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Being good at communicating is a special talent. Not everyone has the skill and job experience and the confidence to deliver a message or express their thoughts, written or verbal, to catch the people’s attention in a manner that they will understand. Some people were born with the gift, while others have a passion for mastering the skill.
Communication majors have the unique advantage of being able to pursue a variety of careers that will put their skills and knowledge to work. Communication majors often have strong analytical and interpersonal skills, which makes them favorable candidates for jobs in media, public relations, marketing, and customer service.
With the ever-growing demand for communication professionals, there are a range of exciting and lucrative job opportunities available to communication majors. These jobs range from entry-level customer service to high-level positions in corporate and nonprofit settings.
Whether you’re looking for a career in public relations, marketing, or media, there is no shortage of amazing careers available to communication majors. Here is a look at some of the best jobs for communication majors.
15 Best Jobs for Communication Majors
Event Planner
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree; Experience
Biggest Employer Sector: Religious, grantmaking, civic, and professional organizations; Accommodation and food services; Administrative and support services; Arts, entertainment, and recreation; Self-employed
Existing Jobs at Present: 132,000
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 8%
Annual Median Pay: $52,560
As the name would suggest, this job entails detailed planning and arranging for events. These events could range from business conventions, charity events, gala nights, professional seminars, government meetings, educational forums, weddings, exhibitions, and other events.
Before anything else, the event planner meets with the client and interviews them regarding the event’s purpose, desired theme, venue, the number of expected attendees, and what they expect to achieve during or after the event. The information will then be organized and communicated to the staff, suppliers, and other providers that will be needed for the event. An event planner should be an effective communicator because everything must go as planned!
The event planner is also responsible for handling the budget for the bookings, catering, decors, speakers, hosts, entertainment, staff, and other client requests.
If you like organizing, overseeing things, having an extensive social network, and having excellent communication skills, this is the right and exciting job.
Announcer
Education Level Required: High School Diploma, Bachelor’s Degree, On-the-Job Training, and Experience
Biggest Employer Sector: Radio and television broadcasting, Self-employed, Educational Services
Existing Jobs at Present: 26,820
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 6%
Annual Median Pay: $155,730
Under the umbrella of announcers are news broadcasters, disc jockeys, masters of ceremonies, TV hosts, sports announcers, podcasters, and others.
To become an effective announcer, one has to keep up to date with the current events and what’s going on in society. Topics could range from sports, music, news, weather, and anything under the sun. Do research first before engaging in the job! Most of the time, announcers control the flow and energy of the programs. Although there are prepared scripts for every program, one must also be spontaneous in coming up with comments while on air or live and formulating new questions for guests or callers on the show.
They are considered public figures, and their comments have great value to the listening public. Public and private entities even hire some to make appearances at their events for promotional purposes.
The job doesn’t end off-air as announcers also have to maintain social media presence for their stations and commercial engagements. It lets them engage their listeners and fans better.
Brand Strategist
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree
Biggest Employer Sector: Advertising, Information, Management of Companies and Enterprises, Wholesale Trade, Self-employed
Existing Jobs at Present: 389,000 in Advertising and Promotions, and Marketing Managers
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 6%
Median Annual Pay: $138,730
The main job of a brand strategist is, by its name, to find strategies and methods for their brand to be known and be seen by the consuming public. To do so, you must do some research, analyze the data gathered, know what attracts consumers to be loyal to the brand, and study the competitors’ weak points. It is your job to conceptualize the question, “How do you want the brand to be known?”
The job’s end goal is to generate income for the brand by bringing in more customers across different platforms. Especially now in the digital age where social media has become a huge part of our everyday life and ads can be seen everywhere, what will make yours stand out? Being a brand strategist means being creative in coming up with a storyline for the brand that will set it apart from the hundreds and thousands of brands out there.
The entire process is not done alone by the brand strategist. He or she has to work with an entire team of graphic designers, scriptwriters, producers, and other staff to develop a finished product.
Interpreter and Translator
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree
Biggest Employer Sector: Professional, Scientific, Technical Services, Educational, Hospitals, Government, and Self-Employed
Existing Jobs at Present: 68,700
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 4%
Annual Median Pay: $53,640
There are over 7,000 languages globally, and not a single individual is fluent in all of them. That’s where interpreters and translators come into the picture. Individuals in this field are usually bilingual or multilingual. Their job description is to convert texts or audio from one language to another as accurately and as clear as possible without changing the original message’s meaning or thought.
If speaking is your forte, being an interpreter is the right job for you. Interpreting skills are needed by the United Nations, universal pageants, international news platforms, publications, media, and many other sectors. Sign language is also a subcategory of being an interpreter.
If you want to focus more on written mode, you should opt to be a translator. Besides maintaining the original thought, translators must also keep the original style and structure of the original document’s writing to be translated.
Computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools aid translators in doing their job more efficiently within a shorter period. The real challenge comes when no corresponding word matches the language being translated to. The interpreter or translator must be able to describe it in such a way that will convey the same original message.
Public Relations Director
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, Public Relations, Communications, English
Biggest Employer Sector: Educational Services, Advertising, Government, Business, Professional, Labor Organizations
Existing Jobs at Present: 297,100
Growth Rate from 2020-2030: 6%
Annual Median Pay: $67,440
A Public Relations Director is responsible for shaping the public’s view and perception of the institution or client they work for. They ensure that the institution is viewed positively, maintains good relationships with the community and other institutions, and publicizes its missions, projects, and other activities.
They are responsible for preparing press releases and for whatever information is released to the public and the media. If the institution is undergoing a crisis or news is broken to the public before the institution has had the chance to control the situation, it is the public relations director that must handle and pacify the same. They have to come up with an idea that could twist the event to work to their advantage.
He or she must protect the institution’s positive image at all costs and avoid irreparable damages to its reputation. He or she must approve all promotions and any form of public announcements before being released or published.
Writer
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, Communications, or English and Experience
Biggest Employer Sector: Self-employed; Professional, scientific, and technical services; Information; Performing arts and related industries
Existing Jobs at Present: 151,200
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 4%
Annual Median Pay: $73,150
Before beginning to write, writers must first research their topic and present ideas to attract their target readers. One must also see that there are no plagiarism or copyright infringements made in the published work and that proper citations are made. Writers usually work with editors and publishing companies.
There are different types of writers depending on your main point of interest. There are biographers, bloggers, content writers, copywriters, novelists, playwrights, screenwriters, and speechwriters.
If a person’s life is your interest, you should consider being a biographer. Bloggers have more freedom on what they write on their blogs, which could be about a certain topic or various ones, just like content writers. Copywriters, on the other hand, focus on ads and promotions for their clients.
Novelists, playwrights, and screenwriters can let their imaginations run wild in their writings. Speechwriters are inclined to a more serious nature as they prepare speeches for public figures such as politicians, influencers, business owners, and the like.
It is best to write about a topic you are very interested in, have passion for, or know about to avoid what they call writer’s block.
Fundraising Manager
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree, depending on position; Work Experience
Biggest Employer Sector: Educational services; Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations; Scientific and technical services; Management of companies and enterprises
Existing Jobs at Present: 105,700
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 6%
Annual Median Pay: $119,860
Fundraising Managers are responsible for bringing in funds for the institution, usually done through campaigns and income-generating projects. There are many other methods of acquiring donations for the organization.
Some of these are soliciting for major gifts, capital campaigns, planned to give, and annual capital campaigns. It is best to know the type of strategy one will use in attracting donors as some may require training and further study about laws like donations and wills.
This role is very important for some organizations because most of them operate solely on donations and grants. World Vision and UNICEF are some of the most well-regarded ones.
As a fundraising manager, you will be representing the institution to various donors and grantors and convincing them that your institution is deserving of their donations. It is part of the job to identify and research generous donors, develop a strategy for approaching them, meet with them, present the organization’s cause, and show appreciation for their generosity.
Filmmaker/Producer
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree and work-related experience
Biggest Employer Sector: Motion picture and video industries; Radio and television broadcasting; Performing arts; Advertising
Existing Jobs at Present: 175,300
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 7%
Annual Median Pay: $85,320
The filmmaker and the producer have the most hands-on participation in the project’s entire production right from its inception.
The first thing a filmmaker or director and producer does is find a topic, genre, and script for the project. It may be for a commercial, a theatre show, a TV show, or a movie. Next is to interpret the script to deliver the message to its audiences in an impactful manner. This is the goal of every motion picture.
They also hold the auditions and do the casting, prepare the schedule for filming, and are involved in almost every aspect of the project, from lighting, sounds, and special effects to the overall output. The job continues even after the project is done. They should promote the project by guesting on TV and radio shows, mall tours, film festivals, and other events.
The primary difference between these two is that the filmmaker or director makes the project’s creative decisions while the producer is responsible for its business and financial aspects. The latter also hires the former, but everyone works as a team.
Postsecondary Teacher
Education Level Required: Doctorate Degree; Master’s Degree; Work experience
Biggest Employer Sector: Colleges, universities, and professional schools; Junior colleges
Existing Jobs at Present: 1,333,900
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 8%
Annual Median Pay: $80,840
Communication postsecondary teachers comprise 33,600 of all postsecondary teachers in the US. The act of teaching itself is one of the main considerations why many have chosen this profession. Those called to the profession experience a sense of fulfillment upon knowing that they have shared their knowledge. Teaching, coming up with course outlines, preparing lesson plans, grading, advising students, and continuously learning are some of the primary roles of a postsecondary teacher.
There are full-time professors, and there are those who take on other duties and responsibilities. Some serve as supervisors to teaching assistants, while others become directors, administrators, or college or university leaders or officials. How you go about your career is totally up to you. You can even choose to teach online, teach a large class of more than a hundred, or teach a small class.
Postsecondary teachers take it a step further by becoming academic authors and publishing their books and journals. As communication professors, they are also invited to speak in forums and seminars specifically for the field.
Human Resources Manager
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree; Master’s Degree
Biggest Employer Sector: Professional, scientific, and technical services; Management of companies and enterprises; Manufacturing; Government; Healthcare and social assistance
Existing Jobs at Present: 174,200
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 7%
Annual Median Pay: $126,230
Being a Human Resources Manager requires great communication skills as he or she is responsible for briefing, directing, and giving presentations to the staff and employees. The key to a harmonious workplace is effective communication between the owners, directors, management, and staff. This is where HR Managers come in.
Based on standard metrics, HR managers look after the welfare of the institution’s most valuable resource: its employees and staff, collectively called the human resources. They are in charge of sorting through job applications, interviewing, making shortlists, and eventually hiring the select individuals that pass the standard. With direction from the company, HR managers map out employee workload, tasks, benefits, and wages.
They also evaluate each employee and determine under which department their skills would best contribute to the company. HR Managers also organize group training sessions to upskill employees and promote company ideals such as teamwork and camaraderie.
HR Managers also serve as mediators and handle disputes between employees, and enforce the corresponding sanctions.
Urban Planner
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree; Master’s Degree; Work experience
Biggest Employer Sector: Federal and local government; Architectural; Engineering;
Existing Jobs at Present: 47,700
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 4%
Annual Median Pay: $79,540
An Urban Planner’s job is to identify and target development issues within the community and recommend solutions for them. These solutions usually involve renovating and constructing, converting lands to parks and recreational spots to benefit the community and drive tourists.
Work experience in architecture and public and economic development is a top requirement in this job, but a communication major is highly valued in this field! After all, an urban planner must effectively communicate and collaborate with planners, stakeholders, the community, public officials, and other persons of interest.
They do presentations and reports on the development plans they have prepared and seek the approval of concerned offices and the covered communities. Without them, the plans will never be successfully executed.
Failure to properly communicate plans and ideas could be detrimental to the development of the community. There are different types of urban planners depending on one’s interests and the needs of the community. These are community development, transportation planning, urban design, and historic preservation.
Market Research Analyst
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree
Biggest Employer Sector: Management, scientific, and technical consulting services; Finance and insurance; Management of companies and enterprises; Publishing industries
Existing Jobs at Present: 868,600
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 13%
Annual Median Pay: $68,230
A market research analyst’s job includes gathering information from consumers, competitors, and the general public about their products, both existing and those still under the works.
They devise instruments for collecting the needed data such as polls, questionnaires, surveys, and focus group discussions. An extensive literature review must be done to formulate the right questions and have a full understanding of the participants’ answers.
Because of this part of the job, a market research analyst must have strong communication skills because the results must be presented to the client in a way that will be clearly understood. A strong foundation in statistics and mathematics will help advance the career since data analysis plays a big role in coming up with results.
The results will then be used to develop advertising and promotional instruments or products that will help stabilize or increase its income and standing in the market. It is also the market research analyst’s job to make suggestions, recommendations, or vote against any marketing strategy if they feel that it is not the best move at the moment.
Digital Media Specialist
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree and work-related experience
Biggest Employer Sector: Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, Software publishers
Existing Jobs at Present: 297,100
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 6%
Annual Median Pay: $67,440
Platforms covered by a Digital Media Specialist include websites, blogs, podcasts, social media, press releases, infographics, and any text, audio, video, or graphics broadcast in the digital world and online.
Every company has a goal in putting up a digital media presence known for marketing purposes. As a Digital Media Specialist, you will have to develop new marketing strategies and introduce revisions to the company’s existing platforms to be up to date with the trends and developments in the field.
Career options in digital media are wide-ranging. You can be a web designer, building websites for specific clients, researching how target users will find your design – whether it is engaging and easy to use. Being a content creator is another option. They are responsible for publishing content on websites and other social media platforms that include articles, photos, videos, and posts. A project manager oversees the overall output.
Editors
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, English, Communications, and Experience with writing and proofreading
Biggest Employer Sector: Newspaper, Periodical, and Book Publishers; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; Religious, Civic, and Professional Organizations; Other information services
Existing Jobs at Present: 122,100
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 4% decline
Annual Median Pay: $73,080
As an editor, you will be the last checkpoint before anything gets published. You must fact-check and make sure that every spelling and punctuation are correct and that there are no grammatical errors. Every article submitted by writers must have your approval first.
It is an editor’s job to ensure that all submissions must align with the company’s image and policies. The job is not limited to reading, editing, revising, and coming up with new ideas to keep readers interested. An editor also acts as a team leader and must motivate all writers and staff to come up with collaborative ideas and outputs for the project. It is not only the text that an editor finalizes. They are responsible for the layout, placing articles, photos, ads, and titles in the final product before the same mass is produced.
Newspapers, magazines, journals, books, almost anything printed requires the expertise of an editor. Some editors specialize or focus on a specific area only like news, entertainment, business, fashion, health, and others, requiring additional studies, background, or experience. There are publication assistants, assistant editors, managing editors, copy editors, and executive editors.
Photojournalist
Education Level Required: Bachelor’s Degree or lower; Background in Communications specifically in writing
Biggest Employer Sector: Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers; Self-employed
Existing Jobs at Present: 148,900
Growth Rate from 2022-2032: 4%
Annual Median Pay: $40,170
If you are into photography and telling the story behind every shot, then being a photojournalist is the best fit for you. You can choose to be an in-house photojournalist of a publishing company or be a freelancer who submits photos to various companies that will pay you for them.
Works of photojournalists mostly get published in newspapers, magazines, journals, televisions, and online platforms. They must not only have an eye for photography but must also possess writing skills to aptly describe the photo and convey the right message.
The subject of their work covers a wide range. It could be any event – minor or historical, people – ordinary or public figures, places –local or international, animals, objects, just anything that could be an object of interest to the public eyes. Some take photos of products for advertising and marketing purposes.
Indeed, a picture paints a thousand words. There have been published photos in the past that certainly brought awareness of social issues! Some have been controversial, like the Starving Child and the Vulture by Kevin Carter.
Start planning on the initial steps to attain your dream job. With this information, you can create a road map showing where you are going to enroll, the major and elective courses you will take that will increase your chances and bring you closer to your career goal, what companies you will apply to, and whether or not you will pursue a master’s or doctoral degree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why take a Communication Major?
Communication majors’ words have power. They have great influence in the real world and can bring about changes in society. People rely on what they see or hear on the radio, television, paper, and the Internet. These things impact how they view the world, in decision-making, or how they go about living day-to-day.
That is why one has to have a deeper understanding of different societal and cultural issues. You must know your audience so that you will know how to communicate with them effectively. You must equip yourself with the knowledge and further develop your communication skills when you enroll as a communication major.
What are the options?
One can choose a communication major that focuses on journalism, mass media, entertainment, business media, digital communication, advertising, publication, marketing, administration, corporate, technical communication, multi-linguistic communications, public relations, or international relations in politics.
It is up to you to choose between verbal or written communication as your primary field – whether you want to speak in public or have your write-ups published on paper or online.
What are the benefits of earning a Communications degree?
Here are a few considerations:
- Develop Critical Thinking Skills: A communications degree program teaches students to develop the ability to systematically analyze situations, evaluate information, and come to sound conclusions based on evidence.
- Become an Effective Communicator: Students will become cognizant of their own and others’ communication patterns, leading to a better understanding of cultures, personalities, and ways of understanding and adapting to communication processes.
- Enhance Interpersonal Skills: A communication degree will also allow students to practice communication techniques to enhance interpersonal relationships. This allows them to excel in teams and with clients.
- Understand Media: Students enrolled in a communications major will learn to understand media, including advertising, journalism, and other forms of media.
- Enter Management: With a strong foundation in communication skills and theory, graduates of communication degree programs are prepared to enter a variety of management roles with success.
How can one get a degree in Communications?
Hone your writing, speech, communication, and critical-thinking skills by taking any of these communication courses that will grant you a communication degree:
- Introduction to Media and Communication
- Research Methods in Communication Studies
- Media, Culture, and Society
- Communication Processes and Effects Courses
- Writing-intensive Course
- Communication Systems and Institutions Courses
Students have the freedom to choose which discipline or sector of the major they want to specialize in from a list of communication and elective courses such as Children and Media, Media Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction Design, Personality, and Digital Media, Persuasion and Social Influence, Journalism Law, Censorship and Propaganda, Sports Journalism, Sexual Identities and the Media, Foreign Correspondence, Media Economics, Gender, and the Media, Mobile Communication in Public Life, and many more to complete your degree. The list of these courses varies depending on which university or college you are enrolled in.
If you want to pursue a major in communication, you may want to check out the top-ranking colleges that offer a Communications Major in the US and their location to help you locate the nearest university and to help you prepare:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Stanford University – Stanford, CA
- University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
- Northwestern University – Evanston, IL
- Brown University – Providence, RI
- Vanderbilt University – Nashville, TN
- Cornell University – Ithaca, NY
- University of California (UC) – Los Angeles, CA
What does the future hold for a Communication Major?
When we hear the words Communication Major, the first thing that comes to mind is the people we see on television or hear over the radio. But the options for Communication Majors are not limited to these. Various industries require the expertise of communication majors, not only in mass media and film but as well as in companies that promote products and brands, associations that have messages to send across members and non-members alike for projects and fundraising, and in many other sectors. A growth of 5% in employment in the media and communications field is expected up to 2032.
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