The write stuff: Top 5 careers for English majors

So... what are you going to do with that English degree? The options are limitless: English majors find career opportunity wherever communication and analytical skills are in demand. Journalism, marketing, and teaching are just a few of the paths English majors forge in today's diverse economy.

Top Five Careers for English Majors

A bachelor's degree in English allows you to write your own career story. The versatile degree sharpens your ability to comprehend, analyze, organize, and communicate information--all valuable skills in the Information Age. The following top careers for English majors offer five ways to turn your degree into a stable, high-paying career.

1. Technical Writer

Content is king in the digital age. Trained communicators benefit from the need for timely, technically precise information. Technical writers are redefining writing as a high-demand career path, specializing in scientific, legal, or technological communication for a general audience. The Department of Labor forecasts 18 percent growth in technical writing jobs from 2008 to 2018, with rapid growth in areas such as high tech product documentation and online interactive media. Technical writers earned an average annual wage of $64,210 in 2008.

Lay the foundation for a technical writing career by combining your English bachelor's degree program with technical coursework. Or advance your existing career by pursuing an online education certificate in technical writing.

2. Public Relations Specialist

Communication is at the heart of an organization's success. Businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies rely on public relations specialists to communicate their values, brand, and products to the public. Manage customer or community relationships through press releases, events, and publicity programs. PR plays to several key English-major competencies: written and verbal communication, cultural sensitivity, research, and problem solving. PR specialists earned $58,960 in 2008.

Dial up your PR career preparation by adding business courses to your English repertoire. Marketing and advertising, corporate communications, and business management will help you apply your communication skills in the business world.

3. Teacher

Reading and writing, two of the three 'R's', will never go out of style. The K-12 school system ensures constant demand for English teachers and writing instructors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that demand for teachers will hold steady, with an average growth rate of 13 percent from 2008 to 2018. High school teachers brought home an average salary of $54,390 in 2008.

Develop your teaching vocation by adding a teacher training program to your English degree. The one-year program, available on campus or via online education, culminates in a student-teaching internship at a local school. For the best career prospects, continue on to a master's degree in education.

4. Marketing Manager

A steady tide of English majors are finding their career destiny in business administration and management, according to a National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Analytical and communication skills serve English graduates well in the private sector, putting them on the fast track to leadership and senior management positions. Marketing management combines leadership and communication skills, challenging you to develop a business strategy, communicate it to sales reps and customers, and lead a team of marketing specialists. Meanwhile, the six-figure salary challenges the myth of the underpaid humanities graduate: the BLS average hit $118,160 in 2008.

Aim for a marketing career by adding business management and marketing courses to your curriculum. Or hit the turbo button with an MBA in marketing.

5. Librarian

Today's librarians break the mold of the mousy bookworm, combining literacy with expert information management skills. Knowing your way around a database and information systems could land you a high-powered career as a library information scientist or systems analyst. Librarians earned an average salary of $54,700 in 2008. Systems analysts, one of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S., earned $78,830 in the same period.

Adding technical skills to your resume can put you on the fast track to a high-paying library career. Look for courses in management information systems or library information science. For the best opportunities, continue on to a Master of Library Science (MLS) or Master of Information Science (MIS). These graduate professional degrees are widely available through online education.

English majors face an array of exciting opportunities in today's economy. With a little initiative and some targeted professional training, you can take advantage of one of these high-demand careers for English majors.

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