Social sciences have become wildly popular with western students in the past decade. With a downturn in the economy, most wonder whether they will be forced to work in positions they do not appreciate. English majors are particularly worried about becoming an English teacher or ending up writing articles in general.
However, a recent Career Say article offers career paths for English majors that might not be as dour as some make it out to be. English majors do not have to resign themselves to becoming a teacher or a writer. Instead, they can often make fabulous journalists or editors. In some cases, they even make amazing film makers, foreign translators, and even news reporters. Anyone graduating from college with a degree in English or any other social science should not be dismayed by the lack of job opportunities. One only has to look hard enough to find them.
I’m writing this article because I’m an English major.
我會寫這篇文章是因為，我學的就是英語專業。
You might be thinking one of two things; that I’m an English major with a career in article writing, or I’m an article writer among other things because I’m an English major.
I am sincerely glad to say that the second premise is actually true. A graduate of Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in English, being a formal English teacher was not my first choice in career paths. (If you’re wondering, it’s actually Psychology.) Little did I realize how versatile this specialization is and how many career options it would present me.
Even for a graduate of my course, (which has limited major units unlike a pure AB English degree) the possibilities are numerous. The amount and variety of jobs for English majors are hardly disappointing and present many opportunities for different skills to be utilized.
If you’re wondering just how many English major career options are there after graduation, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provides a list of a few examples of career opportunities for English Majors. Below are some examples:
Many of these career options are already familiar, but some may surprise graduates. Being in the foreign service or the entertainment industry would not probably be the first career option to cross the mind of most English majors. Most of these career options require additional training and certification, but a degree and specialization in English would definitely command an advantage.
Careers for English Majors.org classifies these career options in three categories:
“英語專業職業”網站把這些職業分為了三個種類：
Teaching Careers 教師類
Writing Careers 寫作類
Social Work 社會工作類
This is not an official categorization, but it gives a good overview of the many English Major career options at a glance.
這並不是官方的分類，但這給許多英語專業的職業提供了一種整體的展望。
A degree or major in English is simply a tool, not a set of rules. There are no black-and-white lines carved in stone to limit an English Major graduate with an open mind. I’ve taught English in an international curriculum, written short stories and a screenplay treatment, worked as an environmental journalist, and published articles online. Each opportunity taught me something and expanded my world a little more while giving me the chance to realize my potential and skills.
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Social sciences have become wildly popular with western students in the past decade. With a downturn in the economy, most wonder whether they will be forced to work in positions they do not appreciate. English majors are particularly worried about becoming an English teacher or ending up writing articles in general.
However, a recent Career Say article offers career paths for English majors that might not be as dour as some make it out to be. English majors do not have to resign themselves to becoming a teacher or a writer. Instead, they can often make fabulous journalists or editors. In some cases, they even make amazing film makers, foreign translators, and even news reporters. Anyone graduating from college with a degree in English or any other social science should not be dismayed by the lack of job opportunities. One only has to look hard enough to find them.
不過職業規劃網站Career Say最近發表的一篇文章為英語專業的學生提供了一些職業道路，好像不像有些人想象的那麼沉悶。英語專業的學生沒有必要去當老師或者寫手，他們也可以成為很好的文字記者或者編輯。在某些情況下，他們甚至可以成為很棒的電影導演、外語翻譯、甚至新聞採訪記者。那些在大學裡學習英語專業或其他社會科學專業的學生，都不應該因為缺少工作機會而感到沮喪，而是應該努力去找到工作。
I’m writing this article because I’m an English major.
我會寫這篇文章是因為，我學的就是英語專業。
You might be thinking one of two things; that I’m an English major with a career in article writing, or I’m an article writer among other things because I’m an English major.
你也許會這樣想：我學的是英語專業，所以我的職業就是寫文章；或者我是個寫文章的，因為我學的是英語專業。
I am sincerely glad to say that the second premise is actually true. A graduate of Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in English, being a formal English teacher was not my first choice in career paths. (If you’re wondering, it’s actually Psychology.) Little did I realize how versatile this specialization is and how many career options it would present me.
Even for a graduate of my course, (which has limited major units unlike a pure AB English degree) the possibilities are numerous. The amount and variety of jobs for English majors are hardly disappointing and present many opportunities for different skills to be utilized.
哪怕對於像我這樣學習英語專業的課程但沒有拿正式學位的畢業生來說，也有無數的可能性。對於英語專業的學生來說，工作的數量和種類都不會讓你失望，你有許多機會可以運用多種技能。
If you’re wondering just how many English major career options are there after graduation, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provides a list of a few examples of career opportunities for English Majors. Below are some examples:
如果你想知道畢業之後英語專業的學生有多少工作機會，位於教堂山的北卡羅來納大學列出了一份清單，上面的例子都是英語專業學生的就業機會。下面就是一些例子：
Author 作家
Bookstore manager 書店老闆
Columnist 專欄作家
Court Reporter 法院書記官
Creative Writing 創意寫作者
Customer Service Representative 客戶服務代表
Drama 戲劇類職業
Editor (assignment, book, copy, dictionary…) 編輯 （功課、書、副本、字典等）
Educational Researcher 教育研究者
Environmental Planner 環境規劃師
Filmmaker 電影導演
Foreign Service 涉外服務
Interpreter/Translator 口譯員/筆譯員
Librarian 圖書管理員
Musician/Composer 音樂家/作曲家
Narrator 解說員
Proofreader 校對員
Research Analyst 研究分析員
Secondary School Teacher 中學老師
Singer/Songwriter 歌手/歌曲作家
Social Worker 社會工作者
Teaching (all levels) 教師（各個層面的）
Writer: Technical, Speech, Freelance 作家：科技類、演講類、自由寫作者
Many of these career options are already familiar, but some may surprise graduates. Being in the foreign service or the entertainment industry would not probably be the first career option to cross the mind of most English majors. Most of these career options require additional training and certification, but a degree and specialization in English would definitely command an advantage.
這些職業選擇中有許多我們已經很熟悉了，但也有一些會讓畢業生感到驚訝。從事涉外服務或者娛樂行業可能不是大多數英語專業學生想到的第一職業選擇。這些職業大部分都需要額外的訓練和證書，但在英語上的特長和學位毫無疑問是一種優勢。
Careers for English Majors.org classifies these career options in three categories:
“英語專業職業”網站把這些職業分為了三個種類：
Teaching Careers 教師類
Writing Careers 寫作類
Social Work 社會工作類
This is not an official categorization, but it gives a good overview of the many English Major career options at a glance.
這並不是官方的分類，但這給許多英語專業的職業提供了一種整體的展望。
A degree or major in English is simply a tool, not a set of rules. There are no black-and-white lines carved in stone to limit an English Major graduate with an open mind. I’ve taught English in an international curriculum, written short stories and a screenplay treatment, worked as an environmental journalist, and published articles online. Each opportunity taught me something and expanded my world a little more while giving me the chance to realize my potential and skills.
學習英語專業或者拿到英語專業的學位是一種工具，不是一堆法則。並沒有明確的規定限制英語專業的畢業生要做什麼。我曾經在一門國際課程裡教授英語，寫過短篇故事和電影劇本，做過環境專題記者，在網上發表過文章。每個機會都教會我一些東西，擴充套件了我的視野，讓我意識到我的潛力和能力。
With the abundance of jobs for English Majors, there’s only one factor to limit a person: himself or herself.
在英語專業就業的各種職業當中，只有一項限制因素：那就是就業者自己。