The Writers' Lighthouse at Ship
A High School Writing Community Resource from Shippensburg University
A Career in English - Really?
Absolutely. There are only three considerations when choosing a major as you think now about life after college. Some folks have a great-paying job they hate. Others love their job but have to put up with low pay. In today’s volatile job market, nothing is a guarantee, but if you enjoy writing, reading, researching, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, processing, and synthesizing information, an English degree could be the key to your success, the sweet spot in the center of all three.
Let's try a real-time experiment. Go to www.indeed.com. Punch in the city where you'd like to live one day and terms like: "writer," "technical writer," and "creative writer" into the search box. Consider the experiences and skills those employers are looking for. If you're in high school reading this, you have years to develop those, and Ship is a great place to do it.
And don't forget, Ship has degree options in literature and teaching English.
Below you'll find other information and links to articles about the value of an English degree in today's marketplace.
Won't I Just Be Eating Ramen Noodles?
It’s true that those with English degrees don’t necessarily have a predetermined career path, but this means they have more flexibility and broader opportunities to apply their skills in many fields. These figures from payscale.com suggest the value of those talents in the marketplace.
Major Early Career Mid-Career
English Literature 44,500 80,800
Creative Writing 41,700 70,100
Professional & Technical Writing 45,100 78,100
Criminal Justice 43,000 65,900
Nursing 60,900 79,600
Business & Marketing 47,000 92,100
Advertising & Graphic Design 44,000 69,900
Journalism 42,500 77,100
Applied Computer Science 58,900 87,100
Political Science 46,900 89,000
Ship English Students Go On to Do Great Things
Teaching
Ship alumni are shaping young minds from Camp Hill to Poland to China! Here’s a small sample of the many places lucky enough to secure our English grads:
Camp Hill Middle School South Allegheny School District
Greencastle-Antrim School District Big Spring School District
Carlisle Area School District Mechanicsburg Area School District
York Suburban School District York City School District
Shalom Christian Academy Shippensburg Area School District
West Perry School District Susquenita School District
Susquehanna Township School District
Boonsboro Middle School in Washington County, Maryland
Chambersburg North Middle School
Achievers Early College Prep Charter School in Trenton, NJ,
Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School, Harrisburg
Graduate School
Some of our students have gone on to graduate studies in literature and creative writing at some of the best schools in the country, including:
University of Nevada at Las Vegas UMass at Amherst
Boston University Queens College of Charlotte
NeoMFA at Cleveland State University New School in NYC
University of Penn Rosemont University
University of Arizona University of Glasgow
Cabrini University Butler University
Chatham University
Professional World
Others put their skills to use in a variety of creative roles, among them:
Editor of Amish Romance Novels at Scribe Publishing
Associate Editor at Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Social Media Manager for EZMarketing in Lebanon, PA
Business Development Manager at H&H Chevy (advertising/marketing)
Technical Writer for Volvo in Shippensburg
Technical Writer/Proposal Specialist for BlueWater Federal Solutions
Senior Document Specialist/Proofreader at EchoStar
Online PR Specialist at Webpage FX
Director of Communications for Professional, Continuing, and Distance Education
at Shippensburg University
We can't guarantee the exact shape of your success after graduation, but opportunities are seized by those who seek them.
There is an inherent value in writing that needs no justification. Still, if you're looking for evidence that the business world values the skills of a writer, check out these articles:
