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An inquisitive question. Not knocking the major or anything, but looking at colleges, it’s apparently among the top 10 most popular majors.
If it’s one of the most popular majors, wouldn’t that mean the field is oversaturated? What is the usual goal for someone with a Communications degree?
Any here who are Communications majors? What did you learn?
What would make a person choose Communications as a major? What would be your interests?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Everyone wants to be a TV or radio personality. Most end up serving tables in a restaurant, retail, or doing entry level admin work in an office setting. Communications is not a bad minor, if you major in a field that has plenty of jobs and work with the internal or public customers. For example, HR, Marketing and Sales all benefit from Communications skills, but you are not likely to get the job without training in those areas.
An inquisitive question. Not knocking the major or anything, but looking at colleges, it’s apparently among the top 10 most popular majors.
If it’s one of the most popular majors, wouldn’t that mean the field is oversaturated? What is the usual goal for someone with a Communications degree?
Any here who are Communications majors? What did you learn?
What would make a person choose Communications as a major? What would be your interests?
In my college communications was the easiest major. They put all the athletes in it and anyone they didn't think could handle college work. Plus, for some reason a lot of people were automatically assigned advisors in the communications department and those advisors would always recommend that people major in communications.
I wanted to be a writer, perhaps a journalist, when I went into college. Basically, I figured my options for writing were English or Communications (journalism). There was no way I wanted to be an English major. Most of the courses were pretty interesting and covered a wide range of communications areas, such as journalism (tv & written), radio and tv production. Unfortunately, my college had a terrible career center at the time, and I ended up never getting an internship. In the end, I ended up working in insurance, and I make a decent salary, but only due to my hard work, and nothing to do with my communications degree (they require a college degree but don't care what the major is). I think out of the people I majored with who I actually speak to today, maybe 2 or 3 actually have jobs related to the communications degree.
For most people, communications is a joke. However, it's not a bad major if you're interested in anything related to TV or radio, PR, marketing or journalism, if your school doesn't offer more specialized majors. Being successful with a communications degree, however, generally requires pretty substantial internship experience.
I knew a handful of comm majors. Most were comm because they couldn't get into the business school to be marketing majors. However, they eventually got pretty nice jobs due to internship experience.
Communications is fun... If you wanna end up working at a front desk of a hotel or at reservations which may only pay 10-15 an hour. Plus, those jobs don't require degrees.
It can be useful if you wanna work at a call center, but most of those call center jobs got sent to India or other countries.
I wonder what the gender breakdown is. Is it 50/50 men and coeds? I doubt it.
Realize men are programmed to be the breadwinners. They have to chose majors that leads to jobs. Women may say that, but in the back of their minds, many women realize being the breadwinner is the second priority to being a mom. Get a degree in communications, get married, get pregnant, be a mommy. No need to major in engineering or something in relatively high demand. Same with art history majors - almost all women.
I wonder what the gender breakdown is. Is it 50/50 men and coeds? I doubt it.
Realize men are programmed to be the breadwinners. They have to chose majors that leads to jobs. Women may say that, but in the back of their minds, many women realize being the breadwinner is the second priority to being a mom. Get a degree in communications, get married, get pregnant, be a mommy. No need to major in engineering or something in relatively high demand. Same with art history majors - almost all women.
That's an interesting observation. I wonder why they would go to college at all then?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SJCPHL
For most people, communications is a joke. However, it's not a bad major if you're interested in anything related to TV or radio, PR, marketing or journalism, if your school doesn't offer more specialized majors. Being successful with a communications degree, however, generally requires pretty substantial internship experience.
I knew a handful of comm majors. Most were comm because they couldn't get into the business school to be marketing majors. However, they eventually got pretty nice jobs due to internship experience.
For specialized majors, you mean a specific degree in Marketing or Journalism or even Public Relations? Perhaps then Communications might come in handy as a broader range of all things communications, such as the specific fields mentioned.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marie5v
In my college communications was the easiest major. They put all the athletes in it and anyone they didn't think could handle college work. Plus, for some reason a lot of people were automatically assigned advisors in the communications department and those advisors would always recommend that people major in communications.
When you all say "the easiest major" do you mean in coursework? It's not challenging at all?
Ouch! It is sad to hear that the communications degree ranks so low with you folks. I have enjoyed the fruits of my communications education.
BA - Communications (1995)
MA - Communication & Leadership Studies
My last 3 job titles:
Senior Vice President of Human Resources (Forbes Top 100 Co.)
Senior Vice President Global People Development
Chief Talent Officer (Forbes Top 50 Co.)
Don't knock it until you've got all the facts.
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