Careers

A degree in English from VMI opens the door to a wide range of career opportunities. As an English major, you’ll cultivate skills and capacities that are critical for long-lasting career success in the twenty-first century—written, oral, and digital communication; research and analysis; creativity; logic and argument; an understanding of human nature and cultural contexts; and more.

Resources:

  • What can I do with a B.A. in English? - See some of the many fields and positions open to English majors, as well as possibilities for graduate study.
    • VMI English majors acquire a deep set of skills and capacities they can take wherever their passions lie. Check into almost any organization—from tech companies to media firms, government agencies to healthcare—and you will find English majors conducting and analyzing research, managing public relations, writing policy documents, and in general preparing internal and external communications of all kinds. The fact is, English majors are needed across the whole landscape of today’s economy because gathering credible information and producing effective communications at every level have never been so crucial.
    • 45 Entry-level Jobs for English Majors
  • Why today's employers need English majors - Learn about the skills and capacities urgently needed in today’s world of work and that VMI English majors can provide. From finding patterns and meaning in data to making rational and persuasive arguments, from synthesizing multiple methods of thinking to writing detailed and compelling documents, ERHS alumni bring considerable value to the contemporary workplace in a range of fields and industries.
  • How are recent alumni using their English B.A.? - Learn about how recent department graduates use their English degree in a variety of different careers.
  • I want to be a lawyer - Find out from alumni how the VMI English B.A., with its training in research, close reading, writing, and argument, provides a valuable foundation for a career in law.
  • I want to be a military officer - Essential capacities for successful military officers include clear communication, scrupulous accuracy, attention to detail, and the ability to make effective cases to leaders, peers, and subordinates—all capacities that the VMI English B.A. cultivates in its majors.

 

VMI: Forging 21st Century Leaders