At the same time the English major seems to have become less popular, companies across the country are wondering where all the competent writers have gone. It doesn’t matter if you work in fine arts or finance, the ability to communicate well is always among the top asks of hiring managers. Especially when it comes to the written word, companies want to be well-represented by people who can articulate their mission, meet their goals, and help them rise against competitors. If you’re already a passionate writer and want to pursue writing in college, there’s no reason not to. There are many career paths you can pursue with an English-Writing degree. These only scratch the surface:
Just because you can rock a TikTok video doesn’t mean you have what it takes to run social media. But finely-honed writing skills may be just what gets your foot in the door for this fun and exciting career path. As a Social Media Manager, you oversee your company’s social media platforms. From developing content strategies to writing the content that you post every day, you present the best face to the public that your organization can. You also answer questions, build the online community, identify trends, measure engagement, analyze data, and communicate your work to all relevant stakeholders.
As a PR Specialist, you research and write press releases, send out emails, create PR strategies, work with media partners and branding agencies, and handle external communications. Your goal is to shape and grow your company’s brand and reputation. Whether you accomplish that by connecting with influencers on social media or creating content that paints your organization as a thought leader in your industry, you need excellent writing, interpersonal, and communication skills.
The ads you see all the time on social media are actually part of a much bigger marketing strategy that involves sophisticated plans, research, copy, customer engagement, data collection, analysis, and forecasts. You need to know who your customers are, what they want, and how your products or services fit the mark. Then you need to create the right content—whether it’s a three-word tagline or a 20-page research analysis. What do they both have in common? Writing skills!
If you write well, you’re already an editor. The first doesn’t happen without the second. As a professional editor, you improve the writing of others and examine text for quality, accuracy, thoroughness, voice, and tone. Your job isn’t just to make good writing, though. It’s also to make better writers. Depending on the kind of publication you work for, you may also need to create editorial calendars and guide overall strategy.
The last time you connected a printer to a computer or built a shelf, you probably didn’t even think about the person who wrote out the instructions. As a technical writer, you turn complex and technical information into a language everyone can understand. You often need to start with research and data compilation before you get down to writing. But then you create manuals, warranties, instructions, and even journal articles, that are clear and concise.
Because communication is at the heart of good writing, your skills are actually valuable across industries and organizations. Human Resource departments need people who get along with others and understand that everyone has a unique story and deserves to be treated equally with respect and kindness. An English degree with a concentration in writing is a great foundation for entry-level work in HR.
Let’s not forget that writing degrees also help you become a writer. Many companies need dedicated copywriters to create public-facing marketing materials or internal brochures. Those HR departments need writers to create employee policies. Media organizations need writers to explain what’s happening in the world to a broad audience. Hospitals need people to create accurate healthcare brochures. Government agencies need people to provide information to their citizens. Everybody writes, but not everyone writes well enough to make it their career. Can you?
At Limestone University, you can major in English with a writing concentration to hone your skills, build your portfolio, and become the writer you were meant to be. Request information to learn more now.
Students who enjoy writing will thrive in the Writing Concentration. Writing students have the opportunity to study writing in all forms, both creative and professional.