English degrees: Where you learn all the workforce skills you need and more 

By Hailey Schopper, March 2 2026—

While many people see an English degree as simply reading, there is so much more to it than that, and the things learned are invaluable to one’s future.

When I was a kid, my answer to the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” was constantly changing because I never knew what I wanted to be. However, in high school I realized I loved my English classes, I loved reading and I loved writing, so I decided I wanted to be a librarian. Pursuing a post-secondary degree in English was a natural choice.

Telling people that I study English almost always gets me one of two reactions: firstly, “what are you even going to do with that?” and secondly, “I could never, English tanked my GPA.” While occasionally these remarks are underlined with a sense of envy, more often, people fail to see how this major can be beneficial post-graduation. However, what many people fail to realize is that a major in English provides one with so many skills directly applicable to jobs after graduation. 

By the end of this article, I hope I’ll show these naysayers how the specific skills you gain in an English degree are actually extremely valuable in the workplace, and explain why English is one of the most important majors one can take. 

Critical thinking

English work is primarily focused on building critical thinking skills. Yes we read books, and yes we write about them, but it’s more than that. Our work involves specific critical analysis and historicization; we learn to recognize the repetitiveness and timelessness of societal issues and apply literature to our current day. In many jobs, you’ll face problems that require you to come up with efficient and lasting solutions, and critical thinking can help you do so as you analyze situations from multiple angles.

Empathy

Empathy is an extremely valuable skill that not everyone naturally possesses. Reading about situations different from your own helps you see life from different perspectives, and allows you to understand why people may act or react in the ways they do. As an English major, I’ve read many books I would not have picked up otherwise, which has improved my empathy because it widens my worldview and helps me see situations from another point of view. This is a skill valuable in the workforce, but also in life because it pushes you to think outside of your circumstances. Empathy also helps develop other skills such as patience, communication, and decision-making since you are able to see and understand the feelings of others.

Research

Research is a key skill to take into the workplace because it helps increase innovation and efficient decision-making. Through research we discover gaps that we can fill by becoming problem solvers which is extremely beneficial in the workforce. Research and critical thinking go hand-in-hand, so practicing both throughout an English degree creates better innovators. Many jobs encompass some aspect of research, and English majors know how to find the oddly specific things needed for a good analysis. 

You meet amazing people

English, while not a super small program, is smaller than many, so you become very close to those in your cohort. The friendships I have made through these courses are ones I will forever be grateful for. Moreover,  studying in such an intimate group allows you to learn so much from your peers because of the different backgrounds everyone brings to reading the same texts. Strict lectures about theory and history are helpful, but learning from classmates, both in and out of the classroom, through natural conversation, has changed the trajectory of my education.

So the next time you question an English major, I hope you remember that it’s so much more than just reading and writing. We develop many of the same skills as other majors to prepare us for the real world, and we become more empathetic people. It is unfair to view this major as something less than others simply because you do not understand the learning done and skills acquired. 

Really, I think English majors are winning. We get to read and write — things most of us enjoy doing anyways — while arming ourselves with skills for the workforce. 

This article is a part of our Opinions section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.