One of the greatest advantages of majoring in Communications is that it provides you with the proper preparation to go into various careers and, also opens up the opportunity for you to learn what you may want to pursue as a career. As a Communication major myself, I regularly get people asking, “so, do you just learn how to talk to people?” Though there are several misconceptions about what a Communications major is, hopefully some of these careers will provide both Communication majors and non-Communication majors clarity in understanding the field and the abundant career opportunities one can have from obtaining a degree in the field.
Public Relations
Perhaps the most attractive quality of going into Public Relations (PR) is that you can specialize in practically any field. From charity to sports, and fashion, PR specialists work to maintain the reputation of the people and brands they represent. A PR specialist works to interact with all kinds of media to build and maintain a reputation for their clients and influence public opinions and behaviors. Campaigns and endorsements make up a large part of PR specialist’s responsibilities as you will work to target a specific audience by interacting with the online community and maintain a presence on social media. This is the perfect career for the ‘social butterfly’ who enjoys networking, socializing, and working to build important relationships.
Social Media & Marketing Coordinator
As college students, we have the advantage of showcasing what we know about something we most likely spend all day on. Social media has become an important part to companies to showcase their products, services, and promote who they are as a company. Though it is a fairly new position, companies are recognizing the significance of what a social media presence can do for their company. As a social media coordinator, you are responsible for creating and maintaining an online presence on social media platforms, blogs, and sharing promotional material. Most importantly, a successful social media coordinator will use strategies to engage the public by analyze data to understand what does and doesn’t work. Ultimately, the goal is to optimize platforms in the best possible way that engages with other companies and consumers to attract a following.
Journalism
With the journalism industry shifting towards a more digitized approach there are an abundance of opportunities for new graduates that may peak your interest. In addition to specializing journalism areas such as sports, investigations, and broadcasting, interactive journalism involves making the audience part of the news to give consumers an opportunity to interact with each other and create conversation that highlights their expressions on important issues around the globe. As you build contacts and conduct interviews it is important to stay on top of trends, current affairs, and constantly fact-check information before you publicize it. Whether you work in print or online journalism this career rewards you with the gift of meeting new, and interesting people, and be able to learn for a living.
Marketing
A career in marketing involves conducting market research to assess the demand for products and services, and decide on the best way to advertise them. As a market specialist, it is important to stay on top of trends, find gaps in the market, and keep on top of consumer purchasing trends to produce the best outcome to advertise products and services. They are also responsible for developing pricing strategies to balance consumer demand and satisfaction. Communication graduates are all too familiar with how important it is to present information in an enticing way as well as be able to talk about the products and services to get the message across to an audience. This quality is essential in any marketing career where you must be able to conduct and execute strategies that will attract the attention of the public.