Contributed by Rosemary O’Brien, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

A major in English is pursued by many college students who love to read and write.

English degrees cover concentrations in a wide variety of material: literature from ancient to contemporary, poetry, essays and criticism. English degrees are also awarded in various types of writing, from fiction to editorial.

English degrees lead to a variety of excellent and rewarding careers. Here are the top ten careers with an English degree.

10. Write books

One of the more common things among English majors is the attempt to write a book. It is possible, but it requires a specific skill set, creativity and a love of learning the craft. You never know, though. If you work hard enough and learn the craft, you may have a few bestselling novels or nonfiction books.

9. Teach

Many English majors teach even if it is not the subject of English or literature. By learning the history of the language and the literature surrounding the English language, you can get a great start on an education degree. Teaching a child how a drinking bird works can make you the best science teacher in the world!

8. Attorney

When I was a temporary secretary for attorneys, I was always amazed at how badly they wrote. Anyone sounds better if they can speak and writing is simply speaking on paper.

One of the careers with an English degree can be another terminal degree such as a law degree. All of the literature you read helps develop your language which will make you sound much smarter than the opposing attorney.

7. Write for organizations and business

Writing books not one of the only careers with an English degree. If you study the language, you not only study literature and books, you also study how to write. It is almost like osmosis. Home Owners Associations and Community Association Bylaws and Rules are only a few of the items groups need written by your expert hand.

6. Product descriptions

Many of us buy products online or through a paper catalog. Who do you think writes those product descriptions? That’s right. English majors! By the way, one of the perks in these writing jobs is product. In order to write about a product, you usually need to see it, touch it and glean information that will entice the buyer into purchasing that product. Often the companies have extra products that they give to their deserving employees.

5. Communications departments

Careers with an English degree are always related to communication be it written or spoken. Big companies have entire departments filled with communications specialists made up of English majors or those who know how to communicate thoughts to the public. Some communications departments are large, and some can be a one-person show performed by a single freelancer in a remote office. The “department” is then spread out over a series of these remote offices.

4. Librarian

If you decided to pursue an English degree because you loved books, what better career than being a librarian? These days librarians not only work with words in books, but they are the technological hub of information. They are trained to research, write, lead others into learning, and it combines many of the tasks of the careers you can follow with an English degree generally encompassing all of the best parts of the degree. Like many careers that start with an English degree, Master degree work in Library Science will make you more competitive in the job market.

3. Public relations

Public relations facts, information, pictures – all of it has to be written and researched. That is another one of the many careers with an English degree. Researchers know how to find information which is a skills developed by the English major in college. And when you get tired of doing all of the research, public relations officers are there to field the questions, write the press releases, and generally deal with the media on behalf of the company for which they work.

2. Journalist

Journalists or reporters use words, but on a more immediate basis. They do not write fiction like novelists do. In short, a journalist is simply a writer of news. It could be a story about a breaking event such as a war or a political event, or it could be an interview of an interesting person for a magazine or monthly publication.

1. Editor

And who corrects all of these words? That’s right! The editor. This is the person who delights in finding the errors on the page. These could be factual errors or typographical errors. Editors are the guys you want looking at your copy to make sure it is as perfect as possible before it goes to print on the paper or print on the screen. An editor is invaluable to the writer and essentially the writer’s other half.

So which are you? Would you want to write a creative story or report on a news event? Are you more interested in the stacks of books or technology of information? Regardless of how you use an English degree, careers with an English degree are diverse. Focus on what you enjoy and cultivate a career using words as your tools.