Communications have emerged as one of the most popular majors in recent years. This has left many students wondering: why a communications degree? And what can I do with it? Let the CollegEnroll team guide you on how a communications degree can affect your prospects.
Related: Communications Degree: Types, Requirements, and Career Paths
What Jobs Can You Get with a Degree in Communications?
A degree in Communication opens up a wide range of career opportunities in various industries such as media, public relations, marketing, advertising, journalism, and entertainment. The following are some of the jobs you can get with a Communication Degree:
1. Public Relations Specialist
Annual Salary: $62,800
PR specialists are responsible for managing an organization’s image and reputation through effective communication strategies. They create and maintain a positive image of the company through various mediums such as press releases, media interviews, and social media.
2. Marketing Manager
Annual Salary: $114,604
Marketing managers develop and implement marketing campaigns to promote a product or service. They analyze market trends, target audiences, and use various communication channels to reach their goals.
3. Advertising Account Executive
Annual Salary: $86,667
Ad account executives are responsible for managing client relationships and developing advertising campaigns. They work closely with creative teams, media buyers, and clients to develop effective advertising strategies.
4. Broadcast Journalist
Annual Salary: $63,047
Broadcast journalists report and anchor news for television or radio. They research, write, and present news stories, often under tight deadlines.
5. Corporate Communications Manager
Annual Salary: $118,200
Corporate communication managers are responsible for managing internal and external communication within an organization. They develop and implement communication strategies, and work with various departments to ensure effective and consistent messaging.
Your Path to a Career in Marketing, PR or Journalism
In order to get a job in either marketing (print or digital), journalism, or public relations, a degree in communications is generally what employers are looking for. This is because the courses offered in a communications degree prepare graduates with the basic and some advanced skills required in these professions.
What to Expect When Majoring in Communications
The primary goal of communication courses is to develop a student’s writing, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. You can expect to learn how to create essential communication pieces including press releases, articles, blogs, as well as technical documentation. Some communications degrees also have a strong focus on ethics for students pursuing journalism.
Career prospects after graduation
Having a communications degree means you’re not restricted to any specific industry or sector. After all, every kind of company needs people in their marketing and public relations departments.
Since communications is a key function in all businesses, graduates and post-grads with a comms degree are often in high demand. You can even choose a minor to give your degree a boost and target particular industries.
Get accredited by professional organizations
It’s possible to give your career a massive head-start before you even graduate! Getting accredited by a professional organization makes you more appealing to employers, and there are a number of such organizations that communications majors can apply to.
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the American Marketing Association (AMA), the International Association of Business Communicators, and the Association for Women in Communications (AWC) are just some of the organizations that allow communications students to join. Not only will they accredit you, but they also represent good networking opportunities.
Beyond your bachelor’s degree
In the field of communications, work experience is very valuable. This is why most communications professionals rarely study beyond getting their bachelor’s degrees – the work experience they start gaining right after graduation is usually more important than a master’s degree.
However, master’s and doctoral degrees are always an option, especially if you want to pursue a career in teaching and academia. At CollegEnroll, we recommend speaking to your college’s academic advisor to see if post-graduate studies are right for you.
A communications degree can be your gateway to an exciting career. If marketing, public relations, or journalism piques your interest, then a degree in communications studies is just what you’re looking for. It is especially useful for those looking to jumpstart their careers right after graduation – but it also offers the flexibility to pursue higher education, right away or much later in your career, should you choose to pursue it.
Regardless of what you plan to do, a communications degree will allow you the flexibility to achieve your goals.
Key Takeaways
- A communications degree primes students for a career in marketing, public relations, journalism, and other jobs wherein the ability to communicate is a core skill.
- Creating communication pieces and documents, as well analyzing communication theories, are key areas that students pursuing a degree in communications will explore.
- Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in communications can embark on their careers right after graduation – the option to continue studying is also available, which graduates can revisit later in their careers.
