By Dr. Bjorn Mercer
Program Director, Communication, Philosophy, Religion, World Languages and the Arts, American Public University
This is the final article in a three-part series on the collegiate discipline of communication and its potential career fields.
In the series, we have gone over what the communication field is and the different types of skills that can be learned by studying communication. We also looked at some views on it from the business world. Now, we will look at possible jobs available with a communication degree.
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According to the National Communication Association, “… college graduates with Communication degrees have the knowledge and skills employers need…They demonstrate strong verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills and have considerable expertise in speaking well in front of small and large audiences.”
Studying Communication Is Beneficial for Students Wanting to Increase Their Employability
Studying in this field is extremely beneficial for students who want to increase their employability. All companies and institutions need people who can communicate internally and externally to get the organization’s message out in a professional and easily understood way.
As Catey Hill writes in MarketWatch, communication, as a degree, is flexible. So “don’t be pigeonholed by your major; it doesn’t dictate your career trajectory.”
Many Jobs Are Available in the Communication Field
There are many jobs that are communication-related. These jobs might not ask specifically for a communication degree, but they all require strong skills. Communications-Major has a variety of broad categories that require highly skilled communication capabilities:
- Government and politics
- Education
- Social and human services
- Business
- International relations and negotiations
- Law
- Healthcare
This website also cites the following as more communication-specific, requiring a communication or closely related degree:
- Public relations: communication editor, media relations manager, media planner, media analyst, and public relations account coordinators
- Marketing and advertising: brand manager, product manager, media planner copywriters, creative supervisor, media salesperson, and advertising manager
The Balance Careers website has additional communication-specific jobs:
- Public relations specialists
- Meeting/event planner
- Human resources specialist
- College alumni and development officer
- Sales representative
To dive deeper in one of the jobs listed on The Balanced Careers, social media jobs have grown exponentially over the past 10 years. Some of these jobs are:
- Social media manager/director
- Digital media manager
- Brand manager
- Engagement coordinator/manager
- Content strategist
- Social media analyst
- Social media specialist
- Social media strategist
When it comes to social media jobs, there are many positions in the field that have different titles but similar responsibilities. Also, there are additional jobs for professionals who focus on journalism and mass communications, such as:
- Reporter
- Correspondent
- Writer and editor
Communication specialist is a broad category of jobs at many medium to large companies. They focus on helping out marketing, public relations or even HR. But they require the best possible skills, especially written communication, oral communication, and customer service (interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence).
In addition to the possible jobs I have cited, there are websites to help you search for jobs, research jobs and start planning your strategy to get a future job. These websites include:
Now that we have gone over the possible jobs available with a communication degree or training, it is my hope that more students will entertain the idea of the communication degree as a worthwhile step toward a rewarding and fulfilling career.
About the Author
Dr. Bjorn Mercer is a Program Director at American Public University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Missouri State University, a master’s and doctorate in music from the University of Arizona, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He writes about culture, leadership, and why the humanities and liberal arts are critical to career success. Dr. Mercer also writes children’s music.
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