Communicatons Degree Graduation 2007
Many of the students who came to listen to us were wondering about the career options with a communications degree and which might be the careers available for communications degrees.
I felt honoured to be invited as part of the 5 person panel for the second time, especially since I had made my career change of founding my own business to consult to business on their online presence. Not a conventional career path, but I feel it’s very important for students to know that they can follow their dream job and earn a great income with it as well – and don’t need to climb the traditional corporate latter if they prefer independence and flexibility.
Career Options with a Communications degree
The other panel members represented a wide range of more traditional information and media professions, including a senior knowledge manager in an accounting firm (who was my boss when I was still working in the corporate world), an information architect, a librarian who engages students through twitter and facebook and a librarian at a major media organisation.
While everyone shared what their current work involves, the underlying message really was that the information and media worlds are changing (and the internet certainly is!) and that some of the career options with a communications degree don’t even exist yet.
My personal message to get across was the fact that a changing world – whether career concerned or otherwise – presents a massive opportunity. Change and new applications present a great chance for early adopters, they can become experts, teachers and coaches by getting to know a new application before anyone else does (waiting for Google Wave anyone?). It’s contained in a great quote that really represents our changing times:
“The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.” – Rupert Murdoch
My presentation just summarised why I love working in internet marketing (and on my own business) and the skills that I use consistently that have enabled me to create my own business and live the way I do.
In summary, when students are looking for the answer to the omnipresent question What can I do with a degree in communications? my advice is to think broadly: Career options with a communications degree does not mean you need climb the corporate ladder in an organisation. You can be flexible, self-employed, working from home or even own your own business – if you’re willing to learn and adapt.
What’s your opinion on the future of careers available for communications degrees? Leave your feedback below.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Janna
I too completed my degree in Communication Studies back in 2001. I must admit since that time, media and communication has changed so much, my degree is basically obsolete now! Although I did learn about traditional media, I ended up entering the digital media space which is constantly changing. To be honest I don’t think I ever utilized anything I learned from university into the real world. Not saying that university is a waste of time, just saying that university needs to apply more real world teachings and less theory.
It’s great that universities are inviting past students back to show current students that you don’t have to work the corporate ladder to be successful that you can also work for yourself and make money and feel fulfilled! Congrats on being part of the panel, they were very lucky to have you!
Cheers
Aise
Thanks Aise
I think people were a little shocked to hear that I spent at least 30% of my time learning new things – and that I expect to continue learning at least 30% of the time… if not more!
I actually find it’s the most exciting part of being involved with the internet and social media. The other exciting parts are teaching what you have learned to others, and seeing it turn into dollars
Janna
Interesting comments. Yes, rapid change always opens up opportunities to anyone who remains flexible and willing to learn.
I trained as a journalist via an old-fashioned cadetship and did an Arts degree (History and Politics) on the side. Frankly, I have never had much respect for communications degrees (or professional writing or whatever). Perhaps they’ve changed for the better, but last time I checked they were pretty shallow, pretty light in scholarship and academic rigour and pretty narrow in application.
Note that Aise’s comment that university communications courses needed to “apply more real world teachings” which I take to mean need to be more practical, is actually advocating a return to the cadetship style of training on the job. Cadetships were, of course, very few in number, even when there were many more traditional news outlets than now.
The other element to note is that most tertiary courses in communications/journalism/professional writing/public relations used to be taught in colleges of advanced education – which were intended to be more “practical” courses than the more theoretically-based university courses. But the CAE academics wanted the status of “university” jobs.
Ken