It may be an obvious answer, but having a degree in English prepares you, at least in part, to teach English to other people. You may be able to get a teaching job in a private school or a high-need area with only a bachelor's degree in English; in other cases you will also need to take courses in education and earn a teaching license first. English teachers instruct students from kindergarten through college in areas such as reading, writing, grammar and journalism. As an added bonus, you can get your summer vacations back in this career.
English majors sometimes go on to become the next great American novelist. In other cases, you can use an English degree to write magazine articles, freelance assignments or even commercial advertisements. Writing skills are important in almost any field, from writing technical manuals for software companies to writing children's story books. Find your writing niche and use it to explore a job for a publishing house or a corporation, or work from home for yourself.
The ability to read, write and speak clearly is a strong skill to have. The field of communications offers a variety of opportunities for English majors. Put your voice over the radio waves by becoming a disc jockey. Write speeches and messages for a political candidate or the leader of a large company. Create press releases for a nonprofit organization or work on a campaign to promote the events of a local sports team.
In the world of business, strong written and oral communication skills are essential. English majors work well in areas such as marketing and public relations, where they use their command of the language to advertise a company or product. They also succeed in corporate communications or as the public face of a company, making official statements and forming relationships with business contacts.