I'm an English Major Now What? [Paperback]

Timothy Lemire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2006

Find a Job You Love With Your English Degree

What do Steven Spielberg, Alan Alda, Barbara Walters, Clarence Thomas, Diane Sawyer, and Stephen King have in common? That's right–they were English majors who now have successful careers.

I'm an English Major - Now What? helps English majors and graduates understand their skills and talents so they can find satisfying jobs across a diversity of fields and dispels common fears and misconceptions that English majors will never make good money.

In this book, you'll learn:

• How an English major background can be very marketable
• How an English major's skills can be applied to an array of jobs and careers (beyond teaching and writing)
• How an English major can develop valuable skills and experience through school and extracurricular activities

You'll also find answers to common questions such as:

• Should I go to graduate school? Should I wait?
• How do I begin a freelancing career?
• Would I do well in a corporate setting?

Authored by a former English major with professional experience across many areas, including corporate communications, journalism, publishing, teaching, and writing, this guide also features more than a dozen interviews with English majors who were able to translate their skills into satisfying careers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Timothy Lemire has used his BA in English from Boston College to land many jobs, including editor for the Boston Review. He is currently a communications specialist for Fidelity Investments.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books; First Printing edition (April 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582973628
• ISBN-13: 978-1582973623
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Much-Needed Glimpse into the Work-a-Day Aspects of Writing June 13, 2006

By FictionAddiction.NET

Format:Paperback

You're an English major. So, what are you going to do with that?

After all, physics majors become physicists, psychology majors become psychologists and history majors become historians. What do English majors become? Englishists? Englishologists?

People usually choose to major in English because they love literature, reading and writing. When they enter the workforce they find that they also love a place to live, transportation and eating.

Not to worry. Where there is linguistic communication -- speeches, presentations, commercials, ads, podcasts and broadcasts -- there is work for the English major.

I'm an English Major -- Now What? offers guidance to English majors who wish to translate their skills into employment. It dispels fears about career options, answers questions about education and job opportunities and refutes misconceptions about making a living from writing.

Each of Chapters Two through Eight offers a discussion of an opportunity for English majors, covering teaching, continued education (grad school, journalism school, Masters in Fine Arts), journalism, magazine publishing, book publishing, freelancing and business writing. Sidebars, glossaries, exercises and interviews add value to the information presented.

Chapter Nine lumps together radio, television, marketing, advertising, technical writing, public relations, public affairs, alumni affairs, military writing and nonprofits. The sketches of these careers are disappointing compared with the information available in previous chapters.

Author Tim Lemire goes on to lament the current state of English major programs (and higher education in general) and offers suggestions for improvement.... He argues for a program that imparts not only theory but practical skills as well.

The book concludes with five appendixes, offering some of the best material in the whole work. The discussion of job hunting and advice to aspiring writers found here is alone worth the price of the book. Lemire also lists additional books to read and Web sites to investigate. Read more ›

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed July 18, 2006

By Imara219

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I must say that I liked the concept of the book but I was really disappointed with the actual product. I think the format of the book was not very helpful and it didn't really feel as if he was guiding me. Also he spent the majority of the book talking about book, magazine, and newspaper professions and not enough time on the other careers listed in the book. He did focus on corporate jobs for English majors but somehow it felt disjointed to me. He briefly mentioned other careers like Public Relations and so forth but only briefly.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars All kinds of good advice for English majors May 24, 2006

By T. D. Temple

Format:Paperback

As an English major leaving college in 1996, I had no idea what I wanted to do, or even that getting jobs that used my training in writing were within reach. I wish I'd read this book then. Lemire gives in-depth treatment to seven professions and a few hints about another 10. He profiles each discipline fairly, showing both the good and bad sides without ever sounding too rosy or too discouraging. (That's no mean feat, given that Lemire has apparently done all these jobs himself.) Maybe the most interesting parts are the interviews, where Lemire talks to English majors who have carved out careers for themselves in each of the industries. Each one is like a really valuable 10 minute phone call with the person you want to be.

This book is a worthwhile read not only for those graduating with an English degree but also for those just declaring an English major, who still have time to get a head start at school. An excellent, well-written, readable resource.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Graduation Gift May 12, 2006

By Glenn H. Myers

Format:Paperback

If I had this book twenty years ago, I could have saved a lot of time and effort in navigating my career. Mr. Lemire mixes humor, practical tips, and self-enlightening exercises that gives the reader a real-life sense of how to integrate a background in English with finding a gratifying job that actually pays the bills. Simply put, this book is the Bible for transitioning from college to "corporate" life. Moreover, it's useful, easy-to-read, and chock-full of wisdom.

This book should be mandatory reading for all college graduates.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank youuu July 8, 2009

By B. Rodriguez

Format:Paperback

The disconnect between my course material and job opportunities made the future seem pretty dubious. I felt like I had chosen my major on a dumb hunch and the uncertainty was torturous. It got so bad that I almost swore off English for good...until I picked up this book. We've all heard that nice piece about what a flexible major English is, but I used to think it was just a polite, comforting lie. Reading this book actually got excited me about my options. (Which are far from limited!) There are jobs out there for people who love literature, and they don't require you to masochistically forfeit a rich and satisfying life.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars It's okay July 10, 2007

By Icarus

Format:Paperback

As a recent graduate with an English Major, I was excited to find this book, and disappointed once I read it. Yes, it has one or two good suggestions, but overall it wasn't really worth the money or time. He had suggestions that my college had already pointed out to me, and in the end you're better off going to the career counselors at your college than you are with this book.

EDIT: Okay, I get it, I used the wrong word, but my point was neither holier-than-thou, or invalid. The book makes you pay for advice you could get for free from professors or counselors at your college, plain and simple.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book for the parents of English majors September 27, 2007

By J. Bitney

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Our daughter is an English major (Latin minor) at the U of MN in Minneapolis. She is not yet quite sure what she wishes to do with her degree when she gets it in three years, but after reading this book I am ready to help out with advice if needed (or asked). It uses a great blend of humor and insightful ideas to get the points across, yet is not flippant (which gets old after a while). Fun to read, very informative, and thorough. You will love this book!