English vs Communications major, which is more valuable?

[Anonymous]

In later life, communications majors may be dated. Many of my female friends who majored in communications have had to go back to get teaching degrees or change after being laid off in their 40s.

I majored in English and took a number of communications courses as electives. Traditional majors are helpful for a lifetime, job based majors are only helpful for as long as those jobs are available or as long as you are deemed young enough to do those jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In later life, communications majors may be dated. Many of my female friends who majored in communications have had to go back to get teaching degrees or change after being laid off in their 40s.

I majored in English and took a number of communications courses as electives. Traditional majors are helpful for a lifetime, job based majors are only helpful for as long as those jobs are available or as long as you are deemed young enough to do those jobs.

I don't understand this. There are no "English" jobs available. Presumably an English major is valuable because it develops skills that could be beneficial in the workplace. But wouldn't a Communications degree develop this same skills, in fact, I would think it would even more so than an English degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an English major, and worked on my student newspaper as an undergrad. I got a newspaper fellowship the summer before my senior year in college.

This led to me getting a job as an assistant editor for a private university's alumni magazine as my first "real job." It definitely didn't pay a lot, but I was able to get a master's degree with the tuition benefit. (Also in English.)

That first job let to:
-Promotion to associate editor
-Assistant director of communications for a law school
-Associate director of communications at a nonprofit
-Director of communications at the same law school (they asked me to come back)

I am now senior director of communications of a large college at a public university.

I love my job. I get to write every day. I manage websites, publications, brand/messaging, and media relations requests. The larger team that I direct handles photography, videography, advertising and social media. We have fun. I've gotten to meet and interview some interesting celebrities and public figures. I've gotten to take tours and see rare artifacts and documents.

I have a husband, two children, and a great work-life balance. I rarely bring work home with me, or work on weekends. When I do, it's for a good cause.

I feel like I'm a part of an important community. I help professors translate their research into messages that inform the public and policymakers.

I love my job. I make six figures. I have great benefits.

Here's the important part: I didn't just get a degree and expect to get a job. I hustled. I developed great contacts and clips at the student newspaper and at my newspaper fellowship. I was getting paid to write AP wire stories at the age of 20.

I didn't just want to be a writer after I graduated; I WAS a writer when I graduated.

It's not about your degree. It's about building your resume the moment you set foot on a college campus.

This is very similar to my situation. I double-majored in English and Comms. Went straight into journalism for decades. Once I had kids, I transitioned into comms jobs. Wouldn't change a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In later life, communications majors may be dated. Many of my female friends who majored in communications have had to go back to get teaching degrees or change after being laid off in their 40s.

I majored in English and took a number of communications courses as electives. Traditional majors are helpful for a lifetime, job based majors are only helpful for as long as those jobs are available or as long as you are deemed young enough to do those jobs.

I don't understand this. There are no "English" jobs available. Presumably an English major is valuable because it develops skills that could be beneficial in the workplace. But wouldn't a Communications degree develop this same skills, in fact, I would think it would even more so than an English degree.

I know communication majors at several colleges and the type of writing required in a communications program is very different from an English major. English majors tend to have better writing AND analytical skills which is what a lot of jobs require. It's shocking the number of kids that my DD knows who are majoring in communications. There is not some kind of pent up demand for these majors and yes, they are often considered a "soft" program at many colleges. The joke is, if you want to get into a highly selective college, check off communications as your area of interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In later life, communications majors may be dated. Many of my female friends who majored in communications have had to go back to get teaching degrees or change after being laid off in their 40s.

I majored in English and took a number of communications courses as electives. T[b]raditional majors are helpful for a lifetime, job based majors are only helpful for as long as those jobs are available or as long as you are deemed young enough to do those jobs.

I don't understand this. There are no "English" jobs available. Presumably an English major is valuable because it develops skills that could be beneficial in the workplace. But wouldn't a Communications degree develop this same skills, in fact, I would think it would even more so than an English degree.

I know communication majors at several colleges and the type of writing required in a communications program is very different from an English major. English majors tend to have better writing AND analytical skills which is what a lot of jobs require. It's shocking the number of kids that my DD knows who are majoring in communications. There is not some kind of pent up demand for these majors and yes, [/b]they are often considered a "soft" program at many colleges. The joke is, if you want to get into a highly selective college, check off communications as your area of interest[b].

Ok. If it is considered a soft major, why would indicating it as an area of an interest help in admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - yes. You are correct. I was a journalism major (so not a communications major), and while I see the benefit of being an English major, it’s a very very narrow subject matter. Communications is much more targeted and useful. I was required to take English classes as well, and took even more as electives because it was my interest.

I am a fairly recent graduate of a university with dedicated College of Communication (which includes the communication major) as well as the traditional liberal arts-based English major and the recruiting opportunities, internships, etc. were not remotely comparable between the two. Majoring in communications was a no-brainer.

[Anonymous]

My youngest sister just graduated last year as a Communications major. She landed really well thanks to a former professor hiring her to work for a TV network. I've always considered it a soft major as well but am thankful that its worked out well for her so far.

English majors seem like a good deal if you're definitely headed to law/graduate school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an English major, and worked on my student newspaper as an undergrad. I got a newspaper fellowship the summer before my senior year in college.

This led to me getting a job as an assistant editor for a private university's alumni magazine as my first "real job." It definitely didn't pay a lot, but I was able to get a master's degree with the tuition benefit. (Also in English.)

That first job let to:
-Promotion to associate editor
-Assistant director of communications for a law school
-Associate director of communications at a nonprofit
-Director of communications at the same law school (they asked me to come back)

I am now senior director of communications of a large college at a public university.

I love my job. I get to write every day. I manage websites, publications, brand/messaging, and media relations requests. The larger team that I direct handles photography, videography, advertising and social media. We have fun. I've gotten to meet and interview some interesting celebrities and public figures. I've gotten to take tours and see rare artifacts and documents.

I have a husband, two children, and a great work-life balance. I rarely bring work home with me, or work on weekends. When I do, it's for a good cause.

I feel like I'm a part of an important community. I help professors translate their research into messages that inform the public and policymakers.

I love my job. I make six figures. I have great benefits.

Here's the important part: I didn't just get a degree and expect to get a job. I hustled. I developed great contacts and clips at the student newspaper and at my newspaper fellowship. I was getting paid to write AP wire stories at the age of 20.

I didn't just want to be a writer after I graduated; I WAS a writer when I graduated.

It's not about your degree. It's about building your resume the moment you set foot on a college campus.

You are a perfect example of it being more about the person then about the major. Congrats!

[Anonymous]

11:37 -- your perspective should be required reading for every HS senior going to college. And then they need to read/hear it again as a freshman in college.

I never thought of it as succinctly as you said it. -- you didn't wait for someone to find your resume attractive, you made your resume attractive while you were in college.

Great advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an English major, and worked on my student newspaper as an undergrad. I got a newspaper fellowship the summer before my senior year in college.

This led to me getting a job as an assistant editor for a private university's alumni magazine as my first "real job." It definitely didn't pay a lot, but I was able to get a master's degree with the tuition benefit. (Also in English.)

That first job let to:
-Promotion to associate editor
-Assistant director of communications for a law school
-Associate director of communications at a nonprofit
-Director of communications at the same law school (they asked me to come back)

I am now senior director of communications of a large college at a public university.

I love my job. I get to write every day. I manage websites, publications, brand/messaging, and media relations requests. The larger team that I direct handles photography, videography, advertising and social media. We have fun. I've gotten to meet and interview some interesting celebrities and public figures. I've gotten to take tours and see rare artifacts and documents.

I have a husband, two children, and a great work-life balance. I rarely bring work home with me, or work on weekends. When I do, it's for a good cause.

I feel like I'm a part of an important community. I help professors translate their research into messages that inform the public and policymakers.

I love my job. I make six figures. I have great benefits.

Here's the important part: I didn't just get a degree and expect to get a job. I hustled. I developed great contacts and clips at the student newspaper and at my newspaper fellowship. I was getting paid to write AP wire stories at the age of 20.

I didn't just want to be a writer after I graduated; I WAS a writer when I graduated.

It's not about your degree. It's about building your resume the moment you set foot on a college campus.

This is it. Young people need the support and skills to go out and network and try things and find their way. Doesn't matter whether you major in English or Communications if you can do what this pp did in college. Problem is sometimes people don't even know what they want to do - so that has to come first. And then the networking and the informational interviews.

[Anonymous]

17:28 again. A book that made a huge difference for me is What Color is Your Parachute. Apparently it's been updated so it may be worth checking out still. But that's where I learned that it was okay to ask people just to tell you about their work and to give you advice. Twice I changed fields over the course of my career and both times informational interviewing got me jobs that I never would have gotten if I just waited to apply to an ad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:English majors are generally serious students whilst communications majors are students looking for an easy major.....it’s a worthless degree.

They are both worthless.

I’m an uncle to two communications majors and this is true. An English degree at least makes you sound smart. Communications is what athletes major in.

[Anonymous]

Comms

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:English majors are generally serious students whilst communications majors are students looking for an easy major.....it’s a worthless degree.

They are both worthless.

I’m an uncle to two communications majors and this is true. An English degree at least makes you sound smart. Communications is what athletes major in.

NP. My brother got a full ride to a great school as a swimmer. He was a comms major. He now is a public affairs director for NOAA. He's the guy who brings journalists into oceanic disaster areas and briefs them. He's briefed the FBI and the White House on oceanic situations. He makes well into the six figures. He's traveled to Australia and Paris on business.

Not exactly "worthless," but nice try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my school all the athletes were communications majors. This should tell you everything you need to know.

Haha same here!