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ENGLISH CAREER GUIDE 2020/2021 English2 Success at School is a national careers website for students aged 11-19, as well as their teachers, careers advisors, parents and other influencers. Young people can learn about their future career options through no-nonsense careers advice related to their own experiences. As well as covering topics such as career paths, industries, apprenticeships, university and employability skills, we connect schools and students to employers and universities through opportunities on our site and our interactive forums. Millions of young people and their influencers have visited our site for advice and information to help them plan for the future. Go to successatschool.org for more information. Copyright Success at School Ltd 2020 AboutSuccess at School MI5’s mission is to keep the country safe. They protect the nation from a range of threats including terrorism, espionage and cyber-attacks. Their work has meaning and purpose. Through collecting and assessing intelligence, it’s their job to stop those who are trying to do our country harm. Every single person who joins them plays a vital part in helping to protect the UK and its communities. MI5 recruit people from all parts of the country and from all backgrounds – it’s what makes them a genuinely diverse and interesting place to work. They have a range of exciting opportunities for school leavers from supporting their investigative and operational teams to their first-class apprenticeship schemes. They also have several MI5 graduate programmes for those keen to work in intelligence, analysis or corporate areas. Regardless of whether you come straight from school or after university, the subjects you study will stand you in great stead for any number of their roles. And English, which allows you to develop your communication, teamworking and critical reasoning skills, is a perfect example of this. Aboutour sponsor3 ENGLISH CAREER GUIDE 05 What is English? 06 How will English prepare me for work? 10 Should I choose English? Contents 12 T-levels 15 Job roles 18 How to future-proof your career 14 Why work experience matters 20 MI5 profile 32 Everything you need to know about gap years 22 Spotlight job 34 University 24 Interviews 28 Apprenticeships4 This is a really important and exciting time for you and your classmates. You’re at the stage in your education where it’s time to start thinking about life after school, the kind of career you want and the sort of employer you want to work for. That also means thinking about the subjects that’ll help you to achieve your goals. MI5 considers applications from students from any subject background. For us, it’s more about the skills you develop whilst learning the subject and how you can apply these to your role. If you enjoy critical thinking, presenting different viewpoints and communicating them effectively and persuasively, English is a great subject to study. This subject guide will show you the types of careers you could pursue by studying English. We hope you’ll feel inspired by the choices on offer and excited by what the future holds. Foreword5 English is all around us and the words we use have a lot of power. It’s how we communicate, but it’s also how we share information, persuade and debate. You see written English on placards at protests, on posters at bus stops and even on road signs. Of course, English is spoken as well as written. It’s how we talk to our friends and express ourselves in everyday life. From Year 10 onwards, English is split into 2 subjects: English language and English literature. In English language you explore the various ways we use language to create different meanings, as well as how we change it depending on the audience and message. In English literature, you’ll learn to analyse different texts, both written and spoken, as well as how to interpret various texts and read them in context. If you have a flair and passion for English, you can use your skills as a writer. You could find yourself writing scripts for computer games or coming up with clever advertising slogans. There are many opportunities within the media too. Broadcast journalists need to think carefully about how they report on news stories, while radio DJs need to entertain their listeners. Whatever job you end up in, you’ll use English every day. As a salesperson you’ll be talking to customers and helping solve their queries. If you’re a nurse, you’ll talk to and reassure patients. As an engineer you’ll typically be part of a wider team who you’ll need to communicate with clearly throughout a project. There are also many jobs where you need to produce clear and concise written reports, such as if you’re a renewable energy consultant or a planning officer. What is English?6 5 workplace skills you’ll learn in English Communication In class: You’ll explore the ways in which we communicate in your English language lessons. You’ll also learn about how our language varies between different groups in society, regions, nationalities and even across new technology. At work: Communicating clearly and appropriately is essential whether you’re a doctor who is explaining a diagnosis to a patient or an IT technician who is helping someone solve a technical problem. If you become a social worker, you will interact with people from all walks of life and will need to adapt your language accordingly. How will English prepare me for work? Creativity In class: As well as producing your own pieces of creative writing in English language, you’ll be encouraged to engage creatively with texts by a variety of authors in your English literature lessons. You can be creative with your interpretations of poems, novels and plays. At work: Copywriters need to be creative in their writing and adapt their style to reach different audiences, suit different businesses and share varied messages. Taking a creative approach to tasks and problems will also be useful if you’re a chef who needs to come up with innovative dishes to put on the menu. Debating In class: In English literature you’ll be encouraged to debate different interpretations of the texts that you’re studying. You’ll discuss your perspective with your classmates and clearly explain your interpretation, as well as listening to theirs. In English language you’ll learn about persuasive language and how to use it effectively in debates. At work: If you become a barrister, you’ll need to clearly state your case and support it with evidence. You’ll also need to be confident debating with the barrister representing the other side. If you go into a career as an academic researcher, you’ll debate your research findings with your peers and other subject specialists. Essay writing In class: You’ll write essays in English language and literature. Your essays need to have a defined structure and present your analysis in a logical and clear way. You’ll need to use relevant quotes to support your ideas and make sure that your spelling and grammar is accurate. At work: Being able to structure information in a logical and clear way is useful for writing all kinds of reports. Surveyors need to write up and present the findings of their surveys, as well as their recommendations, in a clear format. Economists produce written reports about their predictions for an industry or specific company. Critical thinking In class: You’ll read texts from different genres and time periods in English literature and will evaluate them with a critical eye. You’ll analyse how meaning is shaped in literary texts and learn how to apply your knowledge of literary analysis and evaluation to help you form opinions about these works. At work: Being able to evaluate information from various sources to reach an opinion is important if you’re a business analyst. In this job you might be helping an organisation plan for the future and adapt to change. Critical thinking is also useful for policy makers who need to evaluate research from various sources when creating new government policies.7 ENGLISH CAREER GUIDE ...and 2 you may not have thought of Big picture thinking In class: In English literature you’ll study a variety of texts on a similar theme, from a specific time period or within a particular genre. You’ll explore different interpretations of these texts and the broad issues surrounding them. You’ll look at how the texts are connected as part of your analysis. At work: Being able to see the big picture is important if you work in a job that requires you to make recommendations about strategy. If you work as a corporate social responsibility manager, you need to understand how different elements of a business impact one another as well as the environment and society. Entrepreneurs need to have an overarching view of what they want their organisation to achieve so they can communicate that to others. Cultural sensitivity In class: You’ll read texts from different historical periods and cultures in English literature. In English language, you’ll explore how language is a tool for expression and social connection. You’ll also learn about the diversity of language, from different dialects to different sociolects. At work: In today’s society being culturally sensitive is more important than ever. If you become a youth worker, you need to know how to interact with youngsters from various backgrounds and cultures. Marketing executives need to ensure any content they produce isn’t offensive and is sensitive to cultural differences.8 Explore the concepts of language diversity and change. Learn about different dialects and sociolects and look at how language has changed over the years by studying historical texts. You’ll learn about methods of analysing language to help you describe the features of language diversity and change you identify. You’ll also look at how identity is constructed, as well as how audiences are addressed and positioned. (Lang) The English language is incredibly rich and varied and there are many jobs where you can use this diversity. If you’re a speechwriter you’ll need to write speeches that appeal to specific audiences, which may mean altering the language you use accordingly. A lexicographer specialises in how words and languages change over time. They write and edit dictionaries and any associated resources. KnowledgeHow will it help me at work? Uncover the key elements of political and social protest writing. You’ll learn about how power struggles (both real and fictional) are portrayed in a variety of literature, as well as exploring ideas surrounding the pursuit of power and rebellion against those in power. Other issues you’ll discuss include gender politics, issues of social class, corruption and conspiracy. (Lit) Politics and social protests have become increasingly important in our society. Recent examples of high-profile social protest movements include Black Lives Matter, Extinction Rebellion and the climate crisis, and Me Too. If you work as a journalist, you need to understand how to cover these kinds of issues in a fair and objective way. Or you might work as a web content writer for a social cause that you’re passionate about, where you need to explain your beliefs and inspire people to make positive change. Learn about how children develop their language skills, both spoken and written. You’ll explore phonetic, pragmatic, lexical, semantic and grammatical development. Gain an understanding of different theories and research relating to language development. (Lang) As a primary school teacher, particularly one who works with the early year groups, you’ll be teaching children to read and write. This knowledge can help you further their development and allow you to identify children who might need some extra support. A speech and language therapist needs detailed knowledge of language development to allow them to use appropriate therapies with their patients. 5 ways your English know-how will help you at work9 ENGLISH CAREER GUIDE Learn about the appropriate literary concepts and terminology you’ll need to use in your essays. You’ll also learn about the conventions of writing in literary studies. This includes how to introduce quotations and how to provide accurate references. (Lit/Lang) Understanding how to write about different types of literature is important if you work as a literary or theatre critic. Having knowledge of different literary concepts will also be useful if you work as a publishing copyeditor, where you’re helping authors to improve their manuscripts. Referencing is an essential skill in any research role where you’re producing research papers. KnowledgeHow will it help me at work? Gain an understanding of different genres of writing, how genres are defined and how interpretations of genres can vary. You may cover the likes of comedy, tragedy, romance and crime writing. You’ll explore how authors shape meaning in their writing using genre. You’ll also look at how authors subvert genres in their writing. (Lit) If you have ambitions of becoming an author, being able to create texts within a specific genre is important. Understanding how you can use genres creatively to share meaning can also help you develop your own writing. If you work in publishing as a commissioning editor, you’ll often need to identify which genre a manuscript falls under to decide whether it’s something the publisher you work for will be interested in. My story...Next >