English

The skills gained through studying English are marketable in most career areas. Perhaps the major strength of all English graduates is communication skills, both in speech and in writing.

Over the course of your degree you develop a wide mix of subject-specific and technical skills, you should consider these skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile.

Working as a Communications Executive (Publishing)

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Prospects

In 2010, a HESA survey of 2009 graduates indicated that six months after finishing their course around 52% of English graduates had entered employment, with a further 8% combining further study and work. Many were in temporary jobs, mostly clerical, retail or catering, to be used as a stepping stone to gain experience for their longer-term aims. These figures are typical of non-vocational subjects, in contrast to vocational subjects where more graduates go straight into employment.

English graduates tend to enter a wide range of employment areas. For example, of the English graduates going into employment in 2010, around 8% were in commercial, industrial and public sector managerial positions, 7% had entered marketing, sales and advertising roles and around 9% were in teaching and related roles. A further 5% had become business and financial professionals.

Where are the jobs?

Typical employers include: banks; publishers; advertising agencies; PR companies; accountants; local government; UK Home Civil Service; the National Health Service (NHS); retailers; finance; educational institutions; voluntary and charitable organisations; the media; libraries; leisure industries; the tourist trade; social services; as well as a wide range of local, small to medium-sized enterprises.

For more detailed information on the range of options check out the following employment areas:

• Advertising, marketing and PR;
• Media;
• Publishing

Jobs directly related to your degree

• English as a foreign language teacher/English as a second language teacher
• Primary school teacher and Secondary school teacher
• Lexicographer

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Advertising account executive
• Advertising copywriter
• Arts administrator
• Academic librarian, Information officer, Records manager
• Charity officer
• Writer
• Editorial assistant
• Marketing executive
• Newspaper journalist
• Press officer
• Programme researcher, broadcasting/film/video
• Public relations officer
• Runner, broadcasting/film/video.

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it's not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

You can find more about the skills you develop during your course, the jobs listed above, plus case studies and where to find these jobs at Prospects.

Included with the permission of AGCAS. For the latest version of this publication, see www.prospects.ac.uk. For permission to reproduce, contact copyright@agcas.org.uk