English is the most practical major you can find. English majors become writers, publishers, editors, lawyers, journalists, teachers, entrepreneurs, world travelers, policy analysts, public relations executives, public servants and much more. They succeed in media, tech, publishing, education, government, marketing, advertising and non-profits.
This is because as an English major, you acquire the reading, writing, and thinking skills that allow you to thrive in a rapidly changing job market. You become an expert communicator who can take complex ideas and frame them plainly and concisely in your own words. You learn to conduct research, to support an argument, to approach a problem from multiple perspectives. You ask questions that are not obvious and not easy to answer; you find multifaceted and real solutions in a multifaceted, real world.
These higher-level, transferable skills are the skills that the modern workforce needs, and those that a successful civilization requires of its citizens. With your training as an English major, you increase both your marketability and your chances for promotion after you land that first job, when employers recognize your higher-level skills. You cannot be downsized, outsourced, offshored or disrupted. Just as importantly, you also equip yourself to be an informed citizen of a democracy and member of a multicultural society.
Your English degree will not only stand on its own but is also an exceptionally versatile foundation for a number of graduate disciplines including education, law, business, information science and public policy.