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SJSU Home : Department of English & Comparative Literature : Undergraduate : Careers

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Now that you're an English major or minor, there are several career choices for you.  Read below and visit our Alumni page to see how other English majors and minors have used their degrees.

You Have Chosen Well

• Why Literature? (from The New Republic)
• Working your [English] Degree (CNNMoney)
• English Grads, Brilliant Careers (University of Washington)
• Celebrated English Majors (Mississippi State)

Recommended Texts

• I'm an English Major, Now What? (Tim Lemire; 2006)
• Great Jobs for English Majors (De Galan and Lambert; 2nd edition; 2000)
• Careers for Bookworms & Other Literary Types(Eberts and Gisler; 3rd edition; 2002)
• Careers for Writers and Others Who Have a Way with Words
  (Bly; 2nd edition; 2003)

Internships

• SJSU Career Center Intership Search
• Professional, Technical and Career Writing Internships through our Certificate and Minor - contact Prof. Bonnie Cox (bmcox@email.sjsu.edu)
• Internship Database (University of Florida)
• Internships at Smithsonian Institution
• InternshipPrograms.com

Career Planning Links - General

• What Can I Do with this Degree? (SJSU Career Center)
• SJSU Career Center
• Career Skills & Titles for English Majors(University of North Carolina)
• What Can I Do with a Major in English?(University of Texas)
• Jobs for English Majors (Heidelberg College)
• What Can I Do with an English Major? (Albion College)
• Careers in English (Villanova University)
• Internships & Careers (UCSB)

 Teaching

• Single-Subject Credential in English -- see our Major in English Education & Single Subject
• Becoming a Teacher (King Library, SJSU)
• Teaching English Guidebook (National Council of Teachers of English)
• Teach English in Dijon, France (SJSU)
• School Staff Job Search
• Resources for Teaching English
• Teaching K-12 in California Public Schools
• Academic Employment Network
• Web Sites for Education Majors (The College of St. Catherine)

Publishing & Editing

• ABC-CLIO
• Writers & Editors (U.S. Department of Labor)
• Directory of Publishers and Vendors (Vanderbilt)
• Publishers Weekly Job Zone

Professional Writing

• The Write Jobs
• Glossary of Writing Careers
• Technical Communication/Writing Jobs Database
• News Analysts, Reporters, and Correspondents (U.S. Department of Labor)

Advertising, Marketing & Media

• Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers (U.S. Department of Labor)
• Public Relations Specialists (U.S. Department of Labor)
• The Riley Guide: Sales, Advertising, & Marketing Jobs
• Marketing, Sales, and Advertising Jobs
• Advertising and Media Jobs Page

Law School

• Advice for Getting into Law School
• U.S. News & World Report Guide to Law School
• Law School Admission Council

Graduate School

• Apply to our Master of Arts in Literature
• Apply to our Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
• Help with Graduate School Research from King Library (SJSU)
• Various Careers after the MA & Graduate School Application Guide (UCSB English)
• Advice to Graduate Students: From Application to Career (MLA)
• Writing Applications for Grad School
• Tips for Grad School Applications (UCSB)
• Guide to Graduate Programs
• Research programs: www.gradschools.com or http://www.petersons.com/
• Ph.D. in Textual Studies, Univ. of Washington
• M.A. & Ph.D. in Literary Editing, Boston University
• NYU Programs in Publishing (Trade)  

Applying for Jobs

• Help from the SJSU Career Center
• Résumé Writing for English Majors
• Writing the Cover Letter
• 200 Letters for Job Hunters (samples by category)
• Cover Letter Dos and Don'ts
• Guide to Cover Letters, Résumés, Interviews and more (University of Iowa)

Professional Associations Links

• California Teachers Association
• National Council of English Teachers
• Modern Language Association
• American Society of Newspaper Editors
• Magazine Publishers of American
• National Newspaper Publishing Association
• National Writers Union
• Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network
• Small Publishers Association of North America
• Association of American Publishers
• Association of Authors and Publishers
• Association of Directory of Publishers
• Publishers Marketing Association
• Investigative Reporters & Editors

 See also Jordan Baker's article, "Post Grad: Looking to the Future" in Newsletter (Fall 2007): 10-11 .

Related Information

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408-924-1000