When the Britishers first came to India, English was a foreign language for the Indians. But today with 125 million people speaking English, she stands at the second position next only to the USA. In a country blessed with linguistic diversity, this is really impressive. What can an Indian demand when the language has a variation called ‘Indian English’!
According to an estimate, about 20% of the total world population speaks English which quantifies to about 1.5 billion people. Of these, not all are the native speakers. Due to the huge economic, political and cultural role, this is the most studied language in the world. You can travel to any part of the world and yet find English speakers. Obviously, this widespread presence points to the sea of opportunities in this field.
If you have done your M.A. in English, then you belong to that talent pool that is in demand in every sector and in every country. This is a well-known fact that most of the businesses have clients spread all over the world. They need employees that can interact with them. Your fluency in English spoken and written is an asset to them. So, when you complete your post graduation in English, you get a wide range of choices to base your career on. As a matter of fact, studying English is one of the best career choices. We have plenty of career options after getting an MA English degree.
Career Opportunities and Job Scope after MA English
- Writer: English is one of the most read and understood languages. Obviously, there are a number of media houses catering to the demands of that population. You can work as a writer for different magazines, newspapers and T.V. channels. If you have good creativity and ability to write beautifully, you can also begin to write books. There are many publishing houses that encourage novice writers to share their experiences. You can also begin the work as a freelance writer. This will give you the flexibility of time and location. As a freelance writer, all you will need is a laptop and an internet connection. Rest you can work for clients from around the globe and at your own ease. Your knowledge of English and ability to mould your writing style plays a crucial role in your success as a writer. As mentioned earlier, there are different styles of English today. You need to pay attention to that. When writing for an Australian magazine, you should use the language style of Australians. Just for example, in the day to day language, mosquitoes are called mozzie in Australia. So, try to keep your vocabulary strong to be able to write on a variety of topics and for clients from all countries.
- Academics: Teaching is the most novel of all professions. You get to guide and mould mere students into tomorrow’s future. It is always said that a teacher never retires. And, that is actually the truth. As a teacher, you will get students throughout your life. Upon completing your post-graduation, you become eligible to appear in the UGC-NET exams. This exam is the prime eligibility for being a lecturer in the government as well as private colleges. After clearing NET, you can be appointed as an English language lecturer. Further, you can extend your academic years by doing M.Phil, PhD and post-doctoral courses. They will help you in your teaching career. If you are more into teaching English to the kids, then you can do B.Ed. after your M.A. that way you will have the eligibility to teach school kids. But if you can begin to work as a teacher and complete two years, then you can do B.Ed. even in distance mode. These days, there are several online teaching websites. They all need trained and knowledgeable teachers. You can join those websites. They pay really handsome. Also, you will get an opportunity to interact with students from all over the world. You must have heard about the Khan Academy. You can begin your career as an English teacher or instructor from those websites. Upon gaining experience, you can even start your own online channel.
- Linguistics Expert: There are several countries where people neither know nor understand English. As a linguist, you are required to bridge this language gap. However, your nature of work depends purely on your workplace. When working for an NGO, you will be required to understand, interpret and translate a foreign language into English. You will be required to interact with the foreign clients and understand what they want to convey. You will be surprised to know that linguists are needed even in the secret agencies and military, naval and air forces. There, they are involved with interacting with the dignitaries and assisting with the crucial negotiations. So, when you begin to work as a linguist, you will really have an adventurous career. But you do need to complete the linguistics course. Usually, that is offered after the M.A.
- Editor: We have already mentioned earlier that there is a lot of print and audio-video material being written in English every day. Now, writers to write that. But an editor is needed to make it error-proof, attractive to read and easy to understand. You need to have an eye for details, a good grasp of the grammar, a creative mind and also ability to conform to the deadlines. If you possess all these qualities, you can consider your career in editing. Always keep in mind that the work nature depends on your organization. If you work for a newspaper daily, you will need to finish the editing within two hours. Otherwise, when will the newspaper go out for printing? Then, if you work for a monthly magazine, the pressure will be lower. It depends completely on you how you wish to grow career-wise.
- Soft Skills Trainer: Our country possesses a large talent pool. But there is a lack of people who can get these talents polished. As a soft skills trainer, you will be involved with training people to speak English fluently. Also, you will be required to train them in professional etiquettes, dressing sense and so on. You must have heard that engineering graduates go through a training period before beginning work. During this period, they are trained in soft skills. Soft skills trainers are needed here. When the commonwealth games were organized in New Delhi, policemen were given training in English spoken to cater to the needs of foreign fans. They were trained in basic etiquettes. All of these come with soft skills. With the world getting converted into a global village, even schools are getting a permanent soft skills trainer to make their students ready to face the world. You can grow as a speaker, columnist and even start your own training institute.
- A career in the Public Sector: Apart from the specialized career options, you can also appear for the government services exams like SSC, UPSC, Banking and RBI officer jobs. They usually demand the only graduation without being subject specific.
- Public Relations Officer: Every company needs to have an impressive public presence. As PR personnel, you will be involved with creating advertisements, statements and proper public appearances for your company. You will be dealing with the media for news about your company. As an English postgraduate, you will have the advantage of being able to interact with even the foreign clients.
- Blogger: Not yet considered a full-time career opportunity, blogging shouts out loud about its pending place. As a professional blogger, you can write your own blog or for some company or political parties. These days everyone needs a robust online presence. With your crisp and catchy language skills, you can be a perfect candidate. Bloggers earn quite handsomely. What is most impressive is the flexibility of working hours and your life-long career. Initially, it is easier and also profitable to work for some company. That way you will earn good and will be able to establish yourself. You can start your own blog along with your job and when you gain recognition as a blogger. After that, your success will create history.
- Content Strategist: Still a budding career option but it carries a lot of potentials. The web content holds a very important position today. What is posted, it's timing and so on needs a sharp strategist. You can work in the content management system and use your skills for making web contents more impactful.
- Social Worker: If you believe that you can contribute to society, you can begin your work as a social worker. You can teach underprivileged kids, interact with foreigners for financial aids and also create a public presence of your organization. We hope that all these career options will help you in getting rid of your doubts. You should never feel that you have got lesser opportunities. Just think that you know the language that 20% of the world population knows and so there is a need for you. You will definitely land a job of your choice. Always remember to keep yourself updated with knowledge. Read quality newspapers and magazines. Learn about recent technologies. Your updated knowledge and understanding will make you the most sought-after candidate.
