Malformed University Name, Uncategorized Surveys

Date: Feb 28 2013
Major: English (This Major's Salary over time)
English literature is not a major that will lead to anything of value in the working world in today's economy. I was told by that "an English degree will open so many doors for you" by a number of English professors during my undergrad and graduate school years. Well, that might have been the case even as recently as the 90s and early 00s, but it's not the case now. I have found in the seven years following grad school that employers have very tight requirements for jobs now, even entry-level jobs. It's no longer enough just to have a BA or MA degree in "whatever." Employers are looking for people who have particular skills and experience, who can walk right into the job and hit the ground running. Employers do not want to have to train people in anything anymore, mostly because they just don't have the time or extra manpower needed to do that kind of on the-job training. And what kind of useful job training will you get in an English program? Absolutely none. Yes, learning how to think critically and write well seems great in theory, if those skills were still highly valued, but honestly, they're not anymore. What employers want are people who are capable of working with "XYZ software" and have several years experience doing so. Listen, if you think you're going to easily score a $50,000 job with an English degree, you're seriously deluded, and I mean that with all kindness because believe me, I was just as deluded as you when I was in school. And the scary thing is that so many English profs at JCU are equally as deluded. They've become so insulated from real-world job market situations that they're incapable of giving solid advice to their students, even though I think many of them mean well and want to help. If you're dead set on pursuing the English track, I would suggest that you do your own independent research on the topic. Ask recent graduates about their experience in the job hunt. Scour online for what recent graduates from various schools have to say about life following an English degree. And be open enough to listen to what these people have to say. I wish I would have done that, instead of blindly believing everything my profs told me. Studying what you love is wonderful, it truly is. But you also need to be able to support yourself following graduation, especially if you have any school loans to pay back.