English Careers

Studying English prepares you to excel in a wide variety of careers. Our curriculum offers job-specific training and helps you develop fundamental skills that are applicable to any job and that never become obsolete. 

What English Majors Bring to the Job Market

  • wide-ranging cultural and psychological鈥痠nsight鈥� 
  • creativity鈥�  
  • digital/media literacy鈥�  
  • nuanced analysis of complex texts and issues  
  • clear,鈥痯ersuasive, and鈥痚mpathetic鈥痮ral and written鈥痗ommunication鈥�  
  • intellectually鈥痑nd ethically rigorous research鈥��  
  • collaboration  
  • human-centered,鈥痸alues-driven decision-making  
  • ability to learn quickly on the job 
  • completing鈥痵ubstantial鈥痠ndependent projects 
  • confronting a future with generative AI  
    • producing writing that is innovative, compelling, and authentic 
    • critically evaluating AI output 
    • strategically determining productive, ethical uses of AI 
  • teaching / education (including鈥痑鈥�)鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;
  • internships鈥痜or credit鈥痺ith a wide range of employers鈥� 
  • , covering topics such as:鈥��
    • business writing 
    • 迟别肠丑苍颈肠补濒鈥痗辞尘尘耻苍颈肠补迟颈辞苍鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
    • AI literacy and prompt engineering
    • grant writing
    • editing and publishing鈥� 
    • job application preparation鈥� 
    • pre-law preparation鈥�� 

These鈥痵kills鈥痗losely match鈥痶he鈥�溾�濃�痠dentified鈥痓y鈥疶he National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)鈥痑s the most important skills for graduates to succeed in the workforce.鈥�

Career Prep

English majors develop skills and habits of mind that are highly valued by employers in many fields: venture capitalists, Silicon Valley CEOs, philanthropic leaders and business journalists all repeatedly articulate [that] humanities skills are indispensably foundational to innovation, design, and development.'

  • Association of Departments of English (ADE) 鈥溾�� (2024)

How to Get Career-ready as an English Major

  • Familiarize yourself with the鈥痥inds鈥痮f help the鈥�Career Center鈥痗an provide.鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;
  • Check out鈥痶he鈥疌areer Center鈥檚鈥痯age of鈥�resources鈥痜or English majors.鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;
  • Try out online tools (such as those offered by the Career Center鈥痮r the鈥�) that match your personality and skills with鈥痯ossible careers. 
  • Take鈥疎nglish鈥痗ourses that expose you鈥痶o the鈥痜ull variety of the department鈥檚 offerings.鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;
  • Talk to your鈥痬ajor鈥痑dvisor about your plans for the future.鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;
  • Get to know your professors and seek out faculty who could serve as mentors.鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;
  • Consider a minor that will complement your English major (or if you are a non-English major, consider an English鈥痙ouble major or minor).鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;
  • Attend departmental, CLA, or university-wide career events. The鈥疎nglish鈥痙epartment periodically offers 鈥淐areer Pathways鈥� events where 91影视破解版鈥疎nglish鈥痑lums talk about鈥痟ow their English training relates to鈥痶heir current鈥痺ork.鈥� 
  • Get involved with your fellow majors through clubs and activities such as The Literary Nook, The Towson Literary Reading Series and other events organized by faculty and students.鈥� 
  • Develop a list of your technical and transferable skills and how they could be applied to鈥痙ifferent kinds鈥痮f work.鈥疎nrolling in ENGL 317: Writing for Business and Industry or ENGL 318: Technical and Scientific Writing will help. 
  • Consider an internship (ENGL 497 or 498) to gain鈥痳elevant experience or to explore job options.鈥�疢any internships are paid now, and you can still receive course credit while being financially compensated. 
  • Take advantage of鈥痚xtracurricular鈥痮pportunities to do research, writing, or editing/publishing. Join the Discourse Collective to work on Discourse.鈥�
  • Apply for an undergraduate research grant.
  • Enroll in ENGL 414 or 415: Editing the Literary Magazine to work on Grub Street.
  • Enroll in ENGL 401: Grant and Advocacy Writing to work with GIVE (Grantwriting鈥痠n Valued Environments).鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
  • Present鈥痑t an undergraduate conference on or鈥痮ff-campus.鈥��� 
  • Start鈥痯utting鈥痽our CV/resume鈥痶ogether,鈥痑nd鈥痗onsider a course (ENGL 317) or workshop in resume writing at the Career Center.鈥��

鈥疶he Career Center鈥檚 鈥�Career Road Maps鈥� page offers timelines鈥�(for both 4-year and transfer students)鈥痮f鈥痳ecommended career鈥痯lanning鈥痑ctivities鈥痑nd links to important鈥痳esources.鈥疌heck this out as soon as possible; there are helpful things you can do even in your first year at Towson.鈥�

鈥� In a time when humanities degrees are decreasing in popularity and public perception, I value my English degree because it gave me freedom of choice for my future career. When I chose not to pursue teaching (initially the only career path I saw for myself), I soon found that my English major could take me to law school, to other higher degrees, to marketing and business, to journalism, or to technical writing. 鈥�

91影视破解版 English Alum