Do you think it would be good to Major in English and Double Minor in Communications and Marketing?

If you’re planning on working for an employer that expects you to work 160 hours/week, then triple effort in school is one way to tell them that you are willing.

When I look for an employee, one thing I look for is whether they balance their work and non-work lives. So I would pass you by.

It sounds like a good mix to become a corporate trainer, an ad exec or some or some media positions. I am telling my seniors that this is a great time to be getting an education because the economy will be rebounding in the next 4–5 years with a lot of new positions. You can never get too much education.

I graduated in English and have five years of experience in communications and marketing as a Communications Specialist. I had to learn the communications and marketing side of things on the job. I think if that’s the direction you want to go (or to be a Marketing Assistant or Marketing Manager or something similar), then yeah, it would be worth it to double minor. Neither is rocket science, but it’s good to understand the principles of each field. If you had to choose, I’d say do communications if you’re more interested in PR than marketing.

The two things you get out of school are a piece of paper that says you went to school for four years and a set of skills.

Unless you’re working in one of the professions where credentials and licensing matter (basically: accounting, law, medicine, engineering), your major matters significantly less than you think. The skills you pick up along the way, however, are critical.

Employers simply will not care whether you majored in English and double minored in communications and marketing, or whether you worked hard enough to get three different majors. They will care that you completed college (at least for a first job), and they will care about what skills you have.

They’ll also care about who you know. Networking and contacts are critical, and you make some of those by joining the yoga club or going to beer bashes or planning a camping trip with the outing club. You don’t get them by ticking the required courses for a major off a checklist.

Also, if you’re doing this because you think it will get you job security, you’re doing it wrong. Real job security comes from doing what you love and doing your job well, not from having jumped through all the right hoops. And you’re far more likely to do excellent work if you love the field you’re in than if you just pick a lucrative major and hope for the best.

I graduated with a degree in video production, but have been in marketing and communications since my first job out of school.

Ultimately what coursework would you enjoy more? That is what makes education worthwhile. If you are trying to do too much, then you may not enjoy any of it and might decide you didn’t want to do any of it.

If I wanted those three degrees, I would probably double major in marketing and communications with a minor in English. But it really won’t matter if you are able to jump into a job after school and do what needs to be done until you get the chance to do what you would like to do.

I might be inclined to agree with Grisson, however, a lot of employers like overachievers.
From my personal experience, however, no amount of schooling will necessarily guarantee you a better job. Employers like on the job experience, try focusing on what you really want to do and get an internship. It gives you connections and real-life exp. that really hlp on the job front.
Relax while you’re in college, and take less classes.

Majoring in English is a brave idea since it’s basically not about “job skills” (ick). Play up your courage and passion for words in your interviews, and meanwhile have a great time developing your huge stockpile of human stories and their manifold meanings. Applause

I’m a double major in Spanish and Public Relations and I’m finishing my second year this semester. I was hoping that the over-achieving thing would matter more than work experience, but lately I have been learning that connections matter the most. I live in a small town on the East coast, and I plan on going to the West coast to start my life once I graduate. Small towns don’t offer a large network of people who can help you achieve something like moving across the country and getting a job, so I am doing my best to get to know anyone who can help me do that.

My point is that, in my opinion, your degree is the least important thing to worry about, the first two are work experience and the people you know.

The wise people above have got it right. Experience and connections are hugely important. I’m looking into the film industry, myself, and there a BA isn’t worth shit to most employers. If I was in your current situation, I would go with whatever felt natural and kept my schedule free enough for some extra-curricular stuff (that may or may not be related to your future career). Live a little, while you can!