Top 8 Profitable Career Options after English Honours

English has always been an appealing language to Indians since the British started ruling over India. It is more like a “classy” and “aristocratic” language to Indians. Ever since the time of British-ruled India, even after independence, the English language has not lost its “craze”; in fact, it is considered the 1st language in many education boards, and in the rest, it’s the 2nd mandatory language. Many students prefer taking English Honours after 12th because career options after English Honours have been broadening conspicuously. In this article, we’re going to discuss career options after English Honours.

English Honours is an undergraduate course of 3 years in English literature. Many students are unaware of the fact that an English Honours degree is not about the English language, it is about English literature, that’s why the course is also called an English literature degree. Many English Honours aspirants undertake this course thinking that this course would typically help them in developing their spoken and written skills, in modifying grammar and vocabulary part.

To some extent, it helps to improve linguistic skills, but the syllabus of English Honours is very much different from that of an English Language course. In this degree course, students are introduced to a range of literary pieces from all over the world by widely recognized writers. This course aims to develop awareness about humanity and society and contributes by creating novels, dramas, poetry, prose, etc.

People might think that the course is all about reading a large number of books. There is no denial of the fact that it requires a rigorous reading of the books enlisted in the syllabus, but students are required to critically think and analyze what they read, they are supposed to get to a conclusion on their own that may differ from that of others, but they must delve into each sentence so deep that their unique perception reflects on their papers.

Though the majority of students nowadays just go through a number of selected answer notes and write them down on papers and surprisingly get good marks, the prime goal of this course is to educate students about ethics, morals, social consciousness, and humanity through literary works across different genres, not just getting good marks.

Now, a problem occurs to many students – what to do after completing English Honours! Many corporate sectors prefer English Honours students for several posts like HR, director, editor, content writer, relationship manager, marketing professional, etc. There are Govt. and non-Govt. schools and colleges where only English Honours students are recruited for the role of English faculty. One can pursue further studies like a Master’s degree in English Literature, Ph.D., Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications, undertake various short-term courses like content writing, digital marketing, etc.

Before discussing the career options after English Honours, let us discuss the importance of literature, how literature helps better human lives, and its impact on society.

Why Should We Read Literature?

Students aspiring to pursue their higher studies in the English language often fail to determine the importance of English literature. Literature is not simply a piece of written work. It is a form of art that helps us to develop ourselves morally, ethically, and socially. It helps us know about a range of aspects – it encompasses the linguistics part and goes beyond this and helps us develop our ability of thinking, understanding, interpreting, and assessment skill.

1. Improves Critical Thinking and Assessment Skill:

One of the amazing benefits of literature is that it propels students to think critically and merge their existing knowledge with concepts ascertained in a piece of literary work. A literary piece of work is often seen to be rhetorical. In such a case, you need to put your critical thinking skills into action to conclude what the author has intended to portray. It would certainly help us represent our viewpoint and understand others’ viewpoints as a literary work usually possesses more than one interpretation. This way, literature helps us develop our thinking and assessment capability but shoves us to think in multiple dimensions.

2. A Way to Peep in the Past:

Literature and history are subtly knitted with each other. Literature of different ages represents the picture of society, social issues, people, their lifestyle, cultures, rituals and customs, heroes and their contribution, emperors, and whatnot. It depicts how nature and the world have changed with time. Without literature, it would be impossible for us to know about our ancestors, forefathers – in a sense, our origin and the origin of the world.

3. Offers Knowledge about Other Cultures:

Literature is like a giant book where writers of the entire world and all ages have written so many baby books that represent contemporary society. As a result, we get to know about diverse cultures, customs, rituals, and traditions. Thus, we can come out of our own culture, beliefs, and tradition and learn to understand and respect other religions, cultures, values, and morals. In a sense, literature helps us develop humanity and be polite and kind to other people in society.

4. Improves Language Skills – Verbal & Written:

When we go through a literary piece of work of a writer (old or new), we learn many uncommon and unknown words, phrases, idioms, and other ornaments of a language. Thus adopting those new words, we can enrich our word stock that would help us be creative. In addition, we improve our grammar knowledge. Sometimes thorough reading could help to achieve fluency in spoken language too. Reading books typically helps in improving reading ability as well. There is some grammar and vocabulary error that automatically vanishes when we attentively read articles daily.

5. Reflects Humanity:

Literature is a manifestation of human life. The physical manifestation of incidents is based on human tragedies, needs, sufferings, emotions, sentiments, and lifestyles. Films, in a sense, are the visual representation of literature. But literature depicts a more detailed picture as compared to a 3 hours visual representation. That’s why literature needs more critical and analytical power to be fully grasped. Literature connects human lives, mirrors reality in the form of written, artistic pieces. The world has changed a lot since civilization started, but the importance of literature remains the same throughout the ages.

Best Career Options after English Honours:

1. Content Writing:

Content writing is one of the most trendy and best career options after English Honours. For content writing, the basic requirement is to have a natural flair and proficiency in the English Language. Although English literature is not directly linked to content writing, a literature degree would help you open up your vision, thinking capability, and interpretation power that is beneficial for better analyzing things.

The more you read and write, the more your proficiency increases which are typically beneficial in content writing. This English Honours course certainly offers you an advantage over other Honours courses to produce content (in English) in your preferred niche – literature, journalistic, educational, or any other trendy niche.

Companies or organizations usually prefer candidates with an English Honours degree over other degree holders for a content writing job as their basic criteria are competence over the English language.

Content writing as a job has a huge scope worldwide because the content is the king of everything. Since everything is going digital these days, every business organization and marketing agency requires its own set of content writers to produce appealing and engaging content to attract customers. In India, Delhi, Noida, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Indore, Gurgaon are the cities where content writers get the highest salary compared to other cities. But soon this job is going to expand its sphere all over India.

Learn the perfect integration of content writing and content marketing with the Best Content Writing Master Course

2. Blogging:

Blogging is just like content writing but for your website, not for any company or organization. Blogging, unlike a content writing job, also requires good command of English. When you set up your website and start blogging, you tend to publish articles to reach more and more audiences which is barely possible with languages other than English. Now you can ask why literature is important for blogging! Literature educates you with the art of detecting social issues, social incidents, and causes, social changes that may occur quickly or gradually.

Literature of all ages depicts how people and society changed and dealt with changes, which develops a sense of awareness within you. It gives you a concept about different cultures, beliefs, lifestyles, etc. Since blogging is addressed to people, you should know how to represent your article so that the audience likes them.

You can simply choose your preferred niche and start blogging. You must try to add value to your content or develop awareness or deliver information through your content. It is a time-taking process to establish yourself as a successful blogger. But once you are established, there is an opportunity to earn unlimited. It is undoubtedly one of the best career options after English Honours, where bloggers are earning better than ever in this era of digitalization.

Acquire the nitty-gritty of blog creation from the scratch with the Best Content Writing Master Course

3. Digital Marketing/ Social Media Marketing:

Digital marketing is a flourishing industry in today’s world. Since the world is being digitized day by day, marketing companies and business organizations seek to reach their customers through various digital mediums. Now, as the competition is very high in this field, you have to be creative to produce catchy headlines, fancy and effective product descriptions, and other essentials of your marketing product to attract customers.

Here comes the literary education that would help you write unique and creative pieces to showcase your products. Nowadays, there are many short-term diploma courses available that would act as add-ons to your degree and help to get you a digital marketing job or run your e-commerce agency.

The scope of digital marketing or social media marketing jobs is great today. Digital marketing includes job roles like digital marketing specialist, content marketing specialist, social media marketing specialist, SEO specialist, email marketers, web analysts, etc. There are many job vacancies all over India.

 Learn the essentials of digital marketing in 12 weeks with the Best Digital Marketing Course in India

4. Creative Writer & Editor:

Creative writing is one of the best-suited career options after English Honours, and so is an editor’s job. In the 3 years of the English Honours course, you go through the writings of world-famous writers, poets, and novelists. Most of the literary pieces are usually imbued with rhetorical words and sentences that help in framing your creative writing ability.

The more creativity you input in your writing, the more successful you will be as a writer. Suppose you are creative enough to weave words and sentences beautifully to transform even a simple sentence into an attractive one and produce a nice piece of poem/ short story/ prose/ novel, or anything solitary. In that case, this career option is going to be highly rewarding for you.

If you are more of a reader than a writer, an editor’s job is the best of career options after English Honours for you. It is because literature helps you in framing your interpretation of sentence structures. However, suppose you have the capability of proofreading and editing any piece of content. In that case, you can find jobs as an editor in any publishing company, digital content websites, academies, and so on.

5. Teacher/ Professor / Educator:

There is no profession more noble and aristocratic than the profession of a teacher, and indeed it is one of the safest professions too. This job role requires nothing except for in-depth knowledge about one particular subject. After completing graduation in English Honours, you can opt for the teaching profession. A Master’s degree in English would help even more to become an English educator. No other skill is necessarily needed. Only a vast knowledge of English literature and language would suffice for this job.

There are two options available for the teaching profession – Government school/ college/ university teachers and non-government teachers. Government school teachers have to hold a Bachelor’s degree with B.Ed certification, further studies are optional, but it helps in better salary and early promotions. College/ university professors need to have a Ph.D. degree. Non-Govt organizations recruit teachers according to their needs (mostly Master’s degree and Ph.D. not mandatory).

6. Journalism & Mass Communication:

Journalism, in a sentence, is the process of collecting information, then rewriting, editing, and giving proper structure to present the news to the audience. Mass communication means to communicate with the mass – a wide range of people. Mass communication includes journalism, broadcasting, public relations(pr), advertising, event management, etc.

When it comes to communicating with a wide range of people, maintaining public relations, the English language becomes the most important communication medium. You should have excellent communication skills and good command of the English language.

Literature helps us to develop critical thinking abilities. In an English Honours course, we are taught things beyond just reading and conning down various topics. We gather a deeper and larger knowledge about other cultures and their way of living. It is very important in journalism and mass communication to have an unbiased and detailed sense of various cultures and people in general.

Journalism and mass communication can be great career options after English Honours. English Honours students are taught to write Journalistic pieces, press releases, etc., which are typically helpful for these career options.

The scope is vast in these industries. A certified course in Journalism and Mass Communication would increase your chance even more in the fields like journalism, television, radio jockey, video jockey, scriptwriting, film making, direction, public relations, etc.

7. Public Relations:

PR is one of the best career options after English Honours. Public relations executives are supposed to research and uplift the company’s reputation and maintain communication with the public on behalf of the company. PR and corporate communications are challenging the most profitable jobs today.

Every corporate company and business organization seeks suitable candidates who would be efficient enough to take ownership of their brand, interact effectively with internal and external stakeholders, and maintain good communication with the public. So generally, companies hire candidates with English Honours backgrounds who understand people, communicate with them (English is preferred), organize press releases, plan campaigns, write press articles, etc.

Since a PR professional has to communicate and present facts to a wide range of people of different languages, companies prefer to select English graduates for the PR job role. A PR Manager must be creative and hard-working to implement new ideas to promote the organization’s branding.

PR jobs are so in demand these days. You can opt for a specialization course or post-graduation course in Journalism and Mass Comm. to get into this job. PR managers include account coordinator, director, vice president, PR coordinator, client relationship manager, government PR Manager, etc.

8. Translator/ Interpreter:

The job role of a translator is to convert or translate written words from one language to another. On the other hand, an interpreter translates words verbally or through sign language. For an English translator and interpreter, the basic requirement is to have in-depth knowledge of English and one or more other languages. Various editing companies or content writing companies hire a translator to translate books or contents from one language to English or vice-versa.

Interpreters are typically seen to assist VIP persons, especially ministers visiting from one country to another, converting the foreign language to the native one. Travel guides are also hired as interpreters. For both jobs, the English language is a must-know to get hired. There are few government sectors as well that recruit English translators and interpreters.

These are the top 8 best-suited career options after English Honours. However, there are many other jobs you can opt for. It is your choice whether to go for traditional, secure jobs or do something out of the track. It is your ambition, along with your thirst for establishing yourself, that leads you to achieve your goal and be successful.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1. How is English Honours degree beneficial?

B.A in English Honours helps you to gain in-depth knowledge about English literature and the English language. After completion, many corporate companies recruit English graduates for the IT sector, PR management, commercial sector, content writing, marketing sector, subject matter expert, etc. In addition, government jobs are always available for any graduation degree holder.

Q2. Should I take any specialization course after English Honours to get a job?

In today’s market, competition is too high. Therefore, companies prefer to recruit candidates with a graduation degree and certificate in specialized courses to ensure that they are experienced enough to work sensibly without any mistake.

Q3. What are the instant moneymaking career options after English Honours?

After English Honors, some instant moneymaking career options are – content writing, blogging, creative writing, digital marketing, online teaching, etc.

Q4. What courses should I take after English Honours?

You can opt for content writing, digital marketing, journalism, and mass communications diploma, communication skills, and IT courses – these courses are short-term courses. You can also go for lengthy time-taking courses – post-graduation in English, MBA, MA in Journalism and Mass Communications, etc.

Conclusion:

These are some viable options to choose from, and the English Honours student can opt for any of these courses besides undertaking research.

High Paying Jobs after English Honours

Legendary writers like Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, Emily Bronte, and more have inspired many to study Literature. Whether you’re captivated by poetry, obsessed with the subtext in the novels, or enjoy writing, an English Honours degree is an ideal option for you. Let’s know some of the most prominent and high paying jobs after an English Honours degree that you can pursue to kick start your career soon!Top 15 Highest Salary Jobs for Commerce Students

Note: Students studying English Literature are expected and encouraged to examine, comprehend, and critically evaluate each piece of literature they read, as well as to express their thoughts on it.

High Paying Jobs After English Honours

Let’s walk you through with some of the best high paying jobs after English Honours degree (BA English or MA English) that aspirants may pursue: 

Journalist

An English Honours degree is an ideal match for a career in journalism. Since this field involves critical thinking, awareness of one’s environment, and great communication skills, it’s a perfect match for an English Honours graduate. A journalist is one career that will put your writing and editing skills to the test! Hence, becoming a journalist tops our list of high paying jobs after an English Honours degree. As a journalist, you’ll be responsible for gathering information for the public by conducting research, interviewing eyewitnesses and subject matter experts, producing pieces for media outlets, and presenting their findings. 

Average Salary: INR 4 to 6 lakhs per annum

Public Relations

Another most promising and high paying job after English Honours is in the field of public relations, which entails presenting the company’s or client’s strongest qualities to the public. As a Public Relations Specialist/Manager, you would be asked to compose press articles, organise press releases, look for the appropriate PR opportunities, plan PR campaigns. Additionally, PR managers are also responsible for cultivating relationships with the public, analysing/monitoring the social media performance statistics, creating a branding plan, and much more. As a PR, you decide how much and what type of piece of information can be presented to the general public, and as an English Honours graduate, you would be well-positioned to make an impact.

Average Salary: INR 3 to 7 lakhs per annum

Also Read: Best Jobs in India: Highest Paid Careers in the World

High School Teacher

Moving ahead with our list of top high paying jobs after English Honours degree, we have a job as a high school teacher on our list. There is no career more honourable than that of an educator or teacher, and English graduates are no exception. It is a great career path to pursue if you have that passion and zeal for teaching others. A bachelor or a masters degree in English Honours can lead you to a variety of educational and academic career possibilities. In addition to having an English Honours degree, aspirants will also be required to pass the CTET exam and a B.Ed degree to become a teacher. 

Average Salary: INR 3to 5 lakhs per annum

Content Writing or Blog Writing

Content writing is yet another booming industry for graduates and hence it is on our list of high paying jobs after English Honours! Nowadays, there is a great demand for established and highly skilled content/blog writers. This is due to the onset shift of conventional marketing to digital form of marketing. You can pursue a career in this field if you have a talent for writing, but in a style that connects effectively with the audience. Another field that is similar to content writing is blogging. It is more flexible than content writing, which is primarily focused on creating brand-specific content. On the contrary, you’ll enjoy much more freedom in blog writing than in producing content for a company. You may write about whatever you’re interested in, including fashion, technology, food, travelling, and more!

Average Salary: INR 3 to 5 lakhs per annum

Also Read: How to Start a Blog: Blogging Essentials for Beginners!

Technical Writer

Another high paying job that aspirants can pursue after an English Honours degree is as a technical writer. In simple words, a technical writer creates instructional manuals or other supporting guides that interpret complex and technical knowledge into simple language so that an individual can understand. While this profession does not need much creativity, it does require excellent and effective writing skills. 

Average Salary: INR 3 to 8 lakhs per annum

Librarian

One of the most famous and high paying jobs after English Honours for any graduate in this field would be of a librarian. A librarian is in charge of supervising the daily operations of a public or private library. He or she can also work for libraries that are present in educational institutions like schools and colleges. They can work in different religious institutions or government-run research centres. It is one of the most sought-after careers for English Honours graduates. A librarians’ main responsibilities include classifying, organising, and managing collections of books and other reading objects for public use. They even serve as the promoters of literacy and reading activities. In Addition to an English Honours degree, librarians will often require a degree in Library Science to kick start their career. 

Average Salary: INR 3 to 7.5 lakhs per annum

Must Read: 50 Highest Paying Government Jobs in India

Social Media Marketing

As said earlier, Social Media Marketing, a field of Digital Marketing, is becoming increasingly popular in this digital era. More and more companies seek to reach out to potential customers through digital channels or mediums and social media is one such medium. English Honours graduates hence can become potential assets for these companies who are focusing on social media marketing to promote their products and services. Aspirants as social media marketers can use English writing creativity and communication skills to produce content and creatives. Furthermore, they can even lead compelling digital campaigns, and design engaging content to advertise the business on social media handles. Due to the promising salary and booming industry, this career option makes it to our list of top high paying jobs after English Honours for graduates.

Average Salary: INR 4 to 9 lakhs per annum

Popular Universities to Study English Honours (BONUS)

Post knowing some of the highest paying jobs after English Honours degree, here is a bonus section that will make writing talent you aware of some of the world-class and top universities abroad for an English Honours degree:

University or College	Location
University of Reading	UK
University of Queensland	Australia
Trent University	Canada
University of Wollongong	Australia
University of Liverpool	UK
University College Dublin	Ireland
Trinity College Dublin	Ireland
Victoria University of Wellington	New Zealand
University of Pittsburgh	USA
University of Southern California	USA
Queen’s University	Canada

High-Paying Jobs after BA

These were 7 promising and high paying jobs after English Honours. Plan to study English courses abroad? Then, reach out to our counsellors at Leverage Edu at 1800 57 2000. Their expert guidance can make you land in your dream country and the best-fit university.