Resources and Ideas

• Writing
  • Conceiving a topic
  • Developing it
  • Organizing it
  • Expressing it
  • Persuading an audience
• Research Experience – gathering data
• Ability to analyze information – analytic thinking, reasoning
• Articulate speech – the ability to communicate well orally to individuals and to groups
• Judgment, wisdom, values gleaned from reading books
• Knowledge of human nature and behavior
• The ability to work with people
• Knowledge of yourself
  • Personal enrichment that makes you a more interesting person also makes you better able to work with both competitors and colleagues
  • Understanding yourself makes you happier with yourself and better able to function in the world
• Organizational skills
• Historical perspective
• Imagination
• Editing skills
• Translating jargon into succinct prose
• Discriminating levels and classes of language for advertising, public relations, speechwriting, etc.

Once you have begun to recognize your skills and abilities, and your personal desires, the next step is to explore the range of possibilities that exists. Here, your research abilities will serve you well. The University Advising and Career Center has resources for you to explore, including the Career Mentor Network, which is comprised of alumni and parents who would be happy to speak with you about their careers. The Dimond Library is also a good place to explore. Our reference librarians are very helpful and can point you in the right direction. You could visit the human resource offices of companies or institutions which interest you. Finally, talking to people — relatives, friends, friends of friends, teachers — is one of the best ways of discovering useful and enjoyable ways of making a living.

Majoring in English is not only very fulfilling, but can also open up a world of career opportunities. Here are some articles about how important a degree in English can be in the workplace.

• UNH Today: Thirteen Wildly Successful Liberal Arts Grads: Authors, Artists & CEOs
• The Wall Street Journal: Good News for Liberal Arts Majors: Your Peers Won't Outearn You
• Business Insider: Mark Cuban predicts that Liberal Arts Degrees/English Majors are Key to the Future Job Market
• The Penny Hoarder: 8 Awesome Jobs (That are not "Barista") You Can Get with an English Degree
• The Post Crescent: The liberal arts, and why they matter
• The New Yorker: Why Teach English?
• The Huffington Post: In Defense of the 'Impractical' English Major
• Wall Street Journal: Hunting for Soft Skills, Companies Scoop Up English Majors
• The Huffington Post: Liberal Education in Tough Times
• New York Times: Carlyle Co-Founder's Formula for Success: Study the Humanities
• americanexpress.com: Why English Majors are the Hot New Hires
• Business Insider: 11 Reasons to Ignore the Haters and Major in the Humanities
• UNH Alumnus Named New Hampshire Teacher of the Year