Overview
An English major’s skills will never go out of style. The basic components of the English major – reading, writing, analysis, sharing ideas in groups – are essential for success in both work and life. Businesses and corporations prefer to hire English and Humanities majors because they can read and write well, and can think critically and “outside the box.” In fact, a recent study found that 97% of business executives surveyed rate writing skills as very important.
Reading literature requires us to look at the world from perspectives different from our own. It cultivates imagination, empathy, critical analysis, and appreciation for language. In a globalizing world, literature gives us access to other cultures and ways of being, even as it allows us to take a quiet moment away from the world.