Is an English Degree Worth It?

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These videos are for entertainment purposes only and they are just Shane's opinion based off of his own life experience and the research that he's done. Shane is not an attorney, CPA, insurance, or financial advisor and the information presented shall not be construed as tax, legal, insurance, safety or financial advice. If stocks or companies are mentioned, Shane might have an ownership interest in them. Affiliate links may be present, the offers and numbers presented may change over time so please make sure to confirm that the offer is still valid. Some offers mentioned may no longer be available or they have been changed. Please don’t make buying or selling decisions based on Shane’s videos. If you need such advice, please contact the qualified legal or financial professionals, don't just trust the opinion of a stranger on the internet and always make sure to do your own research and enjoy this family friendly content.

Sources and further readings for jobs and college degrees:
payscale(provides information on jobs and degrees)

[ShaneHummus]

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[Secret_Troilus]

Story Time: I got a BA in English. I originally went into undergrad wanting to get a theater degree, but once i got there I realized it wasnt going to be feasible with having to work AND go to school. So I decided to study English. What ended up happening was I got into an MLitt/MFA program and many of my peers (who got undergrad degrees in theater) would have trouble trying to write the papers we were assigned because they came from such a conservatory style undergraduate program. On the other hand, I didn’t have too much trouble adjusting to writing for a grad program because i had already done so much writing in undergrad. Having those “soft skills” like you mentioned really help me as i navigate graduate level classes and I’ve been able to produce some great work as a result.

[kikiyweathers]

English degree undergrad here. I've mostly worked as Content Editor/Manager. I added some front end dev skills (HTML/CSS/Javascript - very basic knowledge). I did get an unnecessary Master's in Information Systems Management. I make six figures and have since 2015 and my English degree was most interesting to employers for content jobs.

To be a content editor, it almost requires an English degree, HTML, project management, and SEO skills. Yes, you have to add to your skill set, but if you love English and your craft, it's the way to go. Make your degree work.

[ahmetmoses]

You won't regret if you love it, and of course it depends on you. Some of us want to be academics.... And If you succeed you will get a well paid.

[Manuel-nlhr]

It's kinda sad watching all of your first options, that u considered as priorities (in my case Literature, Teaching, Psychology, Biology) being turned down and people discouraging you when it comes to opting for them.
And now im like what else am i supposed to do? I dont wanna become a doctor or an engineer or a data analyst...like wtf? I dont know shit about such careers and they dont interest me at all. They' ve never been my passions and it's so sad when u realise that most people think of your passions as useless and look down on them only because they dont make profit. But now i just feel forced to follow a career path that has better chances of securing me a nicer future, with the cost of not enjoying it.

[GeekPhilosopher]

Shane Hummus, I have the two degrees you regularly tout as the most valuable and most worthless: computer science and English. I did computer science to be "practical" but at age 53 it has not proven to be the meal ticket I thought it would be. I would encourage young people to go ahead and do what they're passionate about, because even the backup practical route may not work out in the end.

[YungElation]

Anyone who's currently pursuing an English degree, doesn't want to be a teacher and doesn't want to go into higher education I highly recommend looking into marketing (especially digital marketing), social media management and copywriting as careers. Even tech writing is good as well. Even if you're close to graduating and don't have any experience in anything or contemplating going to college for English --- you can self teach digital marketing!! That's the beauty of this career, it doesn't require a degree but it will be more than relevant if you have one, especially an English degree!

Unless you go to a prestigious university an English degree isn't going to be good on its own so make sure to learn some skills on the side and get some experience and you'll be set. The ones I listed are very stable careers (they aren't going anywhere) and are highly in demand that offer plenty of room for improvement and pay. English degrees are very common in these fields as well so definitely do not be afraid if they don't list them on their website (do your research). Also make sure to get an intern or relevant experience before graduating. That'll save you a lot of hassle later 😉

English majors specialize in writing and communicating. That's literally the whole major and every business needs people who can write and communicate well. It's just a fact. Which is another reason why English degrees are still highly pursued by a lot of people because their relevant. So make sure to search for jobs in those areas. If you see jobs listing degrees in marketing or communications apply! It's also good to know as well in today's job market experience means a lot more than a degree (this applies to all careers; obviously except ones that need degrees - accounting, lawyer, doctor, etc). So if you have relevant experience, that will matter most!

Here are some more miscellaneous jobs English majors can get into: communications specialist, paralegal, content management, community management, advertising, publishing, editor, public relations, account manager, consulting, interpretor and translator, reporter, journalist, human resources, screen writing, game writing, producer, sales

[anayaw]

Came here to feel worthless!😭 (English is my strongest skill💀)

[ShikataGaNai]

I got my BA in English/Zoology from UC Davis after coming back from Vietnam with the US Air Force. I worked as a technical writer in computer software and aerospace. I was fortunate enough to avoid debt, as tuition at the University of California in 1976 was $637.50/year. I also had a Top Secret security clearance...so I made about $35/hour in 1976. People are more then their degree; they are the sum of their total experience base. Sadly, I could not do as well in the current economy if I had a newly minted BA in English. I went on to get a BS in Biology, MA in Psychology, and a Master of Public Administration degree. I also did a PhD, because it was necessary for independent clinical practice.

[joshuabertrand]

Great video! This is why anecdotal evidence is bad evidence. All of my friends who majored in English are doing extremely well. Many found jobs in companies where they are doing technical writing, patent work, quality assurance for company correspondence to the public. To be fair, though, they went to Texas A&M or Texas Tech. A&M has very good networking ties, and Tech has a great writing program. Needless to say, in this field, it is more who you know or graduating from a top program.

[mark]

Editors too, being a writer is only fun when you get to type it up as fast as possible. It's nice to have editors clean it up.

[grayscarab]

Your advice on becoming a writer is spot on. I have one addition though, you don't need to get a degree but watching a master class on creative writing or an online short course could be helpful, these are not very expensive either.

[ronaldbell]

During recent years, one of the Navy's Blue Angels demonstration pilots had a degree in English (creative writing concentration), and usually one doesn't think of an English major flying a supersonic jet fighter. Too, when I worked in a shipyard during the summer between college years, I discovered that the commanding officer of a nuclear-powered Polaris ballistic missile submarine had an English degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Navy Admiral Nora Tyson, a Vanderbilt University English graduate, was a naval aviator and ultimately commander of a carrier battle group. Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner also had a degree in, yes, English. So, I suppose the bottom line is that oftentimes the college major isn't as important as the skills and aptitude one brings to the job. I myself have a bachelor's and master's in English, and it won me a slot in Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School and helped me gain employment in the business world, mass media and education. Also, I point out that the founder of Jet Blue airlines, David Neeleman, lacks a four-year degree, as does Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Gateway Computer founder Ted Waite, Apple's legendary Steve Jobs ( not even a semester of college), Microsoft's Bill Gates--, and the list goes on. A degree simply shows one has the ability to learn and synthesize information, regardless of the field of focus.

[Kim-kpms]

English degree student here, studying linguistics, literature and film. I wish i had seen this video before deciding if i wanted to enrol in it. Although the good thing is, I did not take a loan so I will be graduating debt-free. My english degree is part-time and there was a period of time where I worked full-time and saved money to pay for my school fees while studying. My parents helped me with some of the finances too.

Now, I just need to figure out if I want to extend another year for the honours programme (eventually i would want to Master in something plus if I enter public service they pay more for those with an honours degree) or should I just go to a polytechnic and get a conversion / specialist diploma in design to improve my employability in doing something that I am interested in.

Either way, I still forsee myself learning as i work after I graduate, just so that I can become more employable.

If only the universities could merge the disciplines in the arts programme such that graduates can be more employable, whilst still allow students to study certain modules that they are interested in.

[strawverymilktae]

getting an English degree used to be my initial plan, but now it's my backup as something I'm passionate about. I don't want something I'm passionate about to decline, so I'll study for it later, you know? I'm going for my bachelor's in teaching bio, so I can, hopefully, get into PA school, and receive my master's of physician assistant studies.

[CatherineJozwik]

I have an English degree and I work as a grant writer/freelance writer. However, I didn't need this degree to do the work I do. I enjoyed my time in school and was lucky that my parents helped me with tuition costs; my overall student loan debt was $17k, which I was able to pay off in February. In retrospect I wish I had gone to college for business or IT instead. I'm currently taking the Google Digital Marketing and E-commerce certificate courses through Coursera--I'm trying to make a career change to get into digital marketing and content writing.

[xwrtk]

My friend is a college professor for English after getting a bachelors in it. The school she works/went to has over 30k students. The English department consistently needs teacher/profs as English 101, 102, etc are mandatory for all students. Plus a bunch of the English courses are count as mandated options for general education and many students take as most are easy classes. They have recruited history, gender studies, etc to teach English which helps them a lot. My friend even says it happens at other schools too.

[brenicole]

While I don’t necessarily regret my B.A. in English, I acknowledge its strength as a supplemental concentration. It appealed to me most as a high school senior because I knew that’s where my strengths lied and I liked the flexibility in case I wanted to switch career path. I ended up with my current tech job not by my English degree alone but in combination with my foreign language proficiencies, web development experience and school name if we’re being completely honest. I wholeheartedly agree with double majoring, minoring, or taking additional English classes. The soft skills are needed but aren’t all that stable on their own.

[dljworks]

I fell into the trap of earning an English degree later teaching English (as society expects). However, in 2011 I went back to school for an AS degree in Web Graphic design to gain some sort of technology trade. Now I use both skills to make online content ha ha.

[dylankane]

Great stuff! Very clear and to the point.