Career Opportunities
Because writers and editors occupy a critical niche in the information economy, national job opportunities for these workers are projected to increase 21-35 percent through 2010. In Georgia and in metro Atlanta, the demand will exceed even these high numbers, as the state’s major industries continue their long-term shift toward the delivery of services and information. Georgia ranks third nationally in the projected growth rate of writing and editing jobs through 2008, and it ranks eighth in the total number (8050) of expected openings.
Most of these jobs will be in metro Atlanta, where the Georgia Department of Labor (DoL) projects impressive growth through 2010 in the following occupations: “Writers and Authors,” 68% increase; “Writers and Editors,” 73% increase; “Technical Writers,” 54% increase. These long-term trends prompt the DoL to include “Writers and Authors” among 39 “hot jobs” for graduates with bachelor’s degrees: “these 39 have it all—fast growth, good wages and significant annual openings.”
Technological innovations account for much of this demand: the steady increase in online publications and services has created many new opportunities for writers and editors; at the same time, desktop publishing technologies have fueled a dramatic increase in the number and scope of printed publications. In the coming decades, Georgia as a whole and Atlanta in particular will need graduates who can make information technologies work—writers and editors able to translate raw data into effective messages that get through to their intended audiences. National forecasts indicate that demand for professional writers will be particularly strong among newspapers, periodicals, book publishers, and nonprofit organizations. The demand will also rise for writers with expertise in specialty areas such as law, medicine, and economics.
However—while writing and editing are the most obvious career paths for English majors—one of the most compelling arguments for establishing the degree program is the English B.A.’s inherent versatility. English is a major that equips its scholars with knowledge and abilities appropriate to a wide variety of vocations. In Great Jobs for English Majors, Julie Degalan and Stephen E. Lambert note that undergraduate study in English—with its emphasis on textual analysis, critical thinking, and writing—is an effective point of entry into many career fields and a variety of post-baccalaureate pursuits, such as law school, divinity school, library science programs, and graduate study in English itself. English departments train students to analyze and synthesize information deftly and present their discoveries clearly, concisely, and intelligently. Employers in many professions prize sharp research and communications skills and actively search for employees who are effective readers, writers, and organizers. One who holds a degree in English will be a viable candidate for employment in a wide range of settings, including libraries, government agencies, hospitals, schools and colleges, media outlets, advertising agencies, research and development firms, business corporations, and public relations firms. English majors enter the job market with many possible career roles before them: teacher, publicity coordinator, information specialist, bookseller, librarian, account executive, fundraiser, manager, paralegal, and, of course, writer and/or editor.
References
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2002-03 Edition, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 23 Nov. 2003, < http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm>.
State Occupational Projections 1998-2008, 23 Nov. 2003,
“Occupational Outlook for Metro Atlanta WIA Area,” Georgia
QuickStats, 5 Dec. 2003,
Georgia Occupational Trends in Brief: Projections to 2010,
Georgia Department of Labor, 23 Nov. 2003,
Daniel E. Hecker, “Employment Impact of Electronic Business,” Monthly Labor Review, May 2001, 5.
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2002-03 Edition.
Julie Degalan and Stephen E. Lambert, Great Jobs for English Majors 2nd ed. ( New York: McGraw-Hill/ Contemporary Books, 2000).