• Doing research
• Writing effectively and clearly
• Thinking critically
• Reading large amounts of information and analyzing its significance
• Influencing and persuading others
• Giving oral presentations
• Developing and supporting hypotheses
• Developing a rich vocabulary
• Appreciating cultural diversity
• Acquiring good editing skills

Employers seek these skills in prospective employees. Here's a partial list of positions open to English majors:

Advertising Copywriter
Translator
Copy Editor
Corporate Communication Specialist
Correspondent
Publications Researcher
Film Researcher
Tour Guide
Freelance Writer
Editorial Assistant
Radio/TV Copywriter
Speech Writer
AcademicAdvisor
Researcher (all fields)
Radio/TV Researcher Consulting
Operations Administrator
College Admissions Counselor
Alumni Affairs Coordinator
Career Placement & Counseling
Circulation Assistant (newspapers & magazines)
Archivist
Registrar
Educational Sales Representative
Administrative Assistant
Director of Student Affairs
Political Campaign Worker
Public Affairs Coordinator
Bookstore Owner
Actor
Actress
Singer
Songwriter

You are not alone. Here's a list of famous people who have degrees in English:

Alan Alda: Actor & Writer
Russell Baker: Journalist
Dave Barry: Humorist Writer & Actor
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason: Television Writer/Producer
Carol Browner: Head of the Environmental Protection Agency
Edward Burns: Actor, Director, Producer, & Writer
James Cameron: Producer, Director, Editor, & Screenwriter
Chevy Chase: Comedian, Actor, & Writer
Mario Cuomo: Governor of New York
Joan Cusack: Actress
Matt Damon: Actor & Screenwriter
David Duchovny: Actor
Michael Eisner: Walt Disney CEO
Harrison Ford: Actor
Jodi Foster: Actress & Filmmaker
Kathryn Fuller: World Wildlife Fund CEO
A. Bartlett Giamatti: President of Yale University & Commissioner of
Baseball
Cathy Guisewite: Cartoonist
Chris Isaak: Singer & Songwriter
Tommy Lee Jones: Actor
Stephen King: Novelist
Paul Newman: Actor, Race Car Driver, & Food Entrepreneur
Joe Paterno: Penn State Football Coach
Sally Ride: Astronaut
Joan Rivers: Comedienne
Susan Sarandon: Actress
Diane Sawyer: Broadcast Journalist
Martin Scorcese: Director
Paul Simon: Singer & Songwriter
Steven Spielberg: Filmaker
Marty Schottenheimer: Kansas City Chiefs Football Coach
Sting: Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Actor, & Environmental Activist
Brandon Tartikoff: Television Executive
Clarence Thomas: US Supreme Court Justice
Grant Tinker: TV Executive & Producer
Harold Varmus: Nobel Laureate in Medicine & Director of National
Institute of Health (US)
Barbara Walters: Broadcast Journalist
Sigourney Weaver: Actress
Pete Wilson: Governor of California
Bob Woodward: Journalist & Writer