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Once you’ve completed your college education, the logical next step is to secure employment that aligns with your chosen field of study. Having an English literature degree opens up an extensive number of job opportunities across various industries after you graduate.
Having obtained this degree, you possess a wealth of expertise in valuable skills such as conducting research, comprehending texts, analyzing written content, and communicating proficiently. It is crucial to explore various career paths to identify the one that aligns most effectively with your skill set.
In this article, I have compiled a list of 20 potential career paths for graduates who have successfully completed their English literature degree. My aim is to provide you with a comprehensive guide to help you navigate through the various job opportunities available to you.
1. English Teacher
As an English teacher, you can teach students about books and language by making lesson plans, planning the curriculum, and giving grades on homework.
Your kids will learn to think critically and love reading and writing because of you. You need a degree in English literature and a license to teach.
The average pay for this job is $46,335 per year, and it gives you a lot of freedom to make a big difference in the lives of students.
2. Freelance Writer
You can choose to work as a Freelance writer for magazines, newspapers, books, and other places. You can work on more than one project because this job gives you flexibility and creative freedom. You need to be very self-disciplined and have a collection of your work. The story and educational writing skills you learned in English literature will be very useful.
Freelance writers can make an average of $74,316 a year, which is good for both their finances and their creativity.
3. Journalist
You can become a journalist and specialize in investigative reporting on a variety of topics, such as national politics or local occurrences. You will study, collect data, talk to people, and ensure the accuracy of your reports. With a degree in English Literature, you’ll be able to write and tell stories that make sense. To be successful, you need to be able to communicate and think critically.
Journalists make an average of $41,431 a year and have a rewarding job because they share important information with the public.
4. Social Media Manager
Working as a social media manager lets you create and use digital marketing plans on sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. To build your brand’s influence, you need to tell interesting stories and get people involved. Keep up with social media trends and learn how to look at engagement numbers if you want to do well in this job. You need to be creative and have good writing skills, which you can get from studying English literature.
Social media managers make an average of $55,933 a year across the country.
5. Librarian
As a librarian, you can help people find information and keep the library’s collections in order. You can get this job in schools, universities, and study centers. You need to be very good at organizing things and getting along with other people.
An English Literature degree can help you with this. To be successful, you might want to get a master’s degree in library science and do service or internship work to gain experience.
Librarians make an average of $56,415 a year in the USA.
6. Copy Editor
You can work as a copy editor, going over and revising written work to make it easier to read and make sure there are no mistakes. Some of the places where copy editors work are in news, marketing, and business. You need to be good at proofreading and have a good eye for detail.
An English Literature degree will help you with both of these things. To begin, do internships or freelance work to gain experience and build a good portfolio.
Copy editors make an average of $39,501 a year in the United States.
7. Interpreter
If you speak more than one language well, you might be a good fit to become an interpreter. Getting a degree in English literature helps you understand and explain complicated ideas more easily. Interpreters work in a lot of places, like schools, the government, and businesses. For this job, you need to be able to communicate clearly and understand other cultures.
For interpreters, the annual average salary is $46,852.
8. Technical Writer
If you want to be a great technical writer, you should focus on making paperwork that is clear, concise, and easy for people to use. You’ll have to make complicated technical knowledge easier for a wide range of people to understand.
First, learn as much as you can about technical topics or fields that interest you, like engineering or technology. It will also be important to get good at using writing tools and understand what users want. Your degree in English literature will help you write clearly and logically, which is important for making good technical papers.
Technical writers make an average of $74,296 a year across the country.
9. Paralegal
Your main responsibilities as a paralegal will be to write legal papers, do in-depth research, and organize case files. Because you will be reading and writing a lot of complicated law documents, you need to be very good at organizing and writing. It will help to learn about how the legal system works and build a good eye for detail. Your knowledge of English literature will help you understand and write clear legal papers. To improve your skills, get paralegal studies certifications or more training.
Paralegals make an average of $55,228 a year across the United States.
10. Copywriter
If you want to be a Copywriter, you need to be great at writing text that people want to read. Focus on improving your writing and editing skills to create material that persuades you. You should put together a resume with examples of different kinds of writing, like ads, blogs, and web content.
You can also improve your chances by making connections with people who work in the same field and getting experience through internships or freelancing work. Most of the time, having a degree in English literature or a related area can be helpful for you to get a job.
Copywriters make an average of $58,458 a year across the country.
11. Publisher
If you want to be a publisher, you need to be in charge of making books, magazines, and other written materials. Get better at running a business, managing a budget, and working with creative groups.
To learn how the publishing business works, you should do internships or get entry-level jobs in publishing houses. You will understand material and market trends better because you have a background in English literature. Making connections in your field can lead to new possibilities.
Most publishers make $67,459 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
12. Account Executive for Advertising
As an advertising account executive, you’ll need to be good at managing relationships with clients and working with creative teams to make sure that marketing efforts are successful. Key skills are good planning and communication.
Your degree in English literature will help you clearly explain what your clients want and how you plan to sell to them. To make sure you meet your clients’ goals, learn how to handle projects and market your products. You can also improve your chances by making connections in the field and getting experience through jobs.
Advertising account executives make an average of $57,803 a year.
13. Lawyer
To become a lawyer, you will need to be able to write strong arguments and think critically. You will also need to be able to defend clients well in a variety of legal matters. Your degree in English literature will give you a strong base for these skills, which will help you do great work writing legal briefs and arguments.
Going to law school and passing the bar test are the next most important things you need to do to get qualified. You should also work on getting real-world experience through jobs like internships and clerkships.
The average pay for a lawyer in the United States is $93,223 per year.
14. Editorial Assistant
As an editorial assistant, you will be responsible for things like checking facts, proofreading, and helping editors with different administrative tasks. Paying close attention to details and communicating clearly are important for making sure that published material is correct and of high quality.
Your degree in English Literature will help you get better at these skills, making you great at editing and reviewing content. Do internships or work on school publications to get experience. Learning a lot about how editors work and the standards of the business will make your qualifications even stronger.
Editorial assistants make an average of $42,782 a year across the United States.
15. Public Relations Manager
You need to know a lot about communication strategy and brand management if you want to be a good public relations manager. Get good at writing so you can make and look over materials, plan campaigns, and analyze brands.
A strong base can be built by making connections and getting experience through internships or similar jobs. Your degree in English literature will help you write powerful messages and figure out how people really feel about things.
Public relations managers make an average of $62,530 a year across the country.
16. Content Manager
As a content manager, you will be in charge of managing the creation and delivery of content across many channels. To be good at this job, you need to be able to organize things well and tell stories well. You can usually get these skills by studying English literature. It will be very important that you can lead teams, set long-term goals, and make sure that material fits with client goals.
Content managers make an average of $63,669 a year across the United States, which shows how important their job is to the growth of a business.
17. Archivist
You will need to get books, photos, and papers that are important to you, evaluate them, and keep them safe. For this job, you need to have a good eye for detail and good analytical skills, which you can usually get from studying English literature. Your work will help students and staff by keeping archives well-organized and making sure that important historical records are kept safe.
Archivists make an average of $57,647 a year across the United States, which shows how important their careful and academic work is.
18. Educational Consultant
As an Educational Consultant, you will help K–12 students and their parents make decisions about their academic choices and course possibilities. Your job requires you to be very good at organizing tasks and really care about teaching, which are strengths that English literature majors often have. You help shape your clients’ educational paths by giving them good advice and showing them how to find educational tools.
The important help you give in the school world is reflected in the national average pay of $63,804 per year for educational consultants.
19. Marketing Manager
As a Marketing Manager, you will be responsible for spreading the word about your brand and creating advertising campaigns that will bring in and keep customers’ attention.
For this job, you need to be able to think creatively and work with others, which are skills that you usually get from studying English literature. How you plan and carry out marketing campaigns will have a direct effect on the company’s position in the market and how engaged customers are with it.
With an average pay of $70,297 per year across the United States, marketing managers play a big role in helping businesses grow.
20. Records Manager
You have to create and take care of systems for handling information, such as ways to store, back up, and get records as a record manager. To make sure that records are kept well and can be found, you will need to have strong planning skills, which you can usually get from studying English literature.
Your job is to help make sure that important information in a company is kept safe and accessible.
It’s clear how important good records management is since the average pay for a records manager across the United States is $69,704 per year.
The Bottom Line
Getting a degree in English literature can open up a lot of job possibilities in many fields. Your education has given you the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and analyze data. These skills make you a strong candidate for a wide range of jobs, from creating material to teaching and more.
By looking at these 20 different job options, you should be able to find one that fits your skills and interests, giving you both personal and professional growth.