What's Next After our Communications Degree?
With graduation shortly approaching I am sure we are all looking into full-time job positions and opportunities to pursue. Being communications studies students, I believe that we have a lot of options available to us, whether it be entering public relations, journalism, or business. I was interested to see what kind of job positions of employment fields students often pursue after obtaining their communication’s degree, and I stumbled upon this article entitled, “What to do with a Degree in Communications.” The top jobs that the report outlines are, marketing manager, event planner, lobbyist, sales representative, adverting sales representative, human recourses, producers, attorney, and graphic designer.
This article sparked my attention as I noticed entrepreneur was not one of the careers mentioned. I believe that many university students are entering jobs within the tech start-ups industry as a result of the growth of technology and the emphasis universities place on technology and the role students have on the advancement of innovation and the economy. Is entrepreneurship something that is limited to business majors? I believe that communications students have the skills the creative skills and interests to start a business of their own.
According to the article, communications majors often go into the line of work outlined above. Are any of you interested in perusing one of those jobs- If so what one? Do you believe that as our changing environment and the rise of technology will alter the career path communications majors often go down?
https://www.thebalance.com/what-to-do-with-a-degree-in-communication-525620
A major positive aspect of a Communication Studies degree is its multidisciplinary nature. The top job list described in the article does not have a lot of resemblance within all the jobs. A Comm degree casts a wide net that captures many fields. This is a plus for undergrads applying to jobs prior to their graduation. Personally, marketing manager and lobbyist are the two jobs that are the most enticing to me. I feel that Communication studies would serve these two fields very well.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the changing job and tech environment, I do believe that these two cultural facets will alter the career paths of Comm majors. Different technology will change the ways that people live their lives as well as interact with each other. Social media is the most recent example of this phenomenon. With new technologies and different cultural forms coming about, there will be new literature to read and understand which will fundamentally change Communication Studies as a whole which will then alter the paths of those seeking a degree within this major.
I Agree with Kaelan's point that a communications degree cast a wide net and that it is able to capture multiple industries. Many undergrads do not know exactly what they want to do after school, pursuing a degree in communications closes fewer doors than it opens.
ReplyDeleteThis advantage also creates a disadvantage , when entering the job market students who specialized, have an advantage when entering their respective industries over those with a general communications degree. This is evident in many job postings where a primary field of study such as marketing is listed and 1-2 fields later you see "or communications".
Personally I am interested in pursuing a job in technical sales. This is closely related to the two types of sales roles in the article however it requires more technical and business expertise. To prepare myself for this job market I've had to take several business courses and certifications to compliment my degree.
Personally I would like to work in Marketing or Advertising which are both jobs that Communication Studies students are encouraged to go into. Over time I can imagine that my career path will take many twists and turns, and I can guarantee that the majority of us in our futures will be working in positions that are not even created yet.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Xavier that the advantage of being in an open net program is great but it is also a disadvantage when competing with more specialized individuals. Thats where post graduate degrees come in handy.
This was a very interesting blog post, as it is a topic that I too have thought about quite a bit. Where do most Communications Studies students find employment? For me, what I love about Communications is the wide range of knowledge and skills that one develops when undertaking a degree in this program. Personally, my dream job is to be a producer, whether in television or film, so the article is in line with my personal interests. However, I also believe that Communications Studies can be entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are visionary minds who create new products or processes, and you don't have to be a business student to possess the skills to create a product or process and get it off the ground. I do, however, believe that possessing a business degree would help foster the skills that are required to be an entrepreneur, but I don't believe that it is required.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that most of you can relate to how the question, “So, what are your plans for after school?”, makes you feel. I certainly felt the need to provide a solid answer as I have always been the type of person that has the next step all planned out. Unfortunately, this is not exactly the case for me after University. Being in communication studies with a minor in global studies, I believe that I have various options available to me but it is still the matter of figuring out exactly what sector of the communications field I would enjoy as well as feel secure with my income. With this said, I have been looking into the public relations sector and would like to work for a non-profit organization that I am passionate about.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, this article has listed the typical careers that follow a degree in communications but I believe that these careers are just the beginning of a lengthy list of meaningful jobs that are available to us. Regarding this, I agree that communication students also have the skills to be an entrepreneur and start a business of their own. As a side note, I find that several people tend to look down on Arts majors and think that our work is not as ‘difficult’ as other fields such as science or business but as we all know, this is not true. Moreover, I found Kaelan’s point about how communications studies in the future will change due to the emergence of new literature about new technologies that will need to be learned. The field of communication studies is already evolving and I do not doubt that even in just five years, new courses will emerge and so will the concepts that need to be analyzed and understood.
This is a very relatable, therefore, interesting article to read for people in our position. If I am being completely honest, I am not shocked that entrepreneur is not one of the top jobs for communication majors. However, I do believe that throughout our communiations degree, we develop alot of tools necessary in being a successful entrepreneur. Although we may have these tools, communications does not teach us how to properly evaluate risk, aquire capital, or conduct proper market research before we try to start a business. Secondly, in communications we are not taught any concept of finances or even how to produce a proper balance sheet or calculate inventory. Of course, there are third party companies that can help you with the more "businessy" side of things. In conclusion, I would argue that we as communication students have good entreprenurial tools, but further schooling or outside help would be necessary in starting a successful business.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really great blog post for all of those graduating this year, and it is a very positive post. I think Communication Studies is all that you make of it, meaning that it is important to do outside research in order to get the job you want. Unlike nursing where you know exactly what you will be doing after school, Communication Studies leaves a HUGE door open to what you are able to pursue. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. I find myself finding jobs that I didn't even know existed, and didn't know I was qualified for. I think it is important to do extensive research about a position, even if this means contacting someone who works in the same position to ask what the position is like
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