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I have a B.A. in Communication and working on an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications. I really want to work in the media/journalism field, but the anchors, producers, etc. I have talked to have said this to me: Even if you move to a city where you can get media/journalism work, there are TONS of Communication majors that graduate from colleges each year that are probably going to take it before you do.
When I was in my major, I was told that a Communication degree is basically a lot more profitable than a double-major in English & Theater, plus I was told that there would be tons of opportunities for Communication majors ranging from journalism, media, PR, advertising, marketing, etc. I live in a small town where there are no opportunties for me, but I was wondering if me getting a Communication's degree was a joke because everyone seems to be getting one b/c they think it's easy, fun, and everyone wants to work in media/journalism?
Is it still possibly for a Communication major to get a decent job? Or is the economy so poor that now it's like getting a degree in Black Studies, Women's Studies, Appalachia Studies, etc.?
It sounds like you're generally interested in media or performing but haven't narrowed it down. The problem is that a lot of the areas your mentioned are have extremely poor employment prospects.
I graduated with a journalism degree 15 years ago and worked as a newspaper reporter for a few years. It was tough to get an entry level job in media then but I can't imagine looking for one now. I had friends who left and went into public relations -- that is also a very tough field to break into. Many PR firms prefer people who have experience in journalism (see above). PR is also very sensitive to economic downturns as it is one of the first expenses businesses cut when times are lean.
I also have friends who went into advertising; however, they ended up working not on business side (buying media, for example) not the creative side, because of lack of opportunity. Advertising is almost as economically sensitive as PR.
Broadcast journalism pays a little better, but there are even fewer job openings (there are far fewer broadcast reporters and producers than there are print journalists in every city). The downturn in advertising is also affecting broadcast media.
In short, I would not recommend a communications degree other than as a general liberal arts degree that puts you in competition for the same entry-level jobs anyone with an English or History or other degree competes for (retail, other entry level sales or office gig).
In this economic environment, you'd be much better off studying something that will give you a skill that is in demand.
There are alot of majors that are pretty much in the garbage category: Communications, english, psychology, liberal arts, anthropology etc.
The reason most of those majors are garbage is because they are too general and broad. These days the market is highly specialized. So you'll need a degree that is related to a specific field. Some good majors are: accounting, nursing, engineering, or computer science.
But don't get too discouraged, even those fields are plummeting. The engineering and computer science fields face though competition from H1Bs.
My advice would be to look for work in a more diverse group of fields. Make sure to focus on the strengths that your communications degree has given you. For example, I am sure you can lead and manage people very well. That is useful for just about every industry.
It sounds like you are talking about breaking in to broadcast journalism, and that is indeed a very hard field to enter. If you went to a school that has a good track record in producing graduates in the field, you have a better chance of breaking in. But even if you didn't, your communications degree is not worthless - as mentioned, there are many other fields where communications skills are valued. Besides the ones you mentioned, there is corporate communications, training, fundraising & development, etc. In the meantime, you can create a broadcast portfolio by producing your own podcasts and videocasts - the technology is very accessible - and you might create an opportunity for yourself.
One thing is likely though - if you view your degree and skills as jokes, then they probably will be.
I am not sure of the benefit of a communications degree. You don't graduate with a 'skill' you can sell to an employer. It might be very different at your college, but at my college communication was seen as the easiest degree on campus. I am a little biased, but I wonder why people get liberal arts degrees (the list killer2021 gave is a good) if they don't want to go on to get a PhD. Killer2021 nailed it - those degrees are too broad. In addition to that, I am not sure what skills they teach. It seems someone can work in HR with a comm degree or with an engineering background. Positions such as HR, Marketing, advertising (in my opinion) have more to do with the personality of the applicant than the knowledge they have.
I have a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and am currently preparing to go back to school at night to get a masters degree - even technical degrees like mine are not specialized enough any more.
I have a B.A. in Communication and working on an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications. I really want to work in the media/journalism field, but the anchors, producers, etc. I have talked to have said this to me: Even if you move to a city where you can get media/journalism work, there are TONS of Communication majors that graduate from colleges each year that are probably going to take it before you do.
When I was in my major, I was told that a Communication degree is basically a lot more profitable than a double-major in English & Theater, plus I was told that there would be tons of opportunities for Communication majors ranging from journalism, media, PR, advertising, marketing, etc. I live in a small town where there are no opportunties for me, but I was wondering if me getting a Communication's degree was a joke because everyone seems to be getting one b/c they think it's easy, fun, and everyone wants to work in media/journalism?
Is it still possibly for a Communication major to get a decent job? Or is the economy so poor that now it's like getting a degree in Black Studies, Women's Studies, Appalachia Studies, etc.?
Years & years ago...as back in 1980, I asked my counselor at Michigan State what I could do in four years with a Communications B.A....he said, sell insurance...I switched majors & got a B.A. in Advertising...but again, should have narrowed it down as I was into the creative end & ended up in NYC with no portfolio like the Graphic Arts people had & ended up going to FIT to put together my book...but a year later, no one was getting into any agencies, not even as an admin. assistant (me, who types 85 wpm)...
So...I'd totally rethink what you're trying to do. You need good advice and not a waste of four years!
I somewhat agree with the previous poster; it may not be for the OP, but if you really learned to "communicate" from your degree, I'm sure it would help you in a sales position. Sales definitely isn't for everyone, but there are always openings.
I think it is an oversimplification to say that a communications degree is too broad and doesn't impart skills. What I will agree to is that if a person lacks creativity and initiative, then a communications degree may be of little use. But then, that would hold for many degrees. A person who is bright, ambitious and creative can find plenty of ways to apply the skills that come with a communications degree.
Frankly, I would worry as much about skills that are too narrow rather than too broad, especially as technology and markets evolve. Granted, you won't graduate and be able to say, "I am a broadcast journalist" in the same way an engineering grad can say "I am an engineer." But as businesses hold more webinars and need content to develop YouTube channels and newer innovations we haven't thought of yet, communications majors will be in a position to meet these needs. More narrow skills may be in danger of being automated or outsourced (see accounting as an example).
Finally, there are particular skills that communications majors bring to the journalism and broadcasting fields. I went to a school known for communications and I can turn on the TV any day of the week and see former classmates on CNN or announcing NBA and MLB games. And plenty work behind the scenes in the industry - news directors, video editors, writers, etc. - all using skills they developed in college.
As with many other things, your career and degree will be what you make of it. If one is going to limit oneself strictly to breaking into television journalism, then it will be extremely difficult (but not impossible). But to see no value or opportunity in a communications degree is shortsighted.
I think it is an oversimplification to say that a communications degree is too broad and doesn't impart skills. What I will agree to is that if a person lacks creativity and initiative, then a communications degree may be of little use. But then, that would hold for many degrees. A person who is bright, ambitious and creative can find plenty of ways to apply the skills that come with a communications degree.
Frankly, I would worry as much about skills that are too narrow rather than too broad, especially as technology and markets evolve. Granted, you won't graduate and be able to say, "I am a broadcast journalist" in the same way an engineering grad can say "I am an engineer." But as businesses hold more webinars and need content to develop YouTube channels and newer innovations we haven't thought of yet, communications majors will be in a position to meet these needs. More narrow skills may be in danger of being automated or outsourced (see accounting as an example).
Finally, there are particular skills that communications majors bring to the journalism and broadcasting fields. I went to a school known for communications and I can turn on the TV any day of the week and see former classmates on CNN or announcing NBA and MLB games. And plenty work behind the scenes in the industry - news directors, video editors, writers, etc. - all using skills they developed in college.
As with many other things, your career and degree will be what you make of it. If one is going to limit oneself strictly to breaking into television journalism, then it will be extremely difficult (but not impossible). But to see no value or opportunity in a communications degree is shortsighted.
This is true to an extent, however realistically graduates lacking a practical skill have a harder time finding a job. Why do you think engineering and computer science grads are still getting jobs when business/communications/liberal arts grads are not?
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