What to do with an English major
We asked the class of 2007 to let us know what career paths they were following upon graduating from our program. Their responses illustrate well the flexibility a major in English gives when choosing a profession. We wish each one of our alumni good luck on their diverse endeavors.
I will be reading screenplays and then writing the “coverage” to share in meetings. Essentially, what this task entails is writing an annotated bibliography for a screenplay … I will be studying for my MFA in creative writing at Arizona State … I have an editorial position at Random House … I got a job as a Junior Publicist in a local public relations firm … While my long term career goals remain rather vague and up in the air, I will be going to USC for the Master of Professional Writing in the fall to take classes in Screenwriting, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. I guess “Freelance Writer” or “Screenwriter” would be your best bet for me, if not “Starving Artist” … I am currently working at the Lincoln Theatre as marketing coordinator/project manager, helping to develop the Lincoln as a multicultural performing arts venue through outreach to the community and diverse programming … Paralegal, then law school … Right now I am teaching summer school science to elementary school kids (it was the only opening). I also started my masters degree in elementary ed at UMBC. I hope to language arts at some point in the future. I am already learning how an English degree makes a fabulous precursor to teaching … I will be attending the Boston University School of Law with an intended concentration on intellectual property … I’m currently doing Development work for a non-profit organization in New York dealing with international human rights related to gender and sexuality, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. After getting a little bit of experience in the non-profit world and in New York, I intend to enter a Ph.D. Program in English / Cultural Studies within several years … I am currently employed full-time as a Research Analyst for Kelton Research, a market research firm in DC … I am planning on going to graduate school in the fall at Columbia as part of their Masters in Social Work program working to get my MSW so that I can delve into the field of private practice therapy … I will begin working for the Kennedy Center as a Program Assistant, Community Partnerships … I am currently in my third week of graduate school at NYU working towards a Masters of Arts in English Education. I begin student teaching English at local public schools in the fall … I am now working as an Account Executive at a Public Affairs firm here in DC. This is surprisingly one of the most writing and research intensive jobs I’ve ever had … I am a writer at a consulting firm that specializes in predicting future consumer trends. My title is writer and futurist … Law school in the Fall of 2008 … I’m now working as an Editorial Assistant at the City Paper … I’m fundraising for the MS Society here in DC … I’ve accepted a position as a 2007 Corps Member with Teach For America in New York City. I will be teaching 7th and 8th grade English at a public school in Brooklyn for the next two years … I teach high school English in New Orleans … I will be going on to Washington College of Law at American University and I plan on concentrating in Sports & Entertainment Law … I’ll be landing in Santiago, Chile to teach English to a group of high schoolers. It’s through a program called English Opens Doors, sponsored by the Chilean Ministry of Education (the MINEDUC). It should be very exciting, though it’s my first time teaching … I am working full time as a paralegal at an appellate services firm called the Lex Group. I plan on taking the LSAT soon and would like to attend law school … I am currently the Director of Administration for John McCain’s presidential campaign … I’m moving to Spain at the end of the summer to teach English for a while … I am doing public and political advocacy for National Service at an organization called ServeNext, which I co-founded … After traveling to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam in August, I plan to look for an editorial position here in DC. I’d love to work some place like National Geographic, but I might also return to Thompson Publishing Group, a company I interned with while a student at GW. But in all honesty, I’m not really looking for an editorial career; it’s mostly just to earn money while I try to write and publish a novel … My post GW plan is to attend Santa Clara law school in the fall … Teach for America! I’ll be teaching 7 and 8th grade English in Palestine/Wheatley, Arkansas, in the Mississippi Delta region … In the fall I am going for my Master’s in Library Science with a concentration in manuscripts and archives at Drexel University.
