A communications degree is a versatile and valuable asset in today’s job market. With the rise of social media and the increasing importance of effective communication in maintaining professional relationships between businesses and a growing public audience, training in communication skills is a valuable asset for any professional.
While it is true that any industry or business requires effective communication, here are seven career paths where someone with a communications degree can truly excel.
Marketing/Advertising
The success of any business is contingent on how well it is marketed to the public. People working in marketing or advertising will play a crucial role in building a brand’s identity, identifying a target audience, and creating campaigns to turn that audience into paying customers.
Work in this field includes conducting market research, closely analyzing trends, creating ad campaigns for different brands and products, and collaborating with public relations to manage the image of the company and its executives.
A communications degree equips you with all the necessary skills to excel in this field, such as creative writing, campaign planning, strategizing, and market research.
Social media management
Social media has become the primary source of content consumption for most people in today’s digital age. This means that a business’s online presence plays a crucial role in deciding the extent of its success. As a social media manager, you will be responsible for increasing engagement on the company’s social media platforms.
You can get all the necessary training from within the comforts of your home by enrolling in an online masters degree in communication and finding small-sized local companies looking for a better social media presence.
As a social media manager, your tasks include monitoring and posting on social media, analyzing engagement to understand how your company’s content is performing, and creating campaigns to increase engagement and sales.
Since driving engagement is all about finding the best way to communicate with your target audience, a communications degree enables you to have a prospering career in this field.
Human resource management
Working in human resources deals with creating the best environment for all employees working within an organization so that the company can function as its most efficient self. Human resource managers are responsible for overseeing and catering to the needs of every employee in a company.
Much of the work done by human resource managers is very communication intensive, whether it involves creating recruitment ads, analyzing resumes, helping acclimatize new employees, creating training programs, or educating employees about new policies. A communications degree helps create the best people managers, helping them develop both their public speaking and writing skills.
Journalism
Journalists gather, write, and report news for various media outlets such as print, radio, television, and online platforms. Since the primary job of a journalist is to communicate news or information of interest to the audience, there is a clear advantage in having a communications degree under your belt.
The kind of work you can do in journalism is diverse. It includes covering everything from politics to social and economic issues, health and well-being, sports and fitness, books and media, etc. This diversity means you can choose what you want to work in based on your interests, a freedom rarely afforded in any profession.
It must be noted that the media industry is competitive. It is not easy for a fresh graduate with a communications degree to find work at a major media agency immediately. It would be advisable for someone studying communications to also engage in other extracurricular activities like joining their college newspaper.
Event planning
Event planners are responsible for organizing events such as conferences, trade shows, corporate meetings, parties, and conventions. They handle all aspects of the event, from selecting a venue to coordinating the vendors, managing special guests, etc.
Any successful event requires a clear idea of the theme and an effective promotion strategy to ensure that the right attendees are there and enjoying themselves. Someone with a communications major has skills in identifying the interests of the group for whom the event is being planned for, as well as good organizational skills and an eye for detail. These traits are essential for the requirements of a successful event.
Public relations
Public relations professionals are responsible for managing the reputation of an organization or an individual. They work to shape the public’s perception of their clients and handle potential crises.
As a public relations professional, you will have to write press releases, organize press conferences, build a rapport with publications and convince the media and the public of the good nature of their client.
A communications major is well suited to analyze how the public perceives their client and what strategies will be effective in changing this perception. Good communication skills are also imperative for crisis management, where statements can either build or break an organization or a person’s reputation. A communication major is perhaps best suited to curate this statement.
Politics
Politics is all about creating a convincing narrative, the ability to create an effective message that is likely to garner support. There is a myriad of opportunities within this broad field, whether you want to run in a local body or national election yourself, work as a consultant on the campaign of an existing politician or work as a legislative assistant who helps craft or influence policy and law.
Work within this field includes drafting bills and legislation, campaigning, conducting polls, and working with people on the other side of the partisan line in effecting change. These tasks all require good public speaking and writing and an ability to understand your audience and find a way to win them over. A communications degree helps impart the necessary skills to be a confident statesman, campaigner, or legislator.
Conclusion
As the ability to access an audience continues to increase for businesses, so does the need for an effective communication strategy. This makes a degree in communications an intelligent and future-friendly option as a major in your college years, imparting you with the skills needed to succeed in any industry. If you are particularly interested in managing a brand, overseeing the well-being of a workplace, working in media, or playing your role in politics, a communication degree can help you excel in your work.
