Gauri Chhabra
When thinking of the college degrees that lead to the highest-paying jobs, a degree in English isn’t the first that comes to mind. Though there’s more to choosing a major than the monetary aspect attached to a future job, there’s also no denying the importance of having strong employment opportunities tied to your college degree.
Changing Trends
Today, English is taken up for a completely different reason. Besides serving as a discipline in itself, it also serves as a platform and a springboard to many other jobs and profiles. The language in itself provides a content and language integrate learning (CLIL) platform helps in enhancing general grasp over other disciplines. In terms of personality development, this course contributes to individuals in a big way. It enables those introverts to gain confidence through the sharpening of the ability to express their thoughts and feelings. At times people are unable to express themselves due to the lack of language skills and without these basic skills they often hesitate to interact. So, this is another positive addition that the course offers to the students.
Besides, a degree in English arms you with the most vital statistics needed in the job market- Critical thinking, Creativity, Interpretation. It prepares you for a diverse range of professional fields, including teaching, journalism, law, publishing, medicine, and the fine arts. You may also pursue careers in tech companies and other startup ventures.
Getting in
To get into B.A English (Hons) degree, you would need to have passed XII from any Board. Some universities like Delhi University, Panjab University give admission to the aspirants through cut off system i.e. according to the class 12 board examination marks. Some universities conduct an entrance examination followed by an interview.
In conversation with Harshita Pathak, 2nd year student of B.A. English(H), MCM DAV COLLEGE, Chandigarh.
Why did you choose English Honors when STEM courses are much sought after?
I opted for English Honors for graduation because of my love for the subject. I felt that this was the subject that gave you an insight into Life which STEM courses did not. It also gives an understanding of one kind or another is at the heart of all human cultures. It is human experience itself, expressed in the emotionally rich medium of the language. The study of literature is a study of the nuances of human nature and imagination as represented by the inexhaustible subtlety of language. Unlike other subjects like Physics, Biology, Maths, Chemistry, Business Studies, Literature is closely related to the other parts of painting, sculpture and music and is fundamental to the newer image-and-language art form of film and to new academic approaches.
What are your career plans for future?
Since I entered high school, my aim has been to become a Professor in English. I had loved literature from an early age and would like to deepen my resolve to be an English Professor by teaching students at a higher level. I would like to possess the gift of a tremendously powerful educator. I would love to teach students to be writer with a voice. It is my dream to share my life’s experiences and personal practical knowledge to capture my students’ attention and teach English writing skills and ideas. I love to impart the knowledge that I receive from anyone to everyone as I believe that it gets enhance when we share ideas and facts. I desire to develop the skills and charisma to pull off an exciting and invigorating English class by making it so lively and tantalizing.
Institute Scape
*Lady Shri Ram College for Women New Delhi.
*St. Stephen’s College New Delhi.
*St. Xavier’s College – Autonomous, Mumbai.
* Miranda House New Delhi.
*Christ University Bengaluru.
*Hindu College New Delhi.
*Hans Raj College New Delhi.
*Ramjas College New Delhi.
*MCM DAV College, Chandigarh.
Career Pathways
Search Engine Marketing
Your language skills would help you in getting into Search Engine Optimization. This job requires you to use digital media to market products through online advertising and search engine optimization for companies. You don’t need to be a programmer, all you need is a strong analytical ability and creativity in you.
Journalism
Another file that you can get in is Journalism as this is one industry that values people with good writing skills and who are able to analyze and produce quality work. After graduation, you can be a print reporter, where you would produce, write, and research investigative news reports. They also expect you to have a strong researching ability. You can do a post-graduation or diploma course in journalism.
Social Media and Community
Management
You can also work in a public relation firm. You would be required to write news releases, newsletters and find content to send out to social media companies and writing web copies and brochures. Later, on you can get into the strategic side of things where the aim is to help companies shape the public’s perception through media. The government also hires PR writers to work in house in order to keep the public informed about the various governmental activities. A course in Mass Communication or Media and Communication will be a boost to your career.
This is a new communication role at many companies. Social media community managers are hired to run various social media properties for brands and companies.This job is part marketing, part editorial and communications, and part branding. It is great for out-going people with strong communication skills (for example, English degree and humanities majors).
Marketing
Even though a large number of people get into the creative and publishing Business after doing English, it can’t be stated as a norm. An English graduate can very well manage a marketing job or get into the corporate sector. Your degree should not hold you back from the vast career choices that are out there for you. As an English major, if you have strong communication skills then this job may excite you. Sports teams, brands, government and companies need people to take care of their social media programs and find ways to engage the public and fans.
This job involves taking care of the development and promotion of their brands and products. People with a good grasp of the English language and good communication skills are suited well for this job. One has to have an understanding of marketing; an MBA in marketing will definitely help.
Content Writing
In case you are eyeing the corporate sector, you can get into Content Writing. No matter what the case is, English literature graduates with a flair for writing along with a dose of humor are severely sorted after by the e-advertising agencies and blogs to fill in the posts of content writers. From educational, fashion and lifestyle contents to that of writing professional articles and web pages, you get to do and know a lot of stuff in this stint as a content writer. And, if you want to go completely corporate, all the e-business firms and other MNCs like TCS, Accenture, Capgemini, Thomson Reuters to the e-companies like Flipkart, a proper content developer and editor has become a necessity.
Entertainment
If you love films and if you have got a strong command over languages, then the job profile of a subtitle specialist is simply tailor-made for you. However, if you yearn for fixed hours’ duties and have strict likes and dislikes as far as films are concerned, please steer clear from this profile. You may have to see each and every scene repeatedly, sometimes even for hours, in order to pitch in the right translations. You would review incoming scripts/pitches/remake ideas, etc, and decides which of those ideas become movies and work with writers, producers, directors, agents/managers, cast, etc. as you shepherd the project through the filmmaking process, often dealing heavily with the development of the story and character themselves.If you’re intelligent, funny and have a way with words then you could opt for digital copy writing.
One can do a masters or diploma in creative writing before applying. Creative social media, blog posts, e-books, web promotional ideas and banner advertisement are some of the things you would be working on.
Technical Writing
Another field you can get into is Technical Writing. Many technical writers have writing-related degrees such as English, creative writing or journalism. Technical writers prepare instruction manuals and other supporting documents. They also collect, synthesize and spread technical information between customers, designers and manufacturers.
A better way of describing the role is one of technical communication – taking dense, information-packed manuals, guides and reports and translating them into language a target audience will understand.
If you have a knack for explaining complicated projects and procedures in simple, easy-to-follow steps in correct syntactical form, you have the skills necessary to be a technical writer.
Digital Teacher
Here’s a prediction: five years from now scoffing at the thought of “online university” will be reserved for only the oldest and foggy puritans of the old guard. You would be required to create, write, and produce new course content, record videos of your teaching, run a virtual classroom. All open education universities, for-profit professional education sites and online colleges would hire you. For the digital universities and online colleges, a PhD or MA would be required.
Summing up
Therefore, if you have a love and passion for English Language, embrace the career that opens doors for several other careers.
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