Salesperson at the mall

lawyer. Another English major I know is a teacher.

Librarian. I'll never be rich but I have good job stability, reasonable workload, and have a sense of accomplishment for helping people each day. Requires a Master's degree but it's not as onerous or expensive as many graduate degrees.

Journalist

Lawyer here. Other English majors in my class include an AP journalist, surgeon, editor, playwright, and professor.

In Med school

I'm a lawyer. My sibling is a professor.

Corporate VP Job - operations.

My DS just graduated in May. He is working for a large publishing company and does some freelance writing.

I am an attorney. My two BFFs are in marketing.

N.G.O.s are not a great place to get ahead w/o advanced degrees. You should try Capitol Hill, Trade Associations + P.R. Firms. My d.d. Was an English major @ H.Y.P. + works in digital finance strategy. She is 27 + makes $200k.

You should be active on Linkedin, write blogs, and reach out to fellow alumni. Good luck.

Publishing.

I'm a deputy director at a large international public health NGO. After college I worked for a while then got a MPH. I write all day long and my degree has served me well.

Advertising
Law
Non-profit comms
Journalism MA
Technical Writer

There are many paths. You just need to pick one and not blame your degree.

Lawyer. Before law school though I worked in admin. Without really knowing what you want to do, it's difficult to just slot into a "real job" with an English degree. Admin is not bad though - if it's in a field in which you might have an interest - so operations in a brokerage if you're interested in finance, personal assistant in communications areas - but you first need to figure out what YOU want. Talk to a career counselor - your school may have one - figure out what it is about studying English lit you liked - analysis? law, intelligence, consulting all might work, communicating ideas? Broadcasting might work (as would any of the former). Writing? Law, consulting, policy all might work. "What do you do with a B.A. in English?" Are you good at math and science? What about public health? The answer can be anything .... or nothing. It all depends on you.