What qualifications do you need to be a communications director?

To be a communications director, you will usually need at least a bachelor's degree. Most communication directors hold degrees in areas such as marketing, journalism, psychology, and of course, communications.

What qualifications do you need to work in communications?

The minimum qualifications to work in communications is a bachelor's degree in communications or a related field. They must also have a lot of experience in conveying messages using different mediums while also being able to deal with urgent and crisis situations.

What is a communications lead and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Lindsey Perez,

Valerie Cronin-Fisher Ph.D.

A communications lead oversees an organization's communication strategies and initiatives. They develop and implement communication plans that align with the organization's goals. A communications lead creates and manages content across social media, websites, press releases, and newsletters. They also analyze performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of their strategies and make necessary adjustments. A communications lead works closely with other departments to ensure consistent messaging and brand identity.

What general advice would you give to a communications lead?

Lindsey Perez

Adjunct professor of construction, Seminole State College of Florida

Build your peer network. To work in the sustainability field means you're willing to help solve world problems. It's not a field to act alone, and there's plenty of world problems related to climate change, social justice, and health and wellness - all topics addressed in the work of sustainable leaders.

ScoreCommunications LeadUS Average

Salary

7.5

Avg. Salary $96,988

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.7

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.88%

Asian 5.09%

Black or African American 11.84%

Hispanic or Latino 14.02%

Unknown 5.35%

White 62.83%

Gender

female 58.58%

male 41.42%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

9.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a communications lead?

Pros

High level of responsibility and authority
Chance to work on high-profile projects and initiatives
Potential for career growth and advancement
Opportunity to develop leadership skills
Chance to make a positive impact on the organization's success

Cons

Long hours and potential for work-life balance challenges
Need to be available and responsive outside of regular business hours
Potential for conflicts or challenges with other departments or individuals within the organization
Potential for burnout or stress-related health issues
Potential for communication missteps or mistakes with significant consequences

Key steps to become a communications lead

Explore communications lead education requirements

Most common communications lead degrees

Bachelor's

71.5 %

Master's

13.1 %

Associate

9.5 %

Start to develop specific communications lead skills

Skills	Percentages
Project Management	9.36%
Strategic Communications	5.50%
HR	5.35%
Customer Service	5.14%
Community Outreach	4.48%

Complete relevant communications lead training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New communications leads learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a communications lead based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real communications lead resumes.

Research communications lead duties and responsibilities

Lead content migration of old intranet to new SharePoint platform.
Manage editorial calendar and writing content for digital assets including intranet and external web.
Lead copywriting for newly launch Chinese language website LeEco.com/Chinese to attract Chinese American customers.
Manage intranet content, with responsibility for project news, executive visibility, community activities, educational outreach.

Get communications lead experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a communications lead. The most common roles before becoming a communications lead include internship, volunteer team lead and sales associate.

Prepare your communications lead resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your communications lead resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a communications lead resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable communications lead resume templates

Build a professional communications lead resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your communications lead resume.