Job Advice for College Grads?

[Boom]

I've been out of college for several years now, and after a handful of miscellaneous jobs, I've decided that perhaps I should look for something that actually utilizes my degree.

I've always wanted to be a film critic, but I imagine that's something I'm going to have to build up to.

So, what's out there for English majors these days?

 

[AndThePickles]

Have you tried technical writing and editing jobs? Those are what I was looking for fresh out of college, and I didn't have enough experience, but they tend to be needed at a large variety of different companies.

 

[Boom]

I'll give those a look.

Do they pay well starting out?

 

[Rocketman]

There's a myth that you can't do a lot with an English degree. Don't believe it, ever.

- Communications
- Marketing
- Editing / Proofreading
- Publishing
- Technical Writing / Manual Writing
- Journalism (You don't necessarily need a degree in journalism - that's a myth too)

All of these are fields you can get into with a Bachelor's in English. And that's not including more areas related to the arts. I think the general consensus with people who know nothing about English is that the degree is a pipe dream for those who want to be millionaire novelists, poets, playwrights, and lyricists. This is almost embarrassingly incorrect.

Also, if you were interested in teaching, you could get a Masters degree and be a professor/teacher. But personally, I wouldn't do it. There's so much more you could do.

It also really depends on the area you live in, like many degrees. I think people just give up after a certain amount of time, which is unfortunate. I just graduated in May with a Bachelor's in English with a minor in Writing, and there's a ton out there for me - the problem is finding the time to apply for all of it. Some of these applications literally take two hours to apply for online.

I'm personally trying really hard to become a technical writer, because it's a field I'm genuinely interested in. And for the record, they start out between $30,000 to $42,000 a year. That's a job in high demand, because people are increasingly becoming less and less competent when it comes to writing/communication skills. You'd be shocked by how people can't even write an e-mail.

Hang in there, man. For me, it's been since May (it's now October), and although I can get discouraged sometimes, I tell myself that it's all going to work out. Which it will. Things like this are usually just a matter of time, pacing yourself, and being positive.

 

[Metamorpho1977]

Former ECW star Raven was an English major. Look where it got him.

 

[Rocketman]

So was Harrison Ford, James Cameron, and Matt Damon. And Jodie Foster and Conan O'Brien. And Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. All English majors.

 

[Boom]

That's ****ing awesome .

 

[AndThePickles]

I'll give those a look.

Do they pay well starting out?

See below

There's a myth that you can't do a lot with an English degree. Don't believe it, ever.

- Communications
- Marketing
- Editing / Proofreading
- Publishing
- Technical Writing / Manual Writing
- Journalism (You don't necessarily need a degree in journalism - that's a myth too)

All of these are fields you can get into with a Bachelor's in English. And that's not including more areas related to the arts. I think the general consensus with people who know nothing about English is that the degree is a pipe dream for those who want to be millionaire novelists, poets, playwrights, and lyricists. This is almost embarrassingly incorrect.

Also, if you were interested in teaching, you could get a Masters degree and be a professor/teacher. But personally, I wouldn't do it. There's so much more you could do.

It also really depends on the area you live in, like many degrees. I think people just give up after a certain amount of time, which is unfortunate. I just graduated in May with a Bachelor's in English with a minor in Writing, and there's a ton out there for me - the problem is finding the time to apply for all of it. Some of these applications literally take two hours to apply for online.

I'm personally trying really hard to become a technical writer, because it's a field I'm genuinely interested in. And for the record, they start out between $30,000 to $42,000 a year. That's a job in high demand, because people are increasingly becoming less and less competent when it comes to writing/communication skills. You'd be shocked by how people can't even write an e-mail.

Hang in there, man. For me, it's been since May (it's now October), and although I can get discouraged sometimes, I tell myself that it's all going to work out. Which it will. Things like this are usually just a matter of time, pacing yourself, and being positive.

Exactly. I have a Bachelor's degree in English - Writing and Rhetoric. I purposely chose my degree for the flexibility. I currently work at a marketing & communications department. Here's something that many people don't realize - Communications majors are a dime a dozen, and most companies will purposely seek out applicants who majored in something more specific or people who are strong writers.

As much as I, too, really wanted to get into the technical writing field, it is definitely very difficult to break into. If you do, however, and you can afford to wait things out, you can make a LOT of money and become involved in a wide range of fields. I'd personally wanted to eventually work for Lockheed Martin, but I needed to start paying off my loans, etc, and after a long journey ended up in my current position thanks to my initiative and writing ability.

Keep at it! The market is competitive right now, but if you are persistent, eventually something will come along. There's also a lot of government jobs in our field.

 

[spideyguy16]

I plan on getting a minor in English..

 

[Brain Damage]

As a freshman planning on majoring in English, this thread makes me very happy.

 

[Boom]

Should I stick to Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com?

 

[AndThePickles]

Should I stick to Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com?

No. Find organizations in your area and go to their websites to see if they have a careers section. Also, if you see a job posting on Monster or Careerbuilder, check and see if it's posted directly on the company's site. Those large recruiting websites tend to result in hundreds, if not thousands, of applications towards each job. You have to find a way to make yourself stand out.

 

[Prison Mike]

Try networking with your alumni association. That's what I'm doing right now.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

A former classmate of mine only took one writing course at a community college and he got a job as a writer in LA. He sucks at writing...

I'm honestly questioning whether or not a college degree is found 'useful' in this era.

 

[Rocketman]

Should I stick to Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com?

Try Indeed.com.

A former classmate of mine only took one writing course at a community college and he got a job as a writer in LA. He sucks at writing...

I'm honestly questioning whether or not a college degree is found 'useful' in this era.

That's one example.
Trust me, a college degree in English and writing is extremely useful if you want a job that isn't teaching related. I'd even go one step further and say that an internship is almost essential. There are studies that say something like an internship will increase your chances of getting a job by 60%. It separates the men from the boys.

 

[AndThePickles]

A former classmate of mine only took one writing course at a community college and he got a job as a writer in LA. He sucks at writing...

I'm honestly questioning whether or not a college degree is found 'useful' in this era.

This is not a normal scenario in the present job market. Most companies are only hiring the best of the best, and they have plenty of candidates to choose from.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Try Indeed.com.



That's one example.
Trust me, a college degree in English and writing is extremely useful if you want a job that isn't teaching related. I'd even go one step further and say that an internship is almost essential. There are studies that say something like an internship will increase your chances of getting a job by 60%. It separates the men from the boys.

It's been tough to get an internship. I applied for the NSA and ACLU, but I didn't get any response back. I even studied at Dubai for a semester but internship opportunities were only available for citizens.

I was thinking about furthering my education by trying to get into the three month course at the University of Geneva but I'm not so sure it's worth the trouble anymore.

 

[Rocketman]

I was able to get two internships. Totally not bragging, just sharing this with everyone. The first one, I was one of 5 selected out of 200 applicants. And then the next semester, I was asked to just come back for a second internship at a different location because they already knew what I was capable of. The English department didn't even want to bother with reviewing other applicants, so again, I was one of 5 selected out of another 150 applicants, and the 4 I was selected with were new people. Basically, it felt awkward and undeserving, but I had to do what I had to do.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

This is not a normal scenario in the present job market. Most companies are only hiring the best of the best, and they have plenty of candidates to choose from.

Which is why I almost slit my throat when I heard the news...

I'm happy for the guy, but I've been working my a** off trying to get into MY field (and get out of the part time job which requires me to sacrifice my ideals), and he easily gets a good paying full-time job. Granted, my field is alot harder to get into but... jeez. How the industry hired him with no experience and limited education is beyond me.

 

[Boom]

I never took advantage of internship opportunities. Kinda dropped the ball on that one .

For those of you who are just now entering college, or are a couple of years into it, here's a word of advice: take advantage of all the opportunities your school provides for you. I didn't, and it's biting me in the ass. The market is tough, and you need to come in as prepared/experienced as you can.

What kind of writing does your friend do, Doomsday?

 

[Hobgoblin]

I think English majors are in the same boat as history majors...S.S. Screwed. My history degree got me nowhere but I'm getting a masters. A lot of English majors in my classes. You might want to consider more school.

 

[AndThePickles]

I had two internships, as well. I chose to do both of mine at my university...I think that it is certainly easier when applying if you have already proven your worth to an organization. In my case, I was in high standing with the professors I'd already taken classes under, so I'm sure that the heads of the departments I interned under likely asked around about me. I interned at our Public Relations office and then with the university's writing center...I then went on to become a writing consultant at the center afterwards. It's very important to establish yourself and build a strong reputation. You never know when a person might know another person who will get you a job, internship, important reference, etc.

 

[AndThePickles]

Which is why I almost slit my throat when I heard the news...

I'm happy for the guy, but I've been working my a** off trying to get into MY field (and get out of the part time job which requires me to sacrifice my ideals), and he easily gets a good paying full-time job. Granted, my field is alot harder to get into but... jeez. How the industry hired him with no experience and limited education is beyond me.

I'm sure it was a slap in the face It's really tough when you see those type of situations. All I can tell you is to hang in there...even though it seems like he's got it made, now, you never know what will happen to him in the future. If his job skills are poor, eventually it's going to bite him in the ass.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I'm an English major and a teacher.

 

[Boom]

I really want to be a film critic, but I don't even know where to begin. And even if I did, I honestly don't know how to even make it as a critic in this day and age.

I've looked into my local newspapers (large and small), but their Career pages offer me little-to-no help. Not to mention that newspapers are a dying industry (or so I'm told), and that especially doesn't bode well for entertainment sections.

So I guess that leaves websites/blogs, but for the life of me I don't understand how people make money from that. And I don't even know how you go about getting "hired" by a website.

Still, it's a career that just feels right to me. I spend most of my day researching and discussing movies anyway. Might as well try and make some money off of it.