Where can an English degree from a Top University get me career wise?

after deciding i will not get into medicine, i've decided to settle for an english degree however im still confused as to what career i could get into if i were to get an English degree from a top university i.e. UCL, KCL, St Andrews, Durham etc. i know journalism is the obvious one but what other careers besides that could i get into?

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Reply 1

ggonex26

Most graduate schemes don't require a specific degree, so alot of those would be open to you. Marketing, Audit etc. If you did want to get into journalism it would be a good idea to get on to the uni paper somehow.

Reply 2

AnnabelLily

What about being a teacher? There are lots of jobs for teaching!

Reply 3

Luke Williams

Teaching and Journalism.

Reply 4

jojayne

You could really be anything you wanted to be, within the three years you gain vital communication skills that employers will want. English opens doors to so many careers (one of the reasons I'm choosing English) You could go into speech and language therapy, do a law conversion, healthcare, media work, teaching, accountancy etc.

Reply 5

cyfer

Original post by jojayne

Or just go straight into those degrees and professions and stop wasting your time.

English as a degree doesn't have (m)any financially viable options for the common man.

just do medicine.

Original post by cyfer

Or just go straight into those degrees and professions and stop wasting your time.

English as a degree doesn't have (m)any financially viable options for the common man.

I think this is a common misconception- the same with those who study subjects like History, for example. English may not be vocational degree, but the skills you gain are invaluable making an English graduate highly employable.

Also, the careers I listed were merely examples of the breadth of careers on offer, also not everyone knows what they want to do after university so for some a law conversion etc, may be the right path for them. :smile:

Reply 8

goodnightvienna

Doing English at a top university shows that you are, or at least can act, posh. People pay cash for that

Reply 9

digestives

English at a top university may help you get into MacDonalds; a worse university and you'll probably be looking at maybe the local kebab shop... :/

Reply 10

hr30

Original post by cyfer

Or just go straight into those degrees and professions and stop wasting your time.

English as a degree doesn't have (m)any financially viable options for the common man.

This is a common misconception, and one that I find extremely irritating.
I ask, why do a tedious law degree for 3 years when you could do a far more interesting English degree then convert it to law in 4?

Also: I spoke to an English tutor at Warwick who has students in everything from the typical careers: journalism, theatre, media, teaching, writing to more obscure ones such as the armed forces, lawyers, people running their own businesses etc etc.

English is great if you're not sure exactly what career you want. It gives you the opportunity to explore your interests and to develop skills without having to pigeon hole yourself to one career option. Take a journalism degree, looks like you'll be doing journalism. Take an English degree, you have options.

Reply 11

Tsunami2011

Original post by hr30

Probably best to know that the GDL costs upwards of 10k, so if you've not got a firm to sponsor you, its not as easy as it seems to convert. The bit about Law being tedious and English being far more interesting might be misread, as it seem to be passed of as fact rather than opinion. I personally couldn't think of anything worse than an English degree, but we're all different! Also, I always find it odd, if someone prior to university, says that they plan to be a lawyer, yet choose a completely unrelated subject. Either its too competitive for them, or too challenging/dull. If someone is planning to become a lawyer, why waste an extra year of your life doing the GDL, which is essentially the core modules crammed into one year. There are some firms, that want Law graduates, so its not always clear cut.

Reply 12

TheSmithsIndeed

Just did a quick search on Google and found this snippet of information:

'English graduates find opportunities with many different employers. Public and private sector organisations such as the National Health Service (NHS), educational institutions, local and national government, financial and legal firms, and voluntary and charitable organisations employ English graduates in a range of roles, including administration, research, finance and general management.

Other typical employers of English graduates include publishing companies, advertising, marketing and public relations agencies and media organisations. Retail, leisure and tourism also typically recruit English graduates.'

Reply 13

sclez1

Literally anywhere, you could do a conversion thing at the end or something?

Reply 14

TheRandomer

Haha I totally hate people who just say things without knowing what they're on about. I'm sure there's plenty of fantastic opportunities if you do an English degree. Anyone who says otherwise isn't doing that degree and therefore knows bugger all really.
I once heard someone say 'oh you can't do much with Physics apart from teach it really, or become a lecturer, isn't that right?' hahah.

Reply 15

newts2k

Original post by lilmissyox

journalism/teaching are good options, I know one or two people who have found it hard to get into jobs with English degrees but then again most people are finding it hard.

Reply 16

Trailblazer

Original post by Tsunami2011

50% of the legal profession are non-law graduates. It is not odd at all to want to do a different degree; in fact its a lot smarter and easier given the current legal environment.

Reply 17

barkyface

Journalism is a difficult career to get into, you'd be best starting working towards that now.
It opens plenty of doors for grad schemes, communications, marketing, administration, HR with training etc.
Personally I wouldn't start a degree without having a good idea where I wanted to be when I finished, what job etc. and knowing how to get there. However if you love the subject then go for it, and work out the career during university.

Reply 18

Tsunami2011

Original post by Trailblazer

50% of the legal profession are non-law graduates. It is not odd at all to want to do a different degree; in fact its a lot smarter and easier given the current legal environment.

50% of the magic circle firms. There is no data for any other firms. How on earth is it smarter? a Law graduate has the same amount of opportunities open to them, as a English grad. An English degree just means that you don't have a set career path.

Reply 19

Trailblazer

Original post by Tsunami2011

The last intake of pupils also was 50% non law. I did work experience at a high street firm and a lot of the solicitors I met were non-law. I'd rather safely continue to study a subject I love for another three years, at a top university, and go for a career in law afterwards -which if I get a first I'll definitely do.

Legal employers love strong academic degrees such as History, Philosophy, English, Economics ect. They involve the same skills as a law degree - evaluation, analysis, product solving, writing prose