# What can I do with my degree in English? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 17, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048 "2005-03-17T21:05:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/1 "2005-03-17T21:05:36Z")
So, as I started to tell in another thread, my student-teaching internship was ended rather abruptly. I’m getting over the shock of it all now, and trying to take some action to get some of my tuition money back. Now, however, I need the help of my fellow dopers with something else. I will graduate, sadly in June rather than April, with a B.A. in English. Given that I’ve spent the last three years preparing to be a teacher, and that door is temporarily closed to me, what can I do with my degree? Pretty much all of my work experience is either in retail (6.5 years) or teaching (one semester at the college I attend of teaching a remedial English class). My minor is Political Science, and I think I want to go to law school, since I’ve loved all of the law classes I’ve taken so far. So, dopers, what the heck can I do with this degree? ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/2 "2005-03-17T21:25:36Z")
_sings_ Four year of college and plenty of knowledge Have earned me this useless degree… Can’t pay the bills yet, 'cause I have no skills yet The world is a big scary plaaaAAAACE! … Er, probably not what you’re looking for, but with a thread title like that, I couldn’t resist. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/3 "2005-03-17T21:26:25Z")
> [@wmulax93](#): > > My minor is Political Science, and I think I want to go to law school, since I’ve loved all of the law classes I’ve taken so far. Go to law school. ---
**Author:** ![gruver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/57b2e6/32.png) [@gruver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gruver)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/4 "2005-03-17T21:26:40Z")
i don’t know what the job market around you is like but with my degree in English started at a website as an editor for the newsletter. in my experience, english degrees vary a great deal. i didn’t do more than the necessary literature courses but i did take a lot of technical writing, composition, editing, and linguistics courses. would freelance work be doable for you? i know a couple of lawyers who say they would love to have someone working in their office that knew grammar and could proofread briefs and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/5 "2005-03-17T21:26:55Z")
Type well-formulated responses on the Straight Dope? I don’t mean to be mean. I also have an English degree that I try to get some use out of now and then, but my initial path (Technical Writing) didn’t pan out at all. On the other hand, maybe that would be an option for you? An English degree with a political science minor and a possible interest in law school sounds like a good background for an entry-level job in government. Are you in, or can you relocate to, a state capital or DC? You probably won’t find the pay especially high, but you may find you get a better title, more authority and good connections in a government job. Look especially at jobs that are more appointment based, not civil service. Or if you have strong convictions one way or the other you could try an activist lobbying or non-profit group. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/6 "2005-03-17T22:11:20Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > > [@wmulax93](#): > > > > My minor is Political Science, and I think I want to go to law school, since I’ve loved all of the law classes I’ve taken so far. > > Go to law school. Or go work for a law firm or a government office involved in law (District Attorney, City Attorney, etc.). If that doesn’t cure you, you’ll at least know what you’re getting into when you go to law school. A fair number of people find that the practice of law is different enough from the study of law that they stop practicing. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/7 "2005-03-17T23:41:42Z")
Do you want fries with that? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/8 "2005-03-18T01:56:55Z")
You could do grad school – M.A. in English can get you a community college teaching job and a Ph.D. a university job . . . ---
**Author:** ![Scarface\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Scarface\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarface_Z)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/9 "2005-03-18T02:30:45Z")
> [@Tracy Lord](#): > > _sings_ > Four year of college and plenty of knowledge > Have earned me this useless degree… > Can’t pay the bills yet, 'cause I have no skills yet > The world is a big scary plaaaAAAACE! Well, **wmulax93** could go work for a temp agency, but they’d probably fire him for being too depressing on the phone. 🙂 Ahh, theatrical allusion…bliss. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/10 "2005-03-18T03:09:19Z")
Working for a state PIRG? I would also start trying to get a part-time internship at a politicos office that you could parlay into a legislative assistant position while you’re temping or try getting a Staff Ass job on the Hill. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/11 "2005-03-18T03:35:35Z")
I have an English degree and accidentally fell into a position as a newspaper marketing analyst. You’d be amazed on how things can work out. Remember that almost every company needs someone who can write clearly and concisely. Keep an eye out for those types of positions. Under the circumstances, though, I’d say law school is the best bet for you. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/12 "2005-03-18T03:40:34Z")
Also, before I went to law school I took my Poli Sci degree through campaign management and then marketing and sales in IT (this was over two years). However, I was a dot-com boom graduate so I’m not sure I would be able to acquire those types of jobs now. My best friend from undergrad graduated in English and she taught english in Japan for a year after she got her M.A. and before she went off to do her Ph.d (we went to school in Canada and then she went to Scotland to just get her M.A.). Teaching abroad is definitely something you might want to look into if you have some teaching experience already-I have a few classmates (here in lawschool) who took that route. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/13 "2005-03-18T04:29:59Z")
Work here. I need two. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/14 "2005-03-18T04:49:21Z")
I don’t know if it’ll help, but I’ll toss in that my long-time college roomie took a B.A. in English and went into advertising. He’s done _very_ well. ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree-in-english/295048/15 "2005-03-18T05:07:06Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > You could do grad school – M.A. in English can get you a community college teaching job and a Ph.D. a university job . . . Given the state of the academic job market, this probably isn’t the best course of action. I’ve applied for teaching jobs and had my application rejected, only to be told “Well, we had 400 applicants for that position…” The M.A./community college route is doable, but those aren’t real plum jobs (lots of grunt work, little pay, zero respect).