Careers & Internships

The English Department is committed to preparing our students  for professional success. This page includes career resources available to all English majors and minors. 

• Get Career Support from English Faculty
• See What Our Alumni Have Done with Their English Degrees
• How to Build a Successful Resume and Cover Letter
• Internships and Part-Time Jobs
• What You Can Do with an English Degree
• Get Grad School Application and Career Support from the Herbert Writing Center
• Career Fairs and Graduate School Workshops
• Sign Up for Handshake
• ENGL 499: Careers for English Majors
• Mentorship Program with UT English Alumni
• Looking to Hire an English Major?

There are many career paths for English majors! English majors are found in a wide range of fields including law, medicine, publishing, advertising, education, nonprofit management, public relations, government, and more.

What You Can Do With an English Major

With their versatile skills grounded in sharp writing and clear-eyed analysis, English majors and minors go into a variety of careers after they graduate. A degree in English offers a broad set of career options, including fulfilling work in fields such as education, management, business operations, media, finance, law, arts, entertainment, sales, sports, and health care, among others. Career services offers current listings of jobs and internships in arts, media, and communications. Click on the chart below to learn more.

Upcoming Events

Our department regularly hosts events geared towards professional development for our majors and minors. Below are a list of upcoming events hosted by either the department or the university to help you prepare for your professional development. 

Spring 2024

• April 10th: 2024 SEC & ACC Virtual Career Fair
  • This is a virtual fair open to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville students to participate in! This is an all-majors and all-industries fair.
• April 10th: Master Your Job Interviews with Strengths
  • Preparing for your next steps after graduation? Join representatives from the Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration and the Jones Center for Leadership and Service to learn tips and tricks to master your job interviews while leaning into your Strengths. As a bonus, unlock your Full 34 CliftonStrengths report free of charge when you participate!
• April 11th: Sustainability Lunch and Learn
  • Join us to learn about a career path in the sustainability industry. Hear from our special guest on their career journey and ask them questions. Free Lunch will be provided so registration is recommended.
• April 12: Part-Time Jobs with Thornton Athletics Student Life Center
  • Visit with representatives from the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center to learn more about exciting part-time job opportunities available for student workers. The Thornton Center will be tabling from 11am to 1pm on the first floor of the Student Union, near Steak ‘n Shake.

Find a full list of events offered by Career Services on their website.

You can find past career workshops and interviews on our YouTube channel.

Handshake

Handshake connects UT students to professional opportunities including part-time jobs, internships, and full-time positions. It’s easy to navigate with personalized feeds and custom recommendations based on major and career interests.

Handshake is free for students and alumni and offers access to more than 500,000 employers. More than 800 colleges and universities use Handshake, so you can connect with a wide national network of employers.

Create a profile to make appointments with career coaches and to search for career-related panels, workshops, job fairs, and other recruiting events. Visit the Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration, call 865-974-5435, or email career@utk.edu for help.

During the Fall and Spring semesters, English majors receive a bi-weekly newsletter tailored to the career interests of Humanities and Social Science from the Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration. It includes information about upcoming career events, featured resources, and internship/job postings.

Mentorship Program

The English Department is excited to offer an alumni mentorship program for our students. Students interested in working with an alumni in their field can reach out to Dr. Erin Elizabeth Smith at esmith83@utk.edu.

Looking to Hire an English Major?

UTK English majors are intelligent, compassionate, and creative people who are excellent problem-solvers and communicators. English majors are not only accomplished writers, but also innovative thinkers and thorough researchers. Their skills can be brought into the corporate and nonprofit worlds in numerous ways including digital marketing, social media management, content creation, fundraising, grant writing, technical writing, event coordination, corporate education, and more.

If your business or nonprofit is looking for people to join your team, you can let our students know about your current openings or email our Director of Career Development, Dr. Erin Elizabeth Smith, at esmith83@utk.edu to discuss ways that the department can help support possible future internships.