Career Profiles

Employers want employees with the skills gained from studying English–skills like creativity, adaptability, persuasiveness, and the ability to collaborate. These are the "soft skills" companies need today. 

Common career paths for English majors include digital/social media writing and management, law, technical writing, public relations, human resources, editing and content management, and teaching. With an English degree, you can make a difference in the world around you and earn a living while you're at it. 

Data shows that unemployment rates for humanities students have decreased steadily in recent years, and the pay gap closes between humanities majors and their peers in STEM over time.

Below are job descriptions for some common careers English majors pursue:

• Digital Planning Manager: Digitial planning managers plan, buy, promote, and track digital media for companies.
  
• Web Analyst: Web analysts develop, modify, and maintain complex computer systems and websites.
  
• Multimedia Editor/Specialist: Multimedia editors/specialists create and manage various multimedia outlets such as websites, social media accounts, and apps.
• Web Designer: Web designers work closely with clients to develop, create, and maintain websites.
• Digital Public Relations: Digital public relations careers involve creating strategies that utilize social media and email in order to further companies' reach with both consumers and reporters.
  
• Social Media Specialist: Social media specialists are in charge of managing and monitoring a brand's social media channels.
  

This PDF provides more information about these careers, the necessary skills to succeed at them, and salary information.

• News Correspondent: News correspondents inform the public about news and events happening internationally, nationally, and locally.
  
• Film Critic: Film critics work in various mediums to review films.
  
• Broadcast Journalist: Broadcast journalists report on news and current events via television, the web, and/or radio.
  
• Food Critic: Food critics travel around to different restaurants, dives, and bars sampling their food to write reviews for potential customers.
  
• Obituary Writer: Obituary writers are responsible for writing death notices and short biographies for the recently deceased.
  
• News Producer: Working online, in print, in television, and/or in radio, news producers oversee the work that is done to produce news content.
  

This PDF provides more information about these careers, the necessary skills to succeed at them, and salary information.

• Medical Writer: Medical writers review, edit, and coordinate the publication of medical materials.
  
• Legislative Aide: Legislative aides provide support to legislators and their staff in areas such as administration, research and analysis, public relations, and communications.
  
• Financial Writer: Financial writers communicate content ranging from the market to business news to corporate issues to earnings of various companies and organizations.
  
• Grant Writer: Grant writers research, write, and submit proposals to request funding for organizations and individuals.
  
• Technical Writer: Technical writers create content for any number of sources, including how-to guides, instruction manuals, newsletters, web content, journal articles.
• Science Writer: Science writers are responsible for researching and compiling vast quantities of data about physical, medical, chemical, and biological sciences and sharing this information with widely different audiences.
• Human Resource Manager: Human resource managers have various workplace responsibilities, including during the interview and hiring processes.
• Public Health Writer: Public health writers are responsible for communicating a large spectrum of factors that play into public health, creating content for medical publications, labels, instructions, procedures, and more.
• Lawyer: Lawyers represent clients in criminal and/or civil court; they are also responsible for managing, advising, or speaking on behalf of clients in any type of legal action.
  
• Project Manager: Project managers uphold companies' quality standards, working alongside and directing employees.

This PDF provides more information about these careers, the necessary skills to succeed at them, and salary information.

• Campaign Manager: Campaign managers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of promotional or political campaigns.
  
• Marketing Manager: Marketing managers supervise the resources of a product or business, planning, directing, and coordinating advertising policies and programs.
• Event Planner: Event planners work in customer service to plan, coordinate, and execute customers' requests.
  
• Copywriter: Copywriters create content that is distributed through online media and print sources. 
  
• Brand Manager: Brand managers oversee market research, market development, and the various marketing strategies that are used by a particular brand.
• Literary Agent: Literary agents represent writers and their works to publishers, establish positive relationships between their clients and publishers, and produce marketable material while protecting authors' rights.
  
• Sales Manager: Sales managers are responsible for sales goals, the direction of sales teams to boost the profitability of an organization, and the distribution of products to customers.
• Museum Coordinator: Museum coordinators manage public relations for museums by maintaining archives and collections, planning community outreach events, and fundraising.
• Speechwriter: Speechwriters work with a wide range of people, including leaders of NPOs and NGOs, business executives, and politicians, helping them to convey key ideas and points to audiences in an effective and engaging manner.
  

This PDF provides more information about these careers, the necessary skills to succeed at them, and salary information.

Whether you are exploring career options, seeking employment after graduation, or considering graduate school, be sure to start by visiting the UD Career Center and make use of the resources available there.