Is Communications a Good Career Path?

At a time when everyone’s attention is being stretched in different directions, being a great communicator is an advantage. 

Decades ago, a great communicator may have been easily defined as someone who can hold your attention when you speak with another, eye-to-eye. These days, however, being a great communicator also means being good with your words in print, in online messaging platforms, and in social media. 

A career in communications now means delivering a message to the world — for whatever purpose, goal of who or which the professional is speaking for — not just in person, but in all channels available. 

If you have been thinking if communications is a good career path — we lay down the various jobs one could have in the industry in this article to better decipher if it is the track for you. 

What Are the Best Communications Job

Public Relations Manager

A public relations manager handles the image and reputation of a brand or organization it represents. While it may sound simple on paper, the job can be tricky. To do it effectively, a public relations manager must simultaneously handle various roles. It must coordinate events to raise public awareness of the brand he or she represents and build a network among the members of the media to help bring that message across the brand’s intended audience. 

Such work demands an overall campaign strategy that the public manager must stay on top of. And when the brand or company suddenly finds itself in hot water, the public manager must be prepared to handle that too. 

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a bachelor’s degree is enough to get your foot on the door of the industry. Some companies or brands may demand a master’s degree, but it is not always necessary. Still, as the job demands public image building, staying on top of trends and upskilling with new communication tools would not hurt.

Business Journalist

A business journalist is a member of the media, who regularly reports about economic trends, or any topic related to entrepreneurship. He or she is usually a part of a media organization which may be publishing reports either online through a website or offline, like a newspaper. 

These days, the range of business news a business journalist may report on, can vary from how the stock market is performing to a country’s inflation, or to even how a small entrepreneur is finding success in his or her online venture. 

A bachelor’s degree is required for such a role, and a degree in either Economics or Business Administration would be most helpful. These degrees would be instrumental to a reporter who regularly has to read and analyze economic reports for a mainstream audience. A journalism degree is not always necessary, but it would be helpful for a reporter to have the basics of news reporting once he or she gets the job.

Digital Marketing Specialist

A digital marketing specialist is tasked to develop marketing campaigns for an online audience. These campaigns can be implemented through various forms of digital media, like videos, infographics, blogs, email newsletters, and even online seminars. 

His or her job is to help the marketing team to implement the brand’s overall campaign for digital channels. To do so, such a specialist must track the pulse of the audience online — from the topics they are talking about to the music they listen to. Such information would be helpful in crafting online content that speaks to the brand’s intended audience. 

A bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or communications is usually required for a digital marketing specialist. Studying such can help the specialist be informed in creating content that can put the brand’s messaging forward online. 

As the role also demands to be online, a digital marketing specialist must also be adept at the latest tools and algorithm changes in leading social media platforms to effectively deliver their tasks. 

Content Writer/Editor

Content editors and writers usually work with digital marketing specialists in implementing a brand’s campaign through the written word. 

As content writers and editors, they must be on top of all writing tasks in the marketing department — from writing blogs and email newsletters to developing surveys and annual reports. 

They usually speak to an audience. Some content writers and editors are mainly tasked to develop written materials for the in-house staff when the client they work for is a big company. But most content writers and editors would develop materials for an audience outside of the company to mainly help the marketing department in raising brand awareness. 

Some companies accept candidates with only college-level experience for their content writer posts. However, for the content editor post, companies usually demand at least three years of experience to be deemed eligible for the job.  

Telecommunications Engineer

A telecommunications engineer designs and constructs telecommunication equipment and systems. The engineer’s main role is to determine the best way for telecommunication equipment, from transformers to transmission lines, to be installed in a specific area — whether that be a housing compound or a whole city. 

They are usually employed by telecommunications companies. And among the communications jobs listed in this article, the telecommunications engineer role may be the one that demands the most technical skills. 

A telecommunications engineer must at least have an engineering degree, with a electronics and communications major. Some companies also demand post-graduate studies in the field.

Why You Should Get a Job in Communications

Among the top 10 skills employers demand today is the ability to communicate well, whether in verbal or written form. 

Opportunities

Moreover, a job in communications can open many doors. One need not stay in a single sector all throughout one’s career as —communication — as a skill, is one that is urgently and constantly needed in any workplace. 

A job in communications also provides one with a myriad of opportunities to develop skills, and appreciate values that could be beneficial even after they leave the industry.  

In its Future of Jobs Report 2023, the World Economic Forum revealed that organizations in the information and digital communications industry consider their employees to have “analytical thinking” and “creative thinking” as their top skills. These very same skills are in the top 10 that are projected to be most in demand by employers in the coming years. 

Compensation

It does not hurt that communications jobs can provide handsome pay for those who do choose to stay for longer in the industry. A digital marketing specialist for example, according to Indeed.com’s data, can have a maximum of $148,000 of annual salary. That is triple the average wage of working Americans for 2023, who were estimated to earn $1,100 a week or more than $57,200 a year. 

However, those who may only be starting in the industry would have to burn more hours to get to that status as a starting role for a digital marketing specialist, for example, can only pay a minimum of $14,000 a year.

Outlook

The good news is, in the Future of Jobs Report 2023, the World Economic Forum similarly revealed marketing and communications jobs have grown in availability from 2018 to 2022. In fact, the role is among the top 10 “jobs on the rise” identified by the report. 

The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics also said jobs in the “media and communication occupations” sector are expected to grow 6 percent from 2021 to 2031. That translates to about 68,000 new jobs over that decade. Those who wish to snag a role in the industry would not have a hard time landing one, as companies today are looking for more communicators in their workplaces. 

But to placate one’s place in the industry, a constant pursuit for learning, whether that be a new skill, or a new tool, that can help oneself to get a better understanding of the job is warranted. Communicators would have to stay ahead of the trends, and be in the lookout for new skills to learn to better understand the audience he or she wants to market to, next.   

Communications Jobs Are Here to Stay

Communication roles have gone beyond mere public speaking. These days, a career path in communications can be for those who enjoy speaking to audiences both offline and online. 

There are now various ways to get to the industry, whether that be through writing pieces for print publications, or by engaging a niche audience for public relations. And as the experts have estimated, even in the next decade, communication is a good career path.