5 Tips for Landing Your First Communications Job
- Be Realistic
- Be Persistent
- Come Prepared
- Be Professional
- Be Open To Ideas
Having achieved your degree in communications is a big accomplishment. Now that you are done with school, you can begin the process of looking for a job. Luckily, a degree in communications gives you a number of different opportunities and you can work within a number of different fields. Typically, things like radio, television, journalism, advertising, marketing and public relations are covered under the umbrella of communications. When you are first starting out you should expect to enter the communications field at an entry-level position but even at that level, it can be hard to find a job. Let’s take a look at five strategies that can be used when you are looking for your first job in the field of communications.
1. Be Realistic
When you are looking for your first communications careers, don’t expect to be handed a high paying job that is a number of steps above entry level. You have just earned your degree so be realistic about the type of job you are going to get. Don’t worry so much about the money you are going to make. Focus on getting your foot in the door in the area of work you want to participate in. When you are realistic, you are more likely to get a job.
See our ranking of the Top 20 Best Online Communications Degree Programs.
2. Be Persistent
The field of communications is very competitive regardless of what area you are focusing on. In order to stand apart from your competition, you need to be persistent. Once you have submitted your application and resume, follow up a few days later to make sure it was received by the right person. If you happen to get an interview, make sure you follow up after the fact to thank the company for the opportunity and express your interest in the job. If you have been told there is a certain date that a decision will be made, feel free to follow up again to see if the position has been filled.
3. Come Prepared
When you are granted an interview, make sure you take full advantage of this opportunity and come prepared. You will likely be answering a number of questions so make sure that you practice your speaking skills. You will also want to be properly dressed in formal attire. Bring a copy of your resume with you and any other materials you have. This might be an air check tape for a radio job or a portfolio for a journalism job.
4. Be Professional
One of the great things about the field of communications is that it can be very laid back in a number of different jobs. Radio tends to be very laid back and you might end up having an interesting conversation with the program director that is interviewing you. Don’t get too comfortable. Make sure you stay professional but feel free to have a personal conversation.
5. Be Open To Ideas
When you sit down with management for an interview for a job, don’t be surprised if you are offered another opportunity of some sort. The person interviewing you might not feel like you are a good fit for the job but they might want to offer you up an internship or another position. Don’t be discouraged. Take some time to think about the opportunity and weigh your options. For more information on few different communications positions, Forbes has a good article.
Once you have started to search for communications careers you will get a better idea of the types of jobs that are out there. You might go into the job search not really knowing what you are looking for in a career but interviewing for a number of different positions will get you the information and experience that you need to make a good decision.