What Kind of Job Can I Get with a Bachelor’s in Communications?

With the influence of technology and web-based interaction on nearly all industries, companies are desperate for employees who can effectively communicate their message across multiple platforms. For many companies, employing effective communicators occurs across their many departments, whether it be in marketing, public relations, or customer support. Chances are the people filling those roles have an education in communication.

Job Prospects for Bachelor’s in Communication Degree-Holders

Certain communications professions, like technical writers, are expected to see an 11% growth between now and 2026, which is faster than average for all professions according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This increase is largely due to the rapid expansion of web-based product support, information, and interaction across nearly all industries. Such expansion gives technical writers the ability to choose their industry according to their interests and additional experience. The growing reliance on technologically sophisticated products for the home and office, as well as the increasing complexity of those items, will continue to create a demand for writers who can digest technical information and communicate a core message that is easily accessible to a general audience.

Many bachelor’s in communications degree holders begin careers in public relations, marketing, and branding. Careers in these fields require employees to possess skills that every communications major learns, including writing press releases and other mass media reports, communicating effectively with a variety of audiences, evaluating advertising and promotional materials, and maintaining positive relationships between an organization and its customers. Perhaps the biggest change in the fields of public relations, marketing, and branding relate to social media and how it is used to connect an organization with its audience. These changes are reflected in the types of specializations in bachelor programs and in additional certifications available for these industries.

5 Communication Jobs that a Bachelor’s Degree Prepares You For

• Communications Planner
• Work to improve their organization’s internal communication strategy and external reputation with multiple audiences
• Median Salary:$47,000
• Brand Manager
• Focuses on the promotion and protection of their client’s public image across communication platforms
• Median Salary:$90,000
• Public Relations Specialist
• Create and maintain a positive public image for their organization through crafting media releases, developing social media outlets, and other communication avenues to craft public perception
• Median Salary: $58,000
• Technical Writer
• Prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information; includes developing, gathering, and disseminating technical information through an organization’s various communication channels
• Median Salary: $69,000
• Social Media Specialist
• Communicate with the public through social media platforms, including posting content to spark interest in brand-related topics and interact with customers via social media avenues
• Median Salary: $46,000

3 Common Specializations for Bachelor’s Degrees in Communication

A general Bachelor of Arts in Communication typically trains graduates to enter industries like marketing, journalism, and public relations. As technical writing and developing an online presence becomes increasingly necessary across many industries, many bachelor degree programs offer courses that teach clear, audience-specific communication, especially in written form. In offering a generalized curriculum, graduates can transfer their communication skills to a wider variety of industries, thus making them more marketable. Some Bachelor of Arts in Communication degrees allow for specialized tracks like organizational communication and mass or social media that students can take to enter more specific career tracks.

At the undergraduate level, a specialization in Organizational Communication requires students to take additional courses in communicating to social or cultural organization, with special attention to advocacy issues, conflict resolution, and group decision making. Students would also get special training in different communication systems and processes within different organizational structures. This would help students enter careers as public relations specialists, communications planners, or brand managers as each of those jobs require familiarity with various levels of communication within a company.

For bachelor’s degrees in communication that offer a specialization in Mass Media or Social Media, students would take courses in digital media communication, message design, and new technologies in communication. Not only would this give students the tools to assess an organization’s current communication practices and enter careers as a Business Analyst, but students would also develop special skills to communicate a company’s message via social media specific writing features. For many companies looking to hire Social Media Specialists, having a degree in communications is often a requirement.

Earn Professional Certifications and Specialized Graduate Certificates

With the future of communications jobs so bright, especially due to the influence of technology and remote work, the special skills possessed by online learners in particular, are especially marketable. The following skills are in the highest demand for new employees in communication fields:

• Navigate information-rich environments using current communication trends and models
• Create persuasive messaging for a variety of contexts using verbal, written, and web-based communication.
• Analyze communication data and tools to improve methods and strategies
• Craft and disseminate branded content
• Utilize best practices for online communication, including SEO and Google Analytics
• Process evaluation, design, and improvement strategies

Because the above skills are in high demand, many Online Digital Marketing Certification Programs have increased in availability that professionals with bachelor’s in communications can make use of to further increase their skill set. Recent graduates can also help boost their careers by taking part in an increasing number of online marketing internships that reflect the relationship between remote work and communications jobs, as well as the way customers often engage with companies online.

Want more job security? Bachelor degree holders might think about enrolling in an online Master’s in Communication degree program or even an online Master’s in Public Relations, or an online Master’s in Social Media Marketing.