If you are a journalism or communications major you have probably heard something like “you have an easy major!” or “your GPA is only that high because you’re a communications major.” Little do they know, communications has to be one of the most essential fields out there. It’s not as easy as they think it is either. As one of my professors said, “communication is the only career that touches every field.” Whether you work in medical, business or politics, communications is essential in some aspect. This is why a major in journalism or communications is arguably the best field to go into. Especially for those who are undecided and are not yet sure of what career path they want to go on, communications can help you figure that out.
Healthcare and Medical
Are you interested in the medical field but not that interested? There is a route that communications can take you. Health communications – the study and practice of communicating promotional health information is a field that one can go into if it interests them. Some people may be passionate about healthy practices and are knowledgeable enough to educate others on the issue. These organizations, just like any other, need PR and communications representatives. So that is an option as well.
Politics/Law
There are a number of students here at Hampton University who are communications majors on the pre-law track. A part of a lawyer’s job is to persuade the judge to choose their client’s side to win the case. Effective communication is essential in this instance. There is not one route to any career path and this is just one example of an alternate (and potentially more enjoyable) journey to a student’s dream career.
Business
Many professionals in the business industry have obtained journalism or communications degrees to get to where they are in their profession. Business itself is a broad term as it includes marketing, advertising and public relations. Communication is essential to business because an organization must know how to expand its brand to its audience and communicate to their markets.
Education
If you have a love for children as much as you do for journalism, there is no need to have to choose between the two! Education is a career field where expertise in communication is needed daily. Especially when working with younger children, it is important that you know how to effectively communicate. Because they are younger, you need to know how to communicate in ways that they can understand. Although certification is needed for elementary and secondary education, it is still a possibility. Teaching specific classes like oral communication, public relations or journalism are also options.
Media
Lastly media, a rather obvious career path, has a plethora of opportunities for the communications related majors. Some paths include graphic design, video production, audio production, public relations and social media. Even the subcategories have their own subcategories!
If you are a college student studying anything related to communications, journalism or mass media don’t let negative comments discourage you. Communications is needed in every company and touches every field. With this degree the possibilities are endless.