If you’re considering online degree programs, a bachelor’s degree in communications can give you the skills you need to succeed in many different professions. The field of communications, sometimes called communication arts or media studies, is an academic field that involves studying human communication, including how people exchange messages.
Graduates of programs in communications may end up working as public relations specialists or journalists. Other typical career paths include advertising, event planning, and public relations. Communications majors usually take classes such as media writing and mass communication law.
Most degrees require students to complete some type of internship or practicum to gain real-world experience before entering their desired occupation. If you already have a communications online degree or just want to get an overview of the possibilities, check out these three occupations that you can enter with this degree. You might be surprised by what’s out there!
1. Public Relations
Public relations (PR) is one of those careers that are both extremely enjoyable and incredibly flexible. As a recent grad with a communications degree, you’ll be able to work in PR for almost any industry—which means there are hundreds of potential jobs at your fingertips. In fact, about half of all PR workers make their living in for-profit industries like entertainment and technology.
PR is about representing your company to outside parties, whether that’s local or international media, investors, business partners, or advocacy groups. It’s an endeavor based on crafting and communicating key messages in order to influence someone else’s perceptions of your company.
One of the ways to do this is by generating earned media campaigns, which means reaching customers organically. When a company doesn’t have millions of dollars to spend on paid advertising, earned media can make all the difference. This refers to free exposure you get from third-party sources such as articles or TV segments (as opposed to paid ads, which are shown directly to people by companies looking for customers). Some earned media campaign examples include online customer reviews, press coverage, and word of mouth.
2. Technical writing
Technical writers write and edit manuals, reports, and other documents that explain how to use equipment or software. They may work in fields such as science, medicine, education, government, and business. A technical writer must know how to research technical information, often via online sources; clearly organize ideas; and develop documents for others to follow.
Most technical writers need at least a bachelor’s degree in a communications-related field (and many employers prefer an advanced degree). However, some entry-level jobs are available for those with a background in information technology (IT) who can demonstrate writing experience from their jobs or personal projects. These writers typically work full time on teams with subject matter experts (SMEs) who have domain knowledge of their industry areas.
3. Executive Assistant
U.S. News and World Report call the executive assistant the second-highest paying job you can get without a degree. However, a bachelor’s degree in communications gives you an edge when applying for these positions because communication is at your core. And as a graduate of an online communications program, you may even get hired faster than other applicants because of your experience communicating over email and phone.
Executive assistants help CEOs, managers, and executives with their daily duties—from scheduling meetings to ensuring travel arrangements are made. An executive assistant is someone who helps make sure that everything in an office runs smoothly. The position involves an incredible amount of multitasking and organizational skills, as well as communication abilities. To secure a job, you’ll want to focus on administrative skills such as taking minutes at meetings, arranging schedules for executives, and organizing files.
