Communication Studies BA - jobs?

[Myra]

My son likes the looks of a Communication Studies BA degree.  The internet searches for careers in this area are very vague.  Anyone have concrete examples?

[almondbutterandjelly]

I know one communications major who got a government job in the SSI office (social security disability, I believe).  I know another communication major who worked as an office manager for awhile, and then she got some Microsoft certification.  Not sure what happened after that.

 

It's a good major, I think.  Applicable to a wide variety of jobs.

[Sneezyone]

My brother is working in sales w/that degree. Other friends paired it with an English or journalism minor and work successfully as gov't. or corporate PR staffers/managers/directors. Paired with poly sci, I know ppl. working for campaigns as staffers and strategists. It's a field that's shared by men and women.

[TechWife]

Can I make a suggestion? Have him go to the California Career Zone website. There are a lot of interest inventories there that will pair interests with potential jobs and/or careers. He can follow links to get information on the various jobs. His interest in communications will come through in the way he answers the inventory questions, most likely. Then he can get some career ideas, look at what education is required and go from there. 

 

ETA: Another useful resource is the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It has information on thousands of jobs and career fields, including projections of demand and salaries. The site is not as intuitive as the California Career Zone site, so I'd have him start there and then move to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. 

Edited December 24, 2015 by TechWife

[G5052]

From the few I've known who have gotten degrees of this type in the last five years, internships and summer jobs are very, very important. That's true of nearly every degree these days though. Even in STEM fields.

 

One we know did PR for a local, minor league baseball team as an unpaid intern during the summers, which lead to a part-time post-college job with the same team. She waited on tables too, but at least she had paid work in her field and was living at home, so her basics were covered.

 

Now she does PR for a more well-known team and is self-supporting. She's married and has a child.

 

You have to look at it as not just a degree, you're building a career.