Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
We're not going to lie: a comp lit major listed on a resume doesn't immediately scream, "Hire me!" However, as experience shows, comp lit majors can go on to become business professionals, as well as professors. In other words, the major may not be as impractical as it seems to be at first.
Think of all the applicable skills imparted by the classes described above: language skills, first and foremost, but also analytical abilities and cultural sensitivities. A workplace that truly values diverse perspectives is likely to welcome the broad and inter-cultural awareness that comp lit majors bring. And don't even get us started on the writing practice.
After you've explained to your prospective employer what comp lit means (it's one of those majors that's bound to invite more questions than it answers at first), it'll be obvious that you're persistent and willing to work hard—both pluses for anyone on the job market, no matter the field.
Common Career Fields
Academia. Let's not beat around the bush, folks. If you're the nerdiest of the nerdy, then you'll be drawn to comp lit because of the academic paths it opens. If you always imagined you'd be a professor someday, sporting elbow patches and geek-chic glasses, then you may already have decided that this is the major for you.
Comp lit consistently attracts some of the most intellectually ambitious college students out there, not only because of the emphasis the major places on reading heavy foreign language literature in the original, but also because it has been very hospitable to continental philosophy and other pointy-headed imports from Europe. If you have a passion for research and teaching, this is the place for you.
Advertising. We know this doesn't sound like an intuitive fit for comp lit types, given how we've described these glasses-wearing uber-intellectual hipsters so far…but think about it. Advertising and marketing involve lots of creative thinking about how consumers respond to campaigns, what they want, and what they can be made to think they want. Comp lit majors can be invaluable when it comes to pitching ideas to a broad range of demographics. Since comparative thinking means thinking outside the box—and beyond the bounds of a single tradition and language—this major fosters the kind of cross-cultural creativity that ad agencies value in this global era.
Creative Writing. This is another classic (the cynical would say "cliché") option for those who gravitate to comp lit. Like majoring in English, pursuing comp lit is a way to ensure that you're living and breathing literature as an undergrad. Since it's important to be well-read if you want people to read your writing, comp lit's a bastion for students with literary ambitions. And by "literary" we also mean (more broadly) televisual, cinematic, theatric, you name it.
Think you're the next Lena Dunham, but your school doesn't offer a creative writing major? Look no further. Comp lit is here to help.
Education. Comp lit isn't only for the pipe-smoking, thick-bearded professors among us. It's also a great fit for anyone who dreams of grade school rather than grad school. That's right, comp lit will provide resources for future bilingual educators and for college students that are eager to read and widely broaden their cultural horizons before graduation.
Take it from us: by graduation, every comp lit major has compiled a long list of must-reads to put by the bed for the future. Why not share that passion for reading with the students of tomorrow?
International Business. Not for the faint of heart, comp lit is also not for the narrow-minded. Whichever languages you choose to make your major and minor focal points for the comp lit major, you'll be well-positioned to pursue a career in international business.
This is, again, because comp lit is international through and through. Even when courses don't center on texts in their original languages, they put global perspectives front and center. Comp lit grads can easily transition into globe-trotting jobs for corporations, provided they can make the case, when the time comes, that their comp lit experience has set them up to succeed.
Journalism. Speaking of writing, journalists-in-training will benefit both from comp lit's emphasis on composition and its global framework. It's true that comp lit's more about putting long hours in at the library than staying in touch with up-to-the-minute developments in the Middle East, but you'd be surprised how much the major can help in this field.
At some level, intelligence is intelligence, after all. And that means that if you've sharpened your thinking through comp lit, you'll have sharpened it for life. Journalists will have a head start covering areas overseas if they've already done intensive language training as undergrads.
Law. High SAT verbal scores aren't great predictors of anything, we're afraid. But if you have a genuine verbal facility—meaning, you love new words and close attention to familiar words wherever they're found—then you might be predestined for a major in comp lit, followed by a distinguished career in law.
Formerly the place-to-be for ex-English majors, law school is fast becoming a hotbed for savvier comp lit types. Whether you plan to work in immigration law or you've always had your eye on international human rights advocacy, comp lit is a major you'll want to consider.
Current unemployment of the major
6.8% (includes all humanities majors)Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
53%Stats obtained from this source.