7 Exciting Career Opportunities in English Language Arts

The world runs on creativity and the power to think critically. During their education, English language arts students complete in-depth research, craft lengthy arguments and present their findings to peers and professors. Furthermore, creative writing allows students to place themselves in other perspectives and think outside the box. 

These are concrete skills that craft a well-rounded person. Explore the following 7 career opportunities in English language arts to kickstart the life of your dreams. 

What Skills Does English Language Arts Teach?

Every position needs someone who can write, read and think. No matter what their duties entail, these skills promise an employee who can adapt and problem-solve to complete their tasks. People pursuing these humanities studies have a wealth of career opportunities awaiting them in various fields. 

Some concrete skills that will come in handy for these career opportunities in the English language are:

• Researching 
• Problem-solving
• Empathy and social awareness
• Writing, turn-of-phrase and grammar
• How to structure thoughts and present them to others
• How to communicate in the written and spoken word
• Analytical and persuasive thinking

With this combination of personality-based skills and identifiable experience, students in this field can traverse the vast landscape of interviewing with ease. 

What Career Opportunities Can You Find?

The career opportunities for someone experienced in English language arts are not exhaustive, but here are just some of the exciting fields these students can explore. Additionally, some jobs require more schooling than a Bachelor’s degree, so keep that in mind when planning your future steps. 

1. Teacher 

Being an English teacher is something most people will recognize. Making lesson plans, providing classroom instruction and individual support, and grading assignments are all parts of the daily life of a teacher. Whether working with elementary students on the basics of the alphabet and spelling, or with middle and high schoolers on more complex critical thinking, English teachers provide kids with vital life skills. 

Becoming a teacher requires a teaching license. There are individual state requirements throughout the US. On average, a US high school teacher makes $61,820 a year. 

2. Journalist

Journalists and reporters investigate the news. They search for potential stories, craft articles and interview various people. Their research and communication skills are top-notch, clearly detailing facts to a wide audience. Journalists can work on news channels, newspapers, magazines, podcasts, social media and many other mediums. A journalist makes $48,370

on average per year. 

3. Copywriter or Editor

A copywriter creates regular content for businesses, blogs or other publications. A copyeditor will stylize these projects in search of content or grammatical improvements. These professionals are highly-skilled in meeting quick deadlines, time management, crafting organized arguments and interpreting research. Many copywriters work for a company, but some writers are freelancers. The average copywriter can make $54,904 a year. 

4. Librarian

Librarians organize and locate resources for patrons. They also often organize events for children and their families, like book clubs. Librarians can work at the public level for their local communities, at schools or universities to aid student research, or at the governmental level to archive historic documents and chart genealogy. 

Most librarian positions require a Master’s degree in Information Science. The median salary for a librarian is $61,190.

5. Publisher

Publishers and editors manage the operation of printed material. This could be a literary magazine full of short stories and poetry, or a newspaper printing short articles. There are career opportunities for acquisitions in novel publishing where someone can review and offer edits to manuscripts. With a sharp eye and advanced writing skills, a publisher understands the bones of good writing and how it could sell to its audience. The average publisher makes $46,375 a year. 

6. Social Media Manager

These professionals understand and adapt to changes in social media algorithms to push content. They also have a clear vision of aesthetics and visual arts. Many social media managers also study marketing to get a basis for strategies, but English language arts enables people to nurture relationships with customers and create content. Sparkling creativity helps these managers to make $60,076 a year on average. 

7. Lawyer or Paralegal

Many people are surprised to hear about the relationship between English studies and law. However, the heavy research, presentation and communicative education all provide a strong base before law school.

Paralegals assist lawyers by conducting deep-dive research on precedents and past cases, and lawyers can specialize in topics like divorce or contracts. The average paralegal can make $56,230 a year, while an average lawyer makes $127,990 a year. Remember that lawyers need to attend law school and pass the bar exam before starting their first cases. 

Still in School? Here’s How to Prepare

All around the world, successful people are flexing their degrees in English language arts. You can join the league of skilled professionals today. 

While in high school or college, start building up a portfolio of work that exemplifies these qualities. Crafting book reviews, think-pieces and fact-checking for other writers are concrete projects that exemplify soft skills like creativity and communication. Grant writing for local nonprofits can also flex writing skills while working for a good cause. If you know what field you would like to explore, apply for internships.

For the individual interested in career opportunities in English language arts, remember the power of your words and explore all you can. The options for creative thinkers are endless, you only need to choose your path.