English Department

How does the FSU English Major prepare you for a job?

In Falling Short? College Learning and Career Success (2015), Hart Research Associates reported on the results of a survey designed to learn “which learning outcomes employers believe are most important to be able to succeed in today’s economy.” The survey of 400 employers found a high percentage identified the following abilities to be essential:

• The ability to effectively communicate orally (85%)

• The ability to effectively communicate in writing (82%)

• The ability to work effectively with others in teams (83%)

• Critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills (81%)

• The ability to analyze and solve complex problems (70%)

• The ability to locate, organize, and evaluate information from multiple sources (68%)

These are exactly the skills you will be learning as an English major, making you well-prepared for a wide-range of fulfilling careers.

Joining a student club or organization is a great way to get involved, make new friends and develop professional and leadership skills. Here are some of the groups of particular interest to English majors:

The English Club sponsors field trips as well as campus-wide events such as “Spooky Reading” Night around Halloween. The group also helps bring writers to campus for lectures and readings.

Sigma Tau Delta is the international English Honor Society. FSU has a chapter on campus.

The Creative Writing Club provides students with the opportunity to read and critique each other’s poetry and prose.

The Onyx, FSU’s student-run literary magazine, publishes students’ poetry, short stories, art, and photography. The magazine also sponsors “Open Mic” nights at which students can read their work or perform.

The Gatepost, FSU’s weekly independent student newspaper, has been the campus community’s resource for news and information since 1932. The Gatepost provides students with the opportunity to write news, opinion, and feature articles, take photographs, and learn newspaper design. The Gatepost has won 14 Mark of Excellence awards from the Society of Professional Journalists since 2008, including two national finalist awards and a national first-place award for editorial writing in 2013.

The Journal of Critical Thinking, a student-run journal, publishes academic essays by FSU students, faculty, and alumni.