Plans After Graduation With Communications Degree

“The thing that communications give you is flexibility. You can go really broad with it because writing, speaking, problem-solving, strategizing are all things that you will utilize in almost any job”, says John Tabbernor, a 2019 Capilano University communications alumni. What are the different careers opportunities for communications graduates? The options are endless, but journalism, publishing and professional writing, advertising, marketing, animation, broadcasting, and managerial positions are the potential careers after graduation.

Some communications roles are particularly lucrative. In the most senior-level communications roles, six-figure salaries are the norm.

Public relations managers and fundraising managers earn a median salary of $95,000, according to U.S. News & World Report. Sales managers make closer to $105,000, while advertising and marketing managers earn $116,000 per year.

There is a broad scope of potential salaries depending on job duties and education and experience level. The starting salary for communications professionals with a bachelor’s degree is around $40,000 per year, according to U.S. News & World Report. Some lower-paid communications positions, like announcers and photographers, often earn less, in part because they frequently work part-time.

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However, the increase in earning potential you will see as you gain experience is considerable. Experienced communications professionals earn close to $70,000 annually, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates in January 2018. This report details unemployment rates, underemployment rates, median wages, and shares of graduate degrees by major. Data for this report were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

When comparing Communication to other humanities and social science disciplines, communication fares well. Communication graduates earn higher early-career and mid-career wages than graduates with Sociology, History, Philosophy, Anthropology, or English degrees. Communication also has the lowest rates of unemployment compared to other humanity degrees.

Tabbernor knew that he wanted to do “ something technology adjacent”. He was specifically interested in the video games industry. He has written for SteelSeries, a leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories company, about the esports scene in Dota2. However, after his graduation with a communications degree, he got another job offer from Weber Shanwick which is one of the largest public relations firms in the world.

One of the things that Tabbernor emphasized was the relationships with the staff. “The relationships you build with your instructors are the invaluable resources”, says Tabbernor. Sue Dtirmanis was one of Tabbenor’s instructors who helped him to get his current job. Tabbernor’s current employer was looking for an intern and called Drimanis ( the two used to work together) for references. “ She put my name as a reference,” Tabbernor says. He started working for the company within 2 months after his graduation as an intern and then was offered a full-time position.

While some communication courses are more academic and heavy with theories, some communications courses offer gaining the practical skills that the future graduates will use in their careers. Project group in Media Campaigns (CMNS 495), offered by Capilano University, was very helpful for Tabbernor. “ I still use the textbook from that course to write a report for my job”, Tabbernor says. The course is focused on research and liaise with a non-profit organization, political party, or public advocacy. The course asks to identify the key message of the chosen company and define its target audience and stakeholders. Project groups design strategies to give the message 'top of mind' presence through appropriate and widespread publicity. Groups plan and simulate a news conference, including prepared statements and media training for the speaker. Tabbernor said that everything he has learned in that course he still “utilizes it every day in my job”.

Tabbernor said that the program and instructors help students finesse and refine the things that they are already doing, so their skills become more effective. Including how to become an effective writer, negotiator, or public speaker. “There is a lot of stuff you absorb from different courses that help you to reinforce your skills and ideas. It also challenges the way we think about things”

Another communications graduate from Capilano University, Elizabeth Scott, wasn’t so sure what she wanted to do after graduation, yet it all turned out to be favorable for her.

“I spent one month before graduation just applying for jobs, like crazy. I’ve had three job interviews, and the third one was a success,” Scott says. She took the job and “it turned out to be wonderful.”

Scott works for a digital marketing company that specializes in automotive. Initially, Scott was hired as a digital marketing specialist, however, later on, she discovered a passion for web design. “Eight months after I was hired, the company was looking for a graphic designer and I asked if I could switch over.” The company saw Scott's enthusiasm and offered the necessary training for web designing.

‘I was unbelievably lost and still did not know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to do something tech-related.” Scott didn’t think that web design was a possibility out of school since she didn’t have actual education for it. The communications degree helped her to get the job in digital marketing and worked her way up towards something new she didn’t even know she liked. As of now, Scott designs ads for social media platforms and sometimes writes on the side.

Another useful skill she acquired in the communications programs was public speaking. “ Public speaking was one of my favorite courses and the most terrifying at the same time, “ Scott says.

Around 80 percent of Americans experience anxiety about public speaking, and another 10 percent find the prospect so terrifying that they experience debilitating panic attacks because of it. There’s even a name for the intense fear of public speaking: glossophobia. Learning to get past any fear of public speaking you may have might be really pragmatic for you just like it came in handy for Scott later on in her career.

When she first started her job, she had to do a YouTube video for some of the company’s projects. Scott had to speak on camera and she admits that she “ would never be able to do that had I not taken the public speaking class.”

Throughout your studies, you’ll be expected to practice public speaking, give presentations in front of your classmates or perhaps a larger group. You will need to write pitches and advisories to the media. You have to go out and track down information for a story or report. You must learn how to work in groups and put your ideas out there, and possibly risk rejection. These tasks might be a little scary at first, but learning to do them is crucial. They will help to build a successful career not only in communications but in almost any other field. The degree could make you a more assertive and confident individual. Those qualities are appealing in the workforce and interpersonal relationships.

No matter where you work or what job duties you perform, you need to be able to communicate with your customers, clients, colleagues, bosses, and many other people. The skills you learn in a communications degree program are diverse and valuable.

“The program is a good mix of everything and the students will get what they put into it”, says Tabbernor.