About This Major
- English
- Major/Requirements
- Course Descriptions
- Faculty
- Careers in English

English at Ozarks

Careers in English

What jobs will be available after I graduate?

General Information

A major in English can be good preparation for continued graduate or professional training in areas such as English, law, political science/government, public administration, psychology, counseling, communications, and religious studies (i.e., seminary).

Develop a specialty area of interest via additional coursework and/or work experience for greater marketability within that specific career field.

Save samples of written work to be used for a portfolio.

Be prepared to be proactive, determined, assertive, and confident in order to secure freelance writing opportunities. Writers typically experience many rejections for each piece that is accepted for publication.

Cultivate other career opportunities in order to supplement a freelance writing income.

Obtain additional areas of expertise such as journalism, broadcasting, technical writing, or politics for specialized positions.

For careers in advertising or public relations be prepared to begin in an entry-level position.

A bachelor's degree in English is sufficient for many entry level positions in business and industry.

Appropriate teacher certification is required for public school teaching.

A graduate degree is required for teaching at the college or university level.

Job Outlook:

Employment of writers and editors is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2014. The outlook for most writing and editing jobs is expected to be competitive because many people with writing or journalism training are attracted to the occupation.

Employment of salaried writers and editors for newspapers, periodicals, book publishers, and nonprofit organizations is expected to increase as demand grows for these publications. Magazines and other periodicals increasingly are developing market niches, appealing to readers with special interests. Businesses and organizations are developing newsletters and websites, and more companies are experimenting with publishing materials directly on the Internet. Online publications and services are growing in number and sophistication, spurring the demand for writers and editors, especially those with Web experience. Advertising and public relations agencies, which also are growing, should be another source of new jobs.

Opportunities should be best for technical writers and those with training in a specialized field. Demand for technical writers and writers with expertise in areas such as law, medicine, or economics is expected to increase because of the continuing expansion of scientific and technical information and the need to communicate it to others. Legal, scientific, and technological developments and discoveries generate demand for people to interpret technical information for a more general audience. Rapid growth and change in the high-technology and electronics industries result in a greater need for people to write users’ guides, instruction manuals, and training materials. This work requires people who not only are technically skilled as writers, but also are familiar with the subject area.

In addition to job openings created by employment growth, some openings will arise as experienced workers retire, transfer to other occupations, or leave the labor force. Replacement needs are relatively high in this occupation; many freelancers leave because they cannot earn enough money.

Related Links:
U.S. Department of Labor - Writers and Editors
National Council of Teachers in English
Society for Technical Communication
Magazine Publishers of America