Have you ever wondered what kinds of careers are available to people who earn communications degrees? Even though communication studies are one of the most common college majors, many people don’t have a clue what sort of career paths are open to those who specialize in the subject. Ironically, many grads end up working in the very schools where they spent their academic years. That’s because most university development and alumni officers hold degrees in the communications field. But there are many more opportunities available to holders of this versatile degree. Here are some of the most common jobs and careers they choose and how they finance their collegiate programs.
Paying for Your Degree
Most degrees entail either a four-year program for a bachelor’s or a two-year associate’s diploma. Some job candidates even earn masters level and doctorate certification if they want to teach on the college level. Regardless, the first challenge communication majors face is paying for their studies and finding the best sources of funds. Like so many other areas of study, the majority of prospective students of all ages turn to student loans. These days, a wise choice is to obtain an education loan from a private lender for the best rates and terms. Recently, Earnest student loans have been a popular option for both new students and working adults who decide to return to school.
Human Resources
In decades past, the most frequent job choice for communication majors was in human resources departments. This rule still holds, particularly because every corporation has its own HR department and tries to staff it with sharp, eager new grads who hold relevant degrees.
Business Journalists
One of the few growth areas within journalism for the past decade has been in the niche area of business and financial reporting. It’s not enough to understand finance and accounting to do this job, as it takes an understanding of how to communicate specialized types of data to readers and the public at large. Some of the top business writers today spend their college years studying various subjects and earned master’s diplomas in communication, or simply double-majored during their four undergrad years.
Public Relations
In the world of corporate advertising and promotion, as well as in the entertainment field, public relations firms reign supreme. These professionals are experts at crafting messages, building images, creating brand identities, and communicating precise information in a digestible, positive way. Communication majors often gravitate to stand-alone PR agencies and to corporate in-house PR departments for entry-level jobs.
Social Media Managers
One of the newer sub-categories for communication specialists is social media management. Entry-level opportunities exist across a wide spectrum of disciplines because most large organizations are discovering the importance of having an in-house expert who can guide the company’s social media image, protect online reputations, remove negative or incorrect information from various websites, and generally oversee the entire public face of the business. There are even one-year certificate programs at many colleges and universities that train students in the finer points of social media management.
