Billionaire investor, Mark Cuban, stated in a recent interview that future jobs will be liberal-arts driven, highlighting the growing need for communications majors adept at navigating an automated and technology-dependent world. Looking at reports of starting salaries across various industries, it may seem questionable if a communications degree is right for you because engineering, finance and health sciences graduates seem to have the easiest time landing jobs at higher pay scales. However, industry experts point out that there is always an underlying demand for communications professionals because the skills you learn in this field of study are useful in many industries. How will you know if you are cut out for this field?
1. You Genuinely like People and Interacting with Diverse Groups
Communications as a college major will leverage your affinity for interacting with the public to teach you strategies that will help build your powers of persuasion, presentation skills and marketing abilities. Communications majors graduate from a four-year program with adequate skills to take on people-oriented jobs such as public relations, advertising, human resources and many others.
2. You Like Writing in All its Forms
You may not be designing rocket systems while majoring in communications, but you are expected to write properly formatted news stories, press releases, technical reports, video scripts, social media posts and other content usable for all the channels of communication currently in use. Expect to spend the next four years mastering writing guidelines, including APA and MLA styles.
3. You are Comfortable with Technology
Effective communicators can create pointed messages targeted to specific audiences. You will also have to master the ways that these messages can be delivered. In a world where technology is pervasive in almost all aspects, communications students are expected to know how to take advantage of every opportunity created by new developments in technology to deliver your message more effectively.
4. You are Already Immersed in Social Media
Social media has turned out to be one of the most efficient communication channels in modern society. It is also a minefield of faux pas, mixed messages and misdirected posts, resulting in unintended consequences. It takes skill and experience to wrangle this channel into a useful medium for real-time delivery of useful information. If you are already into using social media with your own accounts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other platforms, you will enjoy learning how you can use your skills to establish a career as a communications professional.
5. You Love Books, Movies and All Kinds of Content
Majoring in communications is an immersion experience in the nuances of language and information. You will become familiar with using classical and pop references to create concise and on-point messages. To do this, you will be asked to read or watch a wide range of materials, which you will then deconstruct and analyze until quoting the content becomes second nature. You can spout 16th century philosophies and explain 2017 memes without missing a beat.
If you major in communications, you will hone soft skills that are needed in many fields including hard core industries. There is a diverse job market waiting to tap your talent in crafting messages and delivering them through various channels. Take comfort in the fact that the skill set you develop as a communications major is not likely to be mechanized any time soon.
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Top 10 Best Online Communications Degree Programs