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WHAT DID YOUR COLLEGE MAJOR DO FOR YOU?
Questions for:
Rachel, English Teacher, University of Pennsylvania '99
Q: What was your major in college?
A: I was an English Major with a concerntration in 20th century African American literature.
Q: Why did you choose it as your major?
A: I chose it because writing was a strength for me, as well as something I enjoyed. I couldn't imagine majoring in something that didn't interest me for the sake of a career that didn't even exist yet. I concentrated in the area of literature that I liked most.
Q: Were you happy with your choice?
A: I was definitely happy with my choice. English provides you with a good foundation nomatter what your future profession may be. Even corporate America is recruiting English majors because they need their analytical and writing skills.
Q: What did you end up doing after graduation?
A: I'm a novelist and a high school English teacher.
Q: Did your major help you or hurt you in your search for a job?
A: Of course, being an English teacher, my major was essential for my job. But I still feel that if I ever decided to change careers dramatically, that English was the right decision for an undergrad major. Sometimes making your major too specific (European international relations, for example) can hinder the job search.
Q: Did your major give you the skills to succeed at your first job?
A: Not really. You need to know books to be a good English teacher, but you need to know how to control a classroom more. That's something that can't really be taught in college. This is true for most jobs. The skills you need on the job are really not what you learn in school, so you might as well just study what you want and figure everything else out later.
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