LEC052044. Syed Amaan Raza Rizvi. Job Opportunities after MA (English)

 

Job Prospects for a PG student of English

In the age of globalization, English has become the lingua franca for majority nations. It has now started to exist as a vital language within commercial and academic realms. Important scholarly and commercial transactions involve compendious exchanges, and for this English serves as a handy medium of communication. Due to its universality, English has started to find its utility in many professional spheres across the globe, making a degree in English a compliant entry to different vocations.

The versatile applications of English can be majorly attributed to the vast colonial emancipation that led to its widespread use in the major developing economies. Originating in the midlands of England, English blossomed into a language of trade and commerce as the imperialistic pursuits of British monarch flared up. English reached as far as the west and the east with the colonial adventures of the British. The major scriptures of different languages were translated into English to understand their culture and tradition in a better way. As Braj Kachru identifies, English spread from the countries of origin i.e. Inner Circle to Outer Circle’s colonies and then to the nations of Expanding Circle.¹ In the present age of information and technology, the language has started to find its purpose in many fields, be it academic, recreational or commercial.

A master’s degree in English implies a great command on various aspects of language, from fluency to writing. a student with such merit is expected to be proficient and well-versed with the mechanics of writing and rhetoric. With the booming globalization, as we step into a new age of instant connectivity, English serves as an efficient medium to communicate confidential as well as public information. A common misconception prevails that English can only fetch an academic career, and that it has not much use in other sectors. This is largely untrue, as is seen in the growing demand of English graduates in various fields in the recent years. To name a few, education, corporate, writing, human resources, journalism, etc. are among the many sectors which look out for fresh graduates with a creative and expressive disposition. A KPMG report² states that media and entertainment industries will witness a drastic surge by 2024, causing an increased demand of candidates with outstanding writing skills. This seems to be the point where an English master’s can establish himself with his expertise in the language. Experience of a master’s level can open avenues for many career opportunities besides a doctorate. With a good amount of analytic, creative and critical reasoning, and IT skills, one can try his hand as a content writer, editor, copywriter, teacher, and even human resource communication executive, translator, proofreader, etc. For a student who seeks to study further as an academician, he can pursue an M.Phil or Ph.D in various disciplines such as linguistics, comparative literature, classical English literature, and English language pedagogy.

English, contrary to the preconceived notion of its limited utility is now a global language which pervades each profession involving communication of any type. In the following years, as the world witnesses more engaging international relationships, the need for better communication shall become emergent. To facilitate this, English as a language will provide a suitable medium to ensure a smooth flow of information, as it has done in the preceding decades.

References-

1-     Kachru, Braj. Standards, Codification and Sociolinguistic Realism: The English Language in the Outer Circle, 1985

2-      KPMG in India’s Media and Entertainment Report, 2019