English Career Options

A recent survey of our alums revealed that 72% use the skills they gained as an English major on a daily basis and that 92% use these skills regularly.

What do our English majors do after graduation? Our graduates enter a wide range of fields including :

 

WRITING / COMMUNICATIONS

 

“The gifts from an English degree were reinforced when I went to grad school: how to read critically, think analytically, and write clearly. These are prized skills in most careers, and as someone who has had the honor of hiring and working with my fellow human beings, I can attest that they are also talents that often go wanting. People who have these skills are distinguished within a company. That cream will rise.”

– David Fettig, Senior writer and editor, Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago

 

“At Rockhurst, I learned that my ideas mattered and that my questions mattered even more. It takes a lot of courage to ask questions that you really don’t know the answer to.”

– Mia Leonin, Poet and Professor of Creative Writing at Miami University

 

            Journalists

            Freelance writers

            Editors

            Advertising copywriters

            Grant writers

            Technical writers

            Dramaturgs

            Screenwriters

            Reporters

 

LAW

 

“My Rockhurst English degree gave me an advantage in law school over other majors because law school involves voluminous reading comprehension.   Also, my English degree has served me well in that the lessons of human experience found in great literature are enduring.”

– Brian Madden, Trial Lawyer at Wagstaff & Cartmell

 

“Litigation is advocacy. ‘Knowing your audience’ is something you think about in essay writing, but it equally applies in situations of life and death, of public safety. It’s the same principles applied differently. Especially in a victim’s centered line of work, either as a prosecutor or a civil attorney, helping the jury see your case through the victim’s eyes is essential. You can’t do that unless you paint the picture, using words to place them in the scene and in that moment where the victim’s world is changing.”

– Erika Lawler, Civil Attorney, specializing in the defense of victims of child abuse and sex crimes at the Lawler Firm

 

            Lawyers

            Paralegals

            Judges

            Trial consultants

            Mediators

            Compliance officers

 

EDUCATION

 

“Being forced to write and to put my thoughts down has been instrumental in everything I do now. It has helped me determine efficacy and find my true purpose. I wouldn’t have started that reflective practice without my English degree.”

– Dr. Kia Turner, Podcaster, Blogger, Visiting Professor of Urban Education and Founder of Fired-Up Teaching

 

“I use my English degree on a daily basis.  Not only did Rockhurst prepare me for my future in literature, but the "history of rhetoric" and other writing courses opened my eyes to a deeper understanding and value in the importance of human connection & language.”

– Brianna Larcher, English Language Arts Teacher at St. Agnes Catholic School

 

            Secondary school teachers

            English Language Learners (ELL) teachers

            College professors

            Educational bloggers and public advocates

            Writing center directors

            Librarians

            Student success counselors

            Educational administrators

 

BUSINESS / NON-PROFIT

 

"The ability to communicate effectively is never to be underestimated, especially in sales and marketing. We are storytellers by nature in sales and through emotional transportation, we engage our prospects’ interest. Without an English degree, I never would have had my storytelling skills.”

– Michael Hiatt, Marketing and Advertising Director at Jayhawk IMG Sports Marketing

 

“40 years of public life required empathy, understanding, the ability to understand larger trends (the story), to think precisely, to write, to tell stories, and to lead. English helped with all of that. What English taught me, in retrospect, was how to learn.”

 – Thomas Downs, Former Chairman and CEO of Amtrak, Board Member of Network Rail Consulting

 

            Consultants

            Marketing and advertising executives

            Arts administrators

            Research analysts

            Digital content managers

            Human resources specialists

            Social media managers

            Non-profit directors

            Investment advisors

            Account representatives 

            Fundraisers