Best Jobs for Communications Majors

Best Jobs for Communications Majors Best Jobs for Communications Majors If you are fascinated by how you might influence, entertain and inform others by creating the best possible media content for an audience, a communications major may be right for you. The communications major covers many disciplines including  advertising,  marketing,  public relations, journalism, broadcasting,  media, and film. Skills Communications Major Learn Communications majors learn how to assess the needs and preferences of readers, viewers, and listeners. They have the creativity to devise innovative strategies for conveying their messages. Communications majors learn to write effectively in many different modes, including creative, persuasive, descriptive, and journalistic styles. They also exercise the ability to integrate pictures, video, and audio into the communications they create. Students who major in communications learn to plan, organize, and execute projects, programs, and events. They must be attentive to detail but at the same time understand the big picture. Since communication projects are often subject to criticism and failure, communications majors learn to tolerate critical appraisals of their work and to cope with less-than-successful ventures. Your final decision about a career following a major as diverse as communications will be influenced by your individual interests, skills, and values, but here are some promising options for your consideration. Career Options for Communication Majors Review some of the best job opportunities for communications majors, along with the skills you will need to get hired. 1. Public Relations Specialists Organizations of all types are concerned about how they are perceived by the public. Communications majors are well positioned to think strategically about how to influence public perceptions through the media. PR professionals write press releases, organize press conferences, and other events and convince the media that stories about the organization have journalistic merit. Some  public relations  representatives work for public relations, marketing,  and advertising agencies, which service a roster of different clients. Others work directly for corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations in communications departments to get the right messages out about their employer. Salary and Job Outlook: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that public relations specialists earned an average of $59,300 as  of May 2017. According to the BLS, employment of public relations specialist will expand by 9% through 2026: about as fast as average for all occupations. 2. Meeting/Event Planner Successful events require a compelling theme and effective promotion in order to attract a viable group of attendees. Communications majors are favorably positioned to assess the interests of consumer groups, members of professional organizations and interest groups, and to package events in an appealing way. They have the detail orientation and organizational skills to think through the process and to  consider all the needs of presenters and attendees. Event planners  can tap the public speaking skills developed in their communication studies to make announcements and introduce speakers at programs. Their writing skills help them to compose press releases, write descriptions and biographies for event literature, and create online content about meetings. Salary and Job Outlook: Meeting and event planners earned an average of $48,230 as  of May 2017, according to the BLS. The BLS projects growth of 11% through 2026 for employment of meeting and event planners, a faster-than-average rate for all occupations. 3. College Alumni and Development Officers Alumni officers evaluate the needs of various alumni groups and plan events such as reunions, networking receptions, and social events to maintain alumni connections to their alma mater.   Development officers study prospective donors and present the aspects of the college that correspond to the interests of particular individuals.   The ability of communications majors to create carefully-worded and concise written communications helps the development officer to make their pitches effectively. Development and alumni officers both need to exercise a great deal of social finesse in their interactions with alumni, parents, and other potential donors. Salary: Indeed estimates that the majority of alumni and development officers earn between $55,100 and $80,000. 4. Media Planner Media  planners need to understand the web surfing, viewing, reading, and listening inclinations of consumers in order to select the best mix of media outlets for an advertising campaign. Communications majors are uniquely qualified to examine the way demographic groups consume the media so they can anticipate the optimal placement of advertisements within television/ radio programs, websites, and magazine and newspaper articles.   Media planners also tap the presentation and writing skills developed through communication studies as they pitch their plans to advertising colleagues and executives. Salary: Payscale estimates that media planners earn an average of $48,830. 5. Social Media Manager The  social media  is all about communicating with people of interest. It is no surprise that communications majors, who are trained to analyze patterns of communication, are well qualified to help organizations leverage their brands within social media. Social media managers must be good writers in order to compose messages about their organization that will appeal to visitors within media outlets like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. They must also have the persuasive abilities and presentation skills to pitch their plans to staff and to  convince colleagues and customers to contribute testimonials and other content online. Salary and Job Outlook: Payscale estimates that the average salary for social media managers is $49,290. 6. Human Resources Specialist Human resources  professionals are responsible for communication-intensive functions within organizations including recruiting staff, orienting new employees, developing training programs, conveying policies to staff, educating employees about benefits, and creating employee newsletters.   HR staff  use public speaking skills to deliver presentations to current/prospective staff and writing skills to create employee manuals, compose web content and produce recruitment literature. They use verbal communication skills cultivated by the communications major to counsel/advise employees and to  interview candidates for jobs. Salary and Job Outlook: The BLS estimated that the average salary of a human resources specialist as  of May 2017 was $60,350. The BLS expected that jobs in the field would grow by 7% through 2026, about as fast as average for all occupations. 7. Business Reporter The proliferation of financial and business media has opened up opportunities for communications majors with an interest in business and finance. Business reporters tap journalistic writing skills to cover developments within businesses, industry and the economy in general for websites, television stations, newspapers, and magazines. They must be able to convey business information in language  understandable by the general public. In order to cover stories, business  reporters  use the interpersonal skills developed by the communications major to cultivate relationships with business  insiders. They must have the persuasive ability to convince editors about the viability of their ideas for articles. Salary: Payscale estimates that business reporters earn an average of $45,500. 8. Health Educator Health educators  assess the health-related problems and needs of a target population and formulate programs to address those issues. A key component of their work is understanding the attitudes and perceptions of their constituents regarding health concerns. They must develop and present workshops and seminars geared toward their audience. Health educators produce web content and literature that will appeal to their constituents. Organizational and event planning skills are essential when orchestrating and promoting health fairs and other programs. Verbal communication skills are critical when advising students, employees, or the general public in one-on-one sessions. Salary and Job Outlook: The BLS estimated that health educators earned an average of $53,940 as  of May 2017. Jobs for health educators and community health workers were projected to grow by 16% through 2026, much faster than average for all occupations. 9. Brand Manager Brand managers  oversee the positioning of products and services within the publics consciousness. They analyze consumer reactions to their products based on factors such as price, consumer experience, packaging, and accessibility. Brand managers supervise the development of communication-intensive campaigns including advertising, promotion, and public relations to enhance sales.   Brand managers must have the interpersonal and communication skills to engender the cooperation of other sales, marketing, and advertising partners. The critical eye of the communications major is needed to evaluate ads, commercials, and other marketing copy. Salary: According to Payscale, brand managers earn an average of $69,770. 10. Sales Representative Most communications majors wont be thinking of  sales  as an eventual career when they enter college. However, they will learn many skills while studying communications that can lead to a successful and lucrative career in sales. Communications majors learn to assess the preferences of an audience just as a salesperson must be able to anticipate the needs of her customers. The verbal, written and wider  communication skills mastered through the major will equip the  salesperson  to devise and deliver the right pitch to various types of consumers or businesses. Salary and Job Outlook: Compensation in the field varies greatly by the area of sales focus.  For example, the BLS estimated that wholesale/manufacturing salespersons earned an average of $69,770 as  of May 2017, securities salespersons earned $63,780, while retail salespersons earned only $23,370. The BLS estimated that employment opportunities for wholesale sales and securities salespersons would experience average growth through 2026  of 5-6%.