Careers in Communications
           We live in a digital information age which has made print publishing inexpensive and focused and brought forth cable and satellite TV and the Internet. There has never been a better job market for communications professionals. This site offers a concise personal planning program for college students considering careers in any communications field.

            In all communications companies, employers are looking for the total package when they hire college graduates. They want individuals who can demonstrate top-flight computer/technical proficiency, communication and interpersonal skills and leadership.

            Nearly as important as the above qualities, according to the Collegiate Employment Research Institute report, "Recruiting Trends 1998-99" http://www.csp.msu.edu, are the ability to learn quickly and continuously, solve problems effectively and use common sense.

           New job descriptions - New media jobs are now often seen by people in today's
communications industry to fit into the following classifications:
            Projections compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predict job growth in most communications fields: http://www.bls.gov/asp/oep/nioem/empiohm.asp

            Opportunities - The myriad opportunities in such areas as satellite communications, video games/simulations, consulting, education (workshops and seminars), public information, institutional communications and corporate Intranet/Internet development are sometimes ignored when assessing the job opportunities for trained communications school graduates.

           Starting pay - Unless you are skilled at specialized computer programming/Web design, starting pay is fairly low in the communications industries no matter where you begin, ranging from $15,000 to $28,000 yearly. Salaries are higher in larger cities, but so are the costs of living and commuting in such cities.

          Freelance isn’t easy - Freelance employment - in which people are paid by the job for their work - accounts for a large amount of the content produced in communications today. Writers, publicists, graphic artists and camera and sound people are often hired on a freelance basis. This type of work offers no stability - no paid benefits, no company health insurance, no retirement fund, etc. Freelancers must often wait from two to six months to be paid for their work. It is best for the recent college grad to begin with a full-time job and take the time to develop skills and contacts before tackling a possible free-lance career.

        Internships are vital - You wouldn’t buy a car without taking a test drive first, and you shouldn’t invest yourself in a full-time career without first giving that particular line of work some close scrutiny. The best way to do this is through an internship. It’s the perfect way to learn and understand the differences between the fields of communications, their working conditions and expectations. Here are some internship tips:

        *Some students consider internships to be strictly resume material. They are much more: a vital time in which you discover how you wish to spend most of your waking hours during the prime years of your life.

        *The more internship or part-time work experience you get in your field, the better you understand it. You should work two or three jobs in your field to really get an idea of what it offers you as a career.

        *When job hunting, shoot for the top. Imagine your dream job, no matter where it may be, then get into gear to find out about internship or part-time jobs at that particular company in that particular department.

        *Once you land that internship or part-time job, listen, observe, learn as many skills as you can, offer to do extra work and network as much as possible. Ask the department secretary out to lunch. Ask the department manager out to lunch.

        *Develop mentors who will be motivated to help you in your career. Learn the corporate culture. Make as many contributions as you can. Pitch in on anything and everything and be friendly, and you will gain people’s confidence and exhibit your competence.

        *To find a good internship, consult the Career Services department, talk to other students in your selected field, check out the Peterson’s Guides book "Internships," try Web sites such as Rising Star Internships http://www.rsinternships.com.

           Sophomores start now! - It’s important for you to discover one or two strong areas of interest by the beginning of your sophomore year. A way to do this is to look at the things you are good at doing; find your strengths. It is also vital to know about the things you enjoy doing. For some, a strength may not be an enjoyable activity. It’s important to find a balance.
            Envision yourself at work at a particular job at age 22, 23, 24 … 34 … 44. Can you see it working out as a stimulating, rewarding, enjoyable lifestyle? Could it be your life’s work?
            Become a student of the communicators in your field of interest by studying their work. Keep up by viewing, listening, reading, observing. You could even keep a file, disk or tape of your favorites. If you’re a junior or senior already, get going! What are you waiting for, an engraved invitation?!

           The Internet is it - Knowledge is power, and the Internet offers a world of knowledge at your fingertips. Once broadband technologies are developed over the next few years, the convergence of television and Internet media will offer people a digital knowledge stream far beyond any ever known. If you are not extremely familiar with the resources of the Internet, begin setting aside the time right now to explore regularly. If you don’t have a computer, there are dozens in labs located all over this campus. Start using them now. Browse around. Use search engines. Learn how to find things out by using the Internet.
            You can put your own publications on the Internet, as well. You don't need to know how to write html language to begin publishing on the Internet. It is easy to master the free Web page-building tools built into today's Internet browsers and compose your own pages. An example of this type of software is Netscape Composer, part of the Netscape Communicator package. It was used to publish these simple pages. Many on-campus computers also offer Web-writing software such as Pagemill. Get a Web account and post your resume and/or work to impress prospective employers. Remember that you are publishing for a potential worldwide audience. People will judge you by what you put on your site. Use care to project a responsible, positive image of your own personal "brand name."

           Assemble a resume - Your resume helps you focus. Keep it updated so it’s ready to use at all times. The Career Center offers help. There are also many good Internet sites that offer samples and suggestions.

           Portfolio power - Keep all of your work: writing, projects, photos, graphics, scripts, videos, design projects, anything that shows your skills and talents. Organize it well, but keep everything that’s good. Do not discard things you may wish you had later. When it comes time to use the portfolio at an interview, you can tailor it to the job for which you’re applying. For instance, you’d bring all of your best writing to an interview for a print reporting job. You'd bring writing samples and tapes to an interview for a broadcast reporting job. You might bring some writing, design and project work to an interview for a Web layout or content creator position. If you go on an interview, be sure to bring copies of your work, so you can leave work samples behind after your talk and still retain the originals in your portfolio.

           Study your field - Don’t say you don’t have time or that it’s too expensive. As far as time is concerned - well this is your career and your future we’re talking about. Get up off the couch, barstool or whatever and get going. In regard to costs - some of the on-campus groups listed below actually pay you for your work while you learn important technical skills; the on-campus speeches and seminars are free; most of the publications mentioned here are available for no charge at the library or on the Internet and many offer student discounts for those who wish to purchase their own subscriptions. Try doing all of the following.

  * Join any and all student groups devoted to your field (Pendulum, WSOE, ESTV, Women in Communications, Phi Psi Cli, etc.).
  * Go to all conferences, workshops and seminars offered.
  * Attend all speeches and other presentations made by pros in your field.
  * Consume the media the pros do. Do you regularly tune in to news broadcasts or read a daily newspaper? Do you read weekly newsmagazines such as Time and Newsweek? In addition to major national news publications such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today (all of which you can check out online or in the library for free), there are industry trade publications such as Billboard, the Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Advertising Age, Interactive Week, Marketing News, NewMedia, Brill’s Content, Editor and Publisher, the Columbia Journalism Review and the American Journalism Review, just to name a few. It is fascinating and illuminating to read about the ups and downs and issues faced by communications professionals.

           Focus, don’t spray - If you decide that these are your golden college years and you deserve to spend all of your time right up to spring semester of your senior year socializing and/or just living from day to day without a plan … well, good luck finding a career you like in a place you like after graduation.
            Since what you do now will be key in determining how you will spend the next 20 years, it would be wise to zoom in and focus. Assess your strengths and weaknesses. Find something you can do well and enjoy and figure out how it equates in the job market. Major in that field and take as many courses as possible to further your knowledge in that area and gain the technical expertise to be employed in that area.
            Find a pro in that field and ask if you can shadow him or her for a day or a week.
            Join campus groups that allow you to practice the arts of your field.
            Attend career workshops and job fairs.
            Gear all of your projects and writing assignments throughout your college experience to be possible potential portfolio-building materials.
            Study the work of professionals who are already in the medium of communications you would like to enter. Don't just consume it. Deconstruct it and see how it all went together to form a communication.
            As soon as possible, find the place or places at which you think you’d like to work and find a way to get the folks at these places to give you an internship or part-time job. Then work as hard as you can at finding out if you’d like that work as a steady diet the next 20 years, and be sure to make the connections and good impressions that will get you hired when you graduate. Good luck!