided to major in English because I love literature and writing papers!!! My minor is not helpful either... political science. I just thought ( or maybe a dillusion of grandure) that I would be able to work in the newspaper/magazine/ book publishing field. Unfortunately every job out there that I am qualified for is an office job such as secretarial or admin. assistant which is not what I bargained for.
 
I double majored in college, with English as one of my degrees. There are Master's programs in publishing. If you got into one of those, you could do an internship in the publishing field. That could be a huge asset in getting a job after graduation.
 

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