Careers
An English major prepares students for a broad variety of careers. The study of literature and writing provides English majors with analytical and communication skills that are valuable in all fields from private industry to public service. The ability to write clearly and effectively is perhaps the most valued. The ability to read perceptively and critically and the ability to do research—to search out a mass of data, to organize it, and to present it skillfully in writing—are similarly important.
Upon graduation some English majors go directly into the employment market; others use their English major as pre-professional preparation for graduate work in business, law, medicine, and administration. Teaching is another career possibility for English majors. While still undergraduates, some Cal Poly English majors experiment with careers in law, advertising, corporate communications, teaching, public service, and other fields through Cal Poly's Cooperative Education Program.
English is thus an excellent foundation for careers in:
- Administration
- Personnel
- Communications
- Public Relations
- Government Services
- Sales
- Law
- Teaching
- Medicine
In each of these fields, communication skills are vitally important.