/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.18371566]

I am graduating with my English degree today. Where are my English/Lit degree anons at?

[Anonymous No.18371573]

What’re you gonna do next anon?

[Anonymous No.18371581]

>>18371573
Find a job stocking redbulls for manchildren. I have no friends, job experience, or connections.

[Anonymous No.18371591]

>>18371581
Bro, I dunno how it is in the states, but if you have a degree, any degree from a University, you can generally get a job at the very least as a manager or at some sort of office, a lot of places require degrees. Dont buy into this bullshit about not being able to find a job with an arts degree, its just people mad they werent able to because they are shit.

[Anonymous No.18371592]

>>18371566
Perhaps unlike many anons here, I valued my education in English. I am doing something I love and I am relatively successful. I do not regret anything.

[Anonymous No.18371605]

>>18371591
I think you need friends, job experience, and connections to get any decent job regardless of a degree anon. In the US I think a degree is just a mere checkbox.

[Anonymous No.18371609]

>>18371592
What are you doing?

[Anonymous No.18371641]

>>18371609
I can't reveal that without my identity becoming incredibly easy to find out.

[Anonymous No.18371649]

>>18371641
Really? Is what you are doing /lit/ related at least?

[Anonymous No.18371661]

>>18371605
That’s my fear. 0 connection to anyone. And never learned basic social skills during my formative years. l’m a complete recluse and im afraid I’ll end up working shit jobs the rest of my life.

[Anonymous No.18371731]

>>18371649
Yes to both.

[Anonymous No.18371768]

>>18371566
Suffered for ages working as a Mail room temp/other various temp assignments but mainly mail room, made a good impression everywhere as quiet and helpful, finally got converted to a full time employee as a product copywriter at the company closest to my house, worked for three years as that and finally promoted to data analyst seeing as I’m one of the only people in the office not in IT who have a basic understanding of programming.

I’ve also written two books, one fiction and one non fiction, but no they didn’t sell. Still worth it.

So I guess I went the corporate wagie route? It’s not terrible especially if you can keep your mind open and explore new skills. Can be quite comfy. Your other option is teacher.

[Anonymous No.18371769]

>>18371641
don't worry you won't out yourself considering thousands of English graduates go to Starbucks as baristas

[Anonymous No.18371868]

>>18371661
My advice to people with no connections is to start making them through temp jobs and to keep an open mind and go where you’re needed. What I mean by that is say your town has a shortage of teachers, just be a substitute (low commitment + meet lots of people.) Other options are hospital filing/billing, data entry, something in any industry called “coordinator” which just means being organized. Don’t freak out about this. This is just a stepping stone for you, not a career. I had so many “jobs” that I never put on my resume just to pay bills. Just always be polite and professional, get there early, etc. Don’t complain about not having enough to do at first, just always leave things better than you found it. People don’t like it when you change their obviously inefficient system, just try to fit in as your first test.

For example. At one company I made an entire recycling program for old printer cartridges so people could easily drop them off. Surprise, people hated it because normies just care about virtue signaling, not the environment, and they couldn’t be bothered. Tread carefully; innovations and a go-getter attitude can show initiative but also make normies feel threatened so just don’t be surprised when there’s a lot of pressure to remember “your place on the totem pole”. Just roll with it; it’s not you, it’s the entire system. Spend your first two weeks anywhere Observing and Learning ONLY.

If you do things right you’ll have a job offer somewhere in 1-3 years. (At least this was my experience.) Sometimes it was really hard, I did feel entitled to something better, but eventually I got exactly where I wanted to be.

[Anonymous No.18371936]

with an english degree, you can go anywhere in the world

[Anonymous No.18371963]

>>18371731

Thomas?

[Anonymous No.18372234]

bump

[Anonymous No.18372579]

Bump

[Anonymous No.18372651]

>>18371581
why not go teach abroad? i always wish i did that

[Anonymous No.18372659]

>>18372651
I am an incel shut-in anon.

[Anonymous No.18372669]

>>18371566
most of the people on this board are illiterate or cant comprehend basic concepts

[Anonymous No.18372697]

>>18371592
nobody here despises majors in literature or art. while philosophers and sociologists are a laughing stock.

[Anonymous No.18372715]

>>18371566
I’m sorry to hear

[Anonymous No.18372730]

>>18372697
everyone on lit huffs their own farts and reads the same 5 philosophy books.

[Anonymous No.18373284]

Bump

[Anonymous No.18373339]

English Bachelor's and Master's here. I'm about to start working as a tutor, part time increasing up to full time. Pay is comfy but the work is seasonal and soulless. I got lucky and landed a tutoring gig during my master's, so now it appears i'm stuck in this field until I join the peace corps or some shit

[Anonymous No.18373363]

>>18371641
I personally guarantee there's a way to describe your job in a way that is synonymous to thousands of other people in the world doing that same job at this very moment. For example, astronaut? "I work in aerospace"

[Anonymous No.18373373]

>>18371581
Did you not bother with any internships the whole time? That’s the big fuck up I’ve noticed with my friends, gotta be making those connections while you’re still a student.

[Anonymous No.18373375]

>>18373339
What and who are you tutoring?

[Anonymous No.18373387]

>>18371581
>redbulls for manchildren
As a hardworking line chef, I'm insulted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxbDjOoFWdQ

[Anonymous No.18373403]

starting a degree in classics soon

how badly did i fuck up?

[Anonymous No.18373413]

>>18373403
The specific degree doesn't matter. Making friends, connections, and getting experience is what matters.

[Anonymous No.18373422]

I'll be starting a degree on Portuguese, French and ancient Greek soon, then I'll probably go to grad school afterwards while working as a high school teacher to support myself.

[Anonymous No.18373445]

>>18373403
You didn't make a mistake, under the assumption that you are pursuing the degree for the sake of knowledge. Then again, in case you are a victim of the poisonous contemporary mindset, according to which only employment prospects matter (just take a look at >>18373413), whereas knowledge is irrelevant, you are most likely doomed.

[Anonymous No.18373450]

>>18371566
I majored in English. Got a cozy job as a tech writer a few months back. I've been living the dream since. For what it's worth I had literally no connections to help get my job, I just sent out a metric fuck ton of resumes all day everyday. Don't fret if you have trouble finding work, anon; the job market is fucked in many sectors right now.

[Anonymous No.18373464]

no degreee fren, just here to says well done

[Anonymous No.18373526]

>>18373450
What do you put on your resume?
>>18373464
Thank you fren

[Anonymous No.18373571]

>>18373526
>What do you put on your resume?
My degree, gpa, where I went to school, 3 previous jobs I worked while in college, and some hobbies. I used a nice looking template I found online to give it a clean aesthetic.

[Anonymous No.18373584]

>>18373571
Ah I've never had a job so I probably won't be getting a tech writing job.

[Anonymous No.18373608]

>>18373375
SAT, english reading and writing, college essays, I'll be tutoring financially-endowed high school kids

[Anonymous No.18373616]

>>18373403
just letting you know that some employers automatically filter resumes that include classics, philosophy, and other useless majors

[Anonymous No.18373838]

>>18373616
Can confirm
t. HR

[Anonymous No.18373861]

>>18373450
What kind of tech writing do you do?

[Anonymous No.18373901]

>>18371581
>>18371591

It's really difficult to get an arts job with just an arts degree. Most of these jobs are given to people out of nepotism or to PhDs; a simple BA won't suffice.
But as anon said, having a degree - and the difference you've most likely noticed, hopefully, makes you a more educated person and - allows you to hold a position that someone with such a degree can old. Any lit degree, so your english degree, allows you to - literally - do anything to do with language: you can be a manager, you can be a teacher, you can work in sales. I'm not even kidding you here, with a degree and a decent personality the world lays open before you. There is nothing stopping you, besides for working some non language related job, which are very few.
In university you learned to write properly up to the standards of a modern educated person and think critically; then you also learn all the things unique to your degree which no one cares about.
It's just having [a degree] and working like an education person. That's all most modern jobs require. People are complaining because they can't get their dream job, or because they've slacked off / are undesirable people and don't get hired because of that.
If you want to work in a very specific industry, like in a museum or something like that, then you're going to require very specific skills.

With an English degree you're a specific service providing researcher for poetry or literature, or just generally english language matters, as well as being a general (service) researcher because of your base/secondary skills provided by being having a college degree, being an educated person. This is a bit idiosyncratic but I think it illustrates the point nicely why nowadays everyone who wants to work a decent, non-labor job has to have a degree. Some people might be able to learn these secondary skills specific to university, college education without having a degree, or without even going to university, but that is rare and most people are pretty stupid, so to be reliable given capital interests in employees, you're required for good measure - and they can do this because it's not ridiculous and so many people go to college nowadays - to have a degree.

[Anonymous No.18373995]

>>18373608
The kids you tutor, im curious about what they are like. Are they bratty and ignorant or, at least, willing to learn? Have you had any cases where you questioned why you were being hired for the student, or maybe even students so hard to work with that you had to quit?

[Anonymous No.18374071]

>>18373339
How do you get into tutoring?

[Anonymous No.18374550]

>>18373995
I haven't started tutoring the rich kids yet, so idk. Previously, I tutored at a community college and those students were polite and motivated. Lots of nontraditional older folks, and ESL. But I've heard that rich high schoolers are similar to undergrads due to being in advanced classes. I got a few uppity people but the biggest struggle was the ESL students. You never know if you're actually helping them, or if they're just going along with you for appearances. Probably some of both. I've never worked with a student who made me consider quitting, and I'm lucky I aint teaching somewhere like Baltimore middle schools
>>18374071
Started by editing Chinese students' essays in undergrad lol. If you make friends with some international chinese, you'll find this kind of work. I also copyedited for the campus newspaper.
I was lucky because my grad program had a hookup with the local community college, so I worked in their writing center. All I did was send a letter of interest. Then I interviewed and performed an in-person edit of a sample essay, which I scored highly. I worked for them for 2 years at minimum wage--that was my bitch work. The new job is 3x the pay

[Anonymous No.18374566]

>>18373861
Writing user manuals for industrial equipment. The problem is that it's a very specific type of tech writing so if I ever get laid off idk what I'd do lol.

[Anonymous No.18374576]

>>18374550
>I haven't started tutoring the rich kids yet, so idk. Previously, I tutored at a community college and those students were polite and motivated. Lots of nontraditional older folks, and ESL. But I've heard that rich high schoolers are similar to undergrads due to being in advanced classes. I got a few uppity people but the biggest struggle was the ESL students. You never know if you're actually helping them, or if they're just going along with you for appearances. Probably some of both. I've never worked with a student who made me consider quitting, and I'm lucky I aint teaching somewhere like Baltimore middle schools

You seem very kind. When you do begin teaching more, i hope you post about any particularly interesting escapades. I really like hearing about teacher's perspective on kids because, obviously, im so used to the reverse.

[Anonymous No.18374600]

>>18373403
Minor in a romance language (French or Italian preferably, Spanish if you're American) or german. If you want to make your degree useful learn as many languages as you can and apply for bi-lingual jobs. You could also go the law route, but id suggest exhausting ALL your academic "fun" (masters, studying/teaching abroad, PHD, etc.) before doing so. Law is where failed academics go to get a job.

[Anonymous No.18374605]

Got a /his/ degree, so similar. I'm an English teacher in Asia (not Japan) and it's pretty cozy. The hours are great (almost always less than 30 hours/week), the work itself is easy, and the pay decent enough. I'll never be a billionaire, but my life is enjoyable and I don't feel like I'm a slave to my job.

[Anonymous No.18374615]

>>18374576
thanks breh i'll try to be a tourist now and then

[Anonymous No.18374876]

>>18374566
isn't technical writing a skill that's transferable to different industries? Since the legalese is the basically the same all you have to do is learn the new jargon

[Anonymous No.18374915]

>>18374600
Which is best if im in canada and already have a grasp on french? i was planning on german or something like that.

[Anonymous No.18374947]

>>18373901
I can't tell if this is sarcasm or if you unironically believe this.

[Anonymous No.18374986]

>>18374915
German, especially for academia in Classics. Also, if you really brush up on your french, I dont see how a government job of some kind wouldnt be available as well.

[Anonymous No.18375093]

I'm done with my Bachelor's and I'm almost done with my Master's in English.
I've barely done any sort of internship of sorts and I wish I did. Unfortunately I had to deal with a lot of life unexpectancy so I was too caught up to do anything. My family keeps egging me to take Phd and become a professor but I'm already too jaded with the academia.

[Anonymous No.18375111]

>>18371566
I fell for the same meme, unfortunately. Spent two years working shitty odd jobs and doing freelance writing. I ended up getting a teaching certificate, and now I have a book being published in November, so it doesn't seem like the future will be too bad. Whatever you do, don't settle for awful customer service jobs. I had a hard time finding quality work without connections in 2019, but covid-19 has tipped the odds in our favor now that wagies are rebelling.

[Anonymous No.18375195]

Majored in history at a good university near my state capital. Interned with different politicians and agencies my junior and senior years, graduated top of my class. Immediately was hired by the gov working in policy research. Two years out of university now making 70k a year+benefits, guaranteed raises, good work/life balance, and will never be fired

[Anonymous No.18375200]

>>18373450
Looking to become a tech writer myself, if you don't mind me asking, roughly how many places did you apply to and how long did it take to hear back from any of them? I'm going to be finishing up my degree over the summer and applying for jobs is my next step.

[Anonymous No.18375275]

>>18373616
>>18373838
>HR wagies deeming anything to be useless
The irony is thick

[Anonymous No.18375310]

>>18375275
HR is essential for companies over 50 employees. Are you in middle school?