English Majors Take Programming and Web Design
How Computer Knowledge Helps in Getting a Job
Jun 15, 2009
English majors have great potential as members of businesses, and when it's time to take a technology general education course, they should consider taking web design classes and computer programming classes. Here are three different kinds of jobs that use those skills.
Web Content Developer (Webpage Design)
Any job that asks for web content design will usually expect the applicant to be able to work with website formatting -- html, xhtml, javascript, flashplayer, dreamweaver, ect. An English major with this skill can expand his/her genre horizons in web writing as they learn how much detail to give in certain places, how word-choice is different with tighter, more straight-forward phrases, and even the font and color choice. Research and data collection/interpretation is also important for this kind of position.
Online Publications
A career involving online publications will ask the job-seeker to be able to edit the information on an online book, magazine, journal, or newspaper. Very similar to someone working with web content, the person in this position will edit online material by working with text and coding. The difference is that the content with online publications is more likely to be books and longer materials, and webpage design may just involve short, explanatory blocks of text about a company or product.
Research Analyst (Programming)
Companies that want a research analyst want the candidate to be able to design and conduct studies that will aid in company efficiency and success. The analyst will have to work and communicate in a variety of media, and many of the studies and number-crunches require making computer programs to analyze the data. The advantages of an English major's writing skills in this job include an excellent ability to interpret data, translate that data to the staff, and write clear and concise explanations/proposals/reports.
Marketing
A blend of web-designing and research analyzing, a marketer will have obligations that require knowledge of programming, coding, web-design, video-editing, and other technology. English majors are great fits for marketing because they can support a point well with evidence, convince an audience of something, and word things in an enticing way. For this reason, English majors who go to law school also make great lawyers.
Research is an invaluable part of marketing, providing the employee with the evidence and content he/she will need to create a successful ad. Just as a student cannot write a powerful paper without first reading the material and anticipating counterarguments, neither can a marketer create a powerful ad without researching the product and the top competitors.
English majors should make themselves as marketable as possible while still in college. A few classes in programming, web design, and other technological resources can go a long way, especially when competition for a job is tough.
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