What can you do with an English Lit degree apart from being a teachers?

Whenever I say that I want to do English at Uni everyone associates it with teaching, why? If I wanted to do biology, I could still be a biology teacher? Etc etc, anyway I really don't want to be a teacher, I would love to go into publishing or editing but I'm aware that only top uni students can go into that, well this is what I've been told; however I'm sure I could go into marketing and Sales, we have a family friend who worked for a company in London, it had nothing to do with teaching but she was on £40,000 a year at 25 years old and a bath spa graduate. So do I have to get an English degree from a top uni to earn a decent amount of money?

Reply 1

The Empire Odyssey

Original post by ambermariemorgan

You have a complete false representation of "only top uni students".... Where did you come across such rubbish? This was true maybe in the 1980s.

You can get into publish and editing but it's a competitive job, arguably the most competitive job for English graduates. Most publishers are looking for graduates who have had some good work experience at publishing houses or at least done some form of editing or writing.

Well, first of all, you shouldn't be going to uni because you want to earn money. You should be going because you have a career in mind and a passion/dedication to study the subject you wish to pursue at uni.

Nowadays it's all about experience and who you know. If yo want to go into publishing or marketing, you should do an English and Business or a joint honours so you have something to go back and forth with. Jobs and etc have changed when your family friend was at uni. The graduate job market is more competitive than ever, in whatever industry.

I suggest you focus on what you want to become then that might narrow your subject interest. However, your lack of information on what English can give and bring you is worrying if you wish to read it at uni. I suggest you look it up - job prospects is a good website that tells you what are the generic jobs you can get with degrees.

Good luck!