Communications
Communications majors examine how messages, both their content and how they are relayed, affect individuals and groups of people. Communications majors examine the art of rhetoric, how a speaker or writer conveys a message to an audience or set of readers, and then uses that study to understand how communication between individuals and groups also tell us about cultural and societal values. Communications majors examine verbal and non-verbal messages, communication environments and contexts, communication strategies of communicators and how those strategies affect and are affected by audiences. Because communication theory is so important to many aspects of society, from journalism to politics, communications degree holders have great potential to find lucrative careers after they graduate.
Common Career Paths:
Public Relations Specialist
Public relations specialists help companies and organizations develop positive relationships with its targeted public, whether that public be a group of consumers or a block of voters. Public relations specialists take their knowledge of communications theory and apply it in such a way so as to create a positive relationship with the public, which helps the organization or company continue to pursue its stated goals and policies. Often, public relation specialists organize media functions, such as press conferences, community events, political campaigns, and conflict mediation. Public relation specialists are needed because they can step in to help an organization deal with a public relations crisis or they can lead a new publicity campaign. Many public relations specialists study communications during their bachelor's program; with such a background, they can go on to entry-level jobs in public relations, though they should seriously consider pursuing a master's degree in communications if they wish to make their job candidacy even more attractive. Job seekers can also seek accreditation from a number of accreditation boards, such as The Universal Accreditation Board and The International Association of Business Communicators. It's best to make yourself as attractive a candidate as possible for these sorts of jobs because the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that competition for entry-level public relations jobs will be stiff. Fortunately, though, the Bureau projects that from 2008 to 2018, employment growth for this career path will be faster than average: around 24 percent. Public relations specialists earned an average of $51,280 a year as of May 2008.
Marketing Manager
Marketing managers work for companies that need to market a certain product or service. They examine potential target markets for the company or organization to focus on, they work to develop good price points for the product or service, and they collaborate with promotional managers and advertising teams to put together a complete marketing plan to make sure the company is most successful in reaching its target market. Marketing managers also evaluate the success of a marketing plan, examine customer satisfaction, and look at trends that could help them decide whether or not there is a need to update the product or service or to create a new one. Marketing managers apply the principles of communications theory that they learned in school to understanding how communication can help a company or organization market a product or service to an audience. Employers will also want a marketing manager to have some background in business, so it might be useful to combine a communications major with a business major if you are seeking an entry-level marketing position. Good news for those interested in becoming marketing managers can be found in the Bureau of Labor Statistics employment growth projections for this industry. The Bureau projects that despite keen competition for these jobs, employment opportunities will grow by about 14 percent from 2008 to 2018. In May of 2008, marketing managers earned a median wage of $108,580 a year. With an income like that, no wonder competition for these jobs is stiff.
Journalist
Journalists can work in a variety of capacities in news organizations. They can be news anchors or analysts who broadcast news via television or radio. They can be correspondents, who focus on a specific market, region, or subject area to report on. And they can be reporters, who find issues to research and writer about in newspapers and online. Journalists are responsible for keeping the public informed regarding the news of today and what is happening in the world so that the public can make its own decisions. Journalists provide us with much-needed information, and many of them help us filter that information in responsible ways. Many journalists earn a communications degree; however, this should be treated as a good basis for further specialized study in a journalism graduate program and internships in newsrooms around the world. It's important that you understand that a communications degree is one way of seeking out a career in journalism; however, it is not enough to make you a satisfactory job candidate. Because the world of journalism is so complex and competitive, it's important that you seek out a graduate degree in journalism or communication to help you find a job. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects unfortunately that journalism jobs will decline in the next few years, dropping around 6 percent from 2008 to 2018. In May of 2008, the Bureau found that the middle 50 percent of journalists working made between $25,760 and $52,160.
