Jobs for English Majors Part One: Teaching and Tutoring Opportunities

Unfortunately, becoming a New York Times bestselling author may not be in your future, but there are jobs beyond the parameters of perpetual academia available to those holding English degrees.

Of course, academia is always an option for those who plan to pursue a Masters or Doctoral degree. If you're planning on this track, then making a professional mark within collegiate channels should be your top priority. Work on campus as a writing tutor, teacher's aide, or any number of field-related jobs. Seek scholarships and recognition within the program; generally demonstrate your academic ability and potential whenever possible.

Of course, those who do not seek careers in academia will still want to demonstrate academic ability, but they will be doing this in tandem with demonstration of marketable job skills. Tutoring and teaching are definitely useful as resume fodder for some professions outside of academia, but other college-job choices may be better alternatives.

Aside from a professorial track, many English majors seek employment as a secondary education instructor. Each state has different requirements for middle and high school teacher licensure, but they all have one thing in common: you must plan for this career in advance, building educational coursework into your university experience. There are, of course, a few expectations to this rule: there are some programs that can fast-track your licensure even without prior coursework if you're willing to work in schools with a high teacher shortages-this understandably limits your geographic options, so it's best to plan for secondary education ahead of time if possible. English majors looking to teach middle or high school English should love both the subject matter and the students. Don't go into teaching if you don't really want to teach. Teaching requires additional college-level courses and it is hard work, and the work gets even harder if you're not 100% committed. Other options exist for English majors, so don't feel pressured into a teaching path.

In addition to classroom teaching, tutoring is a viable option for individuals with English degrees. Tutoring can be very rewarding: you get to know the students on a more individual basis than classroom teaching permits; you are able to really understand a student's personal challenges and educational needs, helping the pupil grow to his or her fullest potential. While tutoring is often viewed as a transitional vocation-something to do prior to fully licensed teaching-many private organizations across the country offer high-paying in home or on-site tutoring for struggling youth exclusively to degree-holding instructors. Mentorship programs also involve a great degree of tutorial work. Furthermore, graduates planning on pursuing a MA, MFA, or PhD will be happy to learn that such advanced degrees are useful in landing jobs as tutorial center or writing lab directors.

Overseas teaching jobs are also on the rise. With China's burgeoning economy catapulting the country onto the main stage, there is a great demand for English teachers to teach conversational and business English. In high-need areas, TEOFL certification, though desirable, is not always a prerequisite and can be obtained on the job while earning a salary.

Those who have a knack for teaching the English language but do not want to travel to Asia or other high-demand workplaces can find positions within the US teaching English as a second language. For private institutions, certification may not be required, but in most cases seeking an ESL certificate or state certification in ESL instruction is recommended.