It’s May, and you know what that means—graduation season! Congrats, new grad! Now, what are you going to do with your life? If you’re thinking of a career in communications, be forewarned: your social-media savvy and ability to condense complex thoughts into 140 characters won’t be enough to stand out.
Yep, even toddlers are tweeting now. You, college grad, need to bring something else to the table to shine through in this ultra-competitive environment. But what?
Two critical things you need to be able to excel at as a communicator are:
- Project management skills &
- Listening skills.
You may be a master of these skills now, but some of you may need to work on them. Here’s a quick litmus test based on your college years:
- If you led a group project and successfully delegated and coordinated team responsibilities, you’re in! If you couldn’t balance your budget and never turned a paper in on time, Communications may not be for you. We need people who can manage time, resources, money, and scope.
- If you listened well to your friends and classmates, perhaps serving as a mediator or confidant, you may be a perfect fit in Communications! If you never took your iPod headphones off—even for class—perhaps music production would be a better career choice.
Don’t worry if you had to call home once or twice for extra cash or if you wear headphones with the sound off to avoid meaningless chitchat (it’s a necessary trick on the subway after a long day). You, too, can still be a world-class communicator. Just remember, to land the job, skip the small talk on how many Facebook friends you have, and play up your ability to manage projects and listen well to others in your resumes and interviews.
Check out communications job listings at IABC, Melcrum, PRWeek, and Ragan. For now, enjoy some time off traveling and playing Rock Band incessantly (TMI about my post-college summer?). Congratulations!
P.S. Seasoned communicators, you’ve not been forgotten in this post! In fact, I need your help.
- What other advice would you share for those eager students ready to break into the communications field? What do you know now that you wish you’d known then?
- CEC members, how sharp are you keeping your own skills? Listen to a replay of The New Must-Have Communications Skills webinar with Dan Pryor, VP of Corporate Communications at Safeway, and Christopher Wyse, Corporate Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Whirlpool.
on 13 May 2010
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I’ll pass on advice I received when I started in the field and I think still remains true today — don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Whether it is making the coffee, filing, copying, etc., those contributions are noticed and appreciated just as much as the ideas, writing skills, and communications talent you bring to the table.
on 13 May 2010
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I agree 100%!
Small acts of kindness and a willingness to do the “less fun things” won’t ever become obsolete. I think what we “me-generation” millennial types need to remember is that 1. we don’t always need to be praised–self-motivation/satisfaction from within is key, and 2. when working on the messy, confusing, “un-fun” things, we just need to toughen up and, like you said, “get our hands dirty.” We may be surprised by what we learn and how we grow along the way.
Thanks for your comment, Theresa. Well-timed advice!
PS–Is it weird I feel just as accomplished fixing a major paper jam as producing original research?
on 13 May 2010
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I would add networking as a critical skill, both to build skills and reputation inside your current company and to establish a professional reputation.
on 13 May 2010
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Get over yourself. You, most likely, will represent a client or an organization. It generally will take time for you to put your fingerprints on high-level ideas, philosophy and culture.
You need to be able to WRITE. Go sell suits or insurance if you want a career in public relations because you “like people.”
You need to work on strategic thinking skills and potential outcomes for EVERY situation.
on 13 May 2010
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Michael and Jeff,
I love your comments because I think they speak to the delicate balance of trying to network and build a reputation while recognizing that (most of us) aren’t working for ourselves/promoting ourselves alone, but that we work for an organization and for the benefit of our clients. Our personal skills and relationships are critical, but if the “me” becomes more important than the “we,” perhaps it’s time to consider going solo.
on 13 May 2010
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I agree with Jeff — WRITING is key. I would go one step further and say that AP Style puts any PR/CorpComms candidate well ahead of the pack.
on 13 May 2010
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LOVE the focus on writing skills in your comments, everyone. That said, I’d question the weight of importance you give, Jules, to writing in true AP Stylebook form. In a world of blogs, tweets, and snippets of information flowing around, the dry, formal tone suggested by the AP bores and fails to stand out. How long will AP Style continue to be the standard? (Not much longer if the book is primarily intended for use by newspapers, a dying industry…)
I’d agree that great writing is clear and concise (love Hemingway and The Sun Also Rises). But perhaps, more important is the ability to tell a compelling story in the style and tone used by the intended audience? And if your audience is we millenials, the best story you can tell is in the form of a fun video or bulleted/well-guided blog post that we can share with our friends to feel cool and in the know
on 13 May 2010
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It sure would be much more fun if all communications could be packaged for Youtube and Twitter!! But in the world of corporate earnings press releases, op-ed writing, media statements and public CEO speeches, AP Style still counts. I would agree that adaptability for social channels is certainly important, but having a basic foundation in style consistency (and the ability to write in a reporter’s “language”) is a marketable skill, especially for new grads looking at corporate communications positions
on 14 May 2010
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Be willing to relocate. There’s no guarantee of landing that first job in your home city.
Don’t limit your search on where to look for a job with your communications degree. Every type of B2B or B2C company or business have some form of communications job. Sometimes the job title isn’t obvious.
on 25 May 2010
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As someone who has graduated in 2008 and landed a communications job in January 2009, I can say that communications was definitely the way to go in life career wise – it’s great fun most of the time! However, when it comes to skills, we all have our strengths and weaknesses and in communications there are many different ways to bring out your strengths, even if you are not cut out be a reporter from the start. In many ways, I think it’s about understanding the business that your company is in and how good communications can support the organization to thrive. I can’t deny that it’s not about good writing skills, but I think it’s very much about being able to apply strategic thinking to the job as well.