Experts Weigh In On Current Job Market Trends
September 29, 2021
Given the change of course that has happened in the world, we wanted to provide expert opinions on what aspiring graduates can do to start off their careers in an uncertain economic climate. We wanted to know what skills will be more important, where the economy is doing relatively well, and if there will be any lasting effects on the job market.
Companies are looking for candidates that can handle the new responsibilities of the job market. Recent graduates actually have an advantage because they are comfortable using newer technologies and have been communicating virtually their whole lives. They can take what they've learned and apply it immediately.
We spoke to professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the job market for recent graduates is heading, as well as how young graduates entering the industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.
Our Panel of Experts
State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
University of Guam
Juniata College
Morehouse College
Southeastern Louisiana University
Saint Xavier University
Huston-Tillotson University
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Butler University
Aquinas College
Austin Peay State University
Buffalo State College
Indiana State University
Rockhurst University
Southwestern Adventist University
Our Lady of the Lake University
Methodist University
Auburn University
Crisis Communication and Nonprofit Communication
Elmhurst University
Chris Bellanca
Faculty Instructor, Digital CinemaState College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Art, Design & Humanities
What skills stand out on Communications Specialist resumes?
Chris Bellanca: The current resume skills that really stand out to companies hiring a Communications Specialist are social media management and analytics skills. The research, writing, image and sound approach, editing and postproduction experience, and design skills of the profession all feed the industrial bottom line of "We must reach our market in the most effective and action-oriented way."
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
Chris Bellanca: The important soft skills for a Communications graduate looking for work include the people skills to perform in a team-oriented environment and communicate effectively in an electronic landscape-the ability to process information and variables quickly and accurately, multilevel flexibility, temperament, and leadership.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Communications Specialists?
Chris Bellanca: Important hard/technical skills for a Communications graduate searching for job opportunities include deeper-level knowledge of technologies and trends. In social media and analytics, a job candidate needs to stand out and differentiate from a wide field of applicants, which means having a background of successful accounts, leadership experience, and more to offer than onboard analytics knowledge. Applicants really need to show that they can do it all and continue to grow.
What skills will help Communications Specialists earn the most?
Chris Bellanca: The skills that might help a Communications graduate earn the most are leadership skills and the evidence of experience, which will pave the road toward the higher-level pay of managers, coordinators, and directors.
James Sellmann Ph.D.
Dean, Professor of Philosophy and Micronesian StudiesUniversity of Guam
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
James Sellmann Ph.D.: Good oral and written communication skills, perseverance, resilience, flexibility, reason (critical thinking), evidence-based decision making, leadership, empathy, and teamwork. The liberating arts develop transformational and adaptive leaders who can rebuild the operation while in flight.
Dr. Donna Weimer
Chairperson of the Department of Communication, and Theater Arts at JuniataJuniata College
Department of Communication
What skills stand out on Communications Specialist resumes?
Dr. Donna Weimer: Presentation Skills; Writing; Understanding of Audience and Media Platforms.
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
Dr. Donna Weimer: Listening; public speaking; conflict mediation; team building.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Communications Specialists?
Dr. Donna Weimer: Problem Solving; Organization of Information into Story packets; creative design in Social Media.
What skills will help Communications Specialists earn the most?
Dr. Donna Weimer: Multimedia Skills; Health Advocacy and Public Relations.
Keisha Tassie Ph.D.
Associate Professor, CommunicationMorehouse College
Communication Studies Program
What skills stand out on Communications Specialist resumes?
Keisha Tassie Ph.D.: Standout skills for a communications professional really depend on the candidate's expertise/career interest. The "communications world" is vast, and while much of the public often perceives "communications" in terms of PR or marketing or mass media, there are several other professional areas/tracks pursued by those entering the field of communication. Communication career paths include crisis communication, health communication, speech writing, politics, human resources, and countless other career paths that, by necessity, intersect with a grounding in effective human communication.
Crossover skills for a communications professional include strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; conflict management skills/experience; persuasion (oral, written, and visual); negotiation strategy and technique; experience with social media campaigns/engagement; cross-/inter-cultural engagement; DEI/B experience.
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
Keisha Tassie Ph.D.: As mentioned earlier, the nexus of a communication professional's expertise, crossing over diverse jobs/roles, is centered in effective human communication. "Soft skills" transcend every professional role in the working world, yet these skills are often underestimated in their necessity and even undervalued in their utility and power. Conflict management, cross-/inter-cultural communication, interpersonal skills --essentially the ability to establish, repair, and maintain connections with others-- are hallmarks of successful and effective communication professionals.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Communications Specialists?
Keisha Tassie Ph.D.: Technical skills most pertinent to communications roles include strategic management of social media platforms and websites, data collection and research analysis, digital content creation, and standard Office Suite capability.
What skills will help Communications Specialists earn the most?
Keisha Tassie Ph.D.: The skills that will likely help you earn the most as a communication professional would be a successful combination of effective human communication skills; adaptability and responsiveness; situation-specific strategy and execution; social media integration; and an inclusive, team-based approach to it all!
Dr. Elizabeth Hornsby Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Graduate CoordinatorSoutheastern Louisiana University
Department of Communication and Media Studies
What skills stand out on Communications Specialist resumes?
Dr. Elizabeth Hornsby Ph.D.: Communication Specialists often function as a converged role in organizations. Skills that stand out include integrated marketing communications, social media, public relations, content writing, content creation/production, and content strategy.
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
Dr. Elizabeth Hornsby Ph.D.: Effective communication, leadership, teamwork, interpersonal competence, cultural responsiveness, problem-solving, creativity, agility, and critical thinking.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Communications Specialists?
Dr. Elizabeth Hornsby Ph.D.: Data analysis/mining/visualization, content production including writing, recording, and editing content, basic computer skills, basic programming/coding skills, knowledge of CRM, CMS, and enterprise and database management software, SEO/SEM skills, and UX/CX design skills.
What skills will help Communications Specialists earn the most?
Dr. Elizabeth Hornsby Ph.D.: A healthy mix of both soft and hard skills, more so an understanding of how soft skills and hard skills are connected. Can you be creative in your data analysis? Are you able to critically and creatively apply your hard skills to the organization's needs? A resume that includes projects or work that integrates soft and hard skills will help you reach your earning goals.
What skills stand out on Communications Specialist resumes?
Brad Mello Ph.D.: Communication graduates are adept at creating and adapting messages targeted to specific audiences using multiple communication modalities.
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
Brad Mello Ph.D.: The ability to communicate in interpersonal, group, and large organizational settings is a hallmark of a communication graduate. Additionally, the ability to construct persuasive messages to achieve particular goals serves a communication graduate well.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Communications Specialists?
Brad Mello Ph.D.: Students who become proficient in the Adobe Cloud suite and various social media software are very sought after upon graduation.
What skills will help Communications Specialists earn the most?
Brad Mello Ph.D.: Upon graduation, a communication major's starting salary is typically lower than other more technical/professional fields like engineering or nursing. However, graduates with strong technical skills such as audio/video editing, presentational skills, and social media skills tend to earn the most upon graduation. And 5 years out or so, communication majors are often doing better salary-wise than the fields mentioned earlier.
Dr. Rafael Vela
Assistant Professor, Chair of the Communication DepartmentHuston-Tillotson University
Communications Department
What skills stand out on Communications Specialist resumes?
Dr. Rafael Vela: We emphasize soft professional skills, public speaking, and resume writing but also give our students a junior internship off-campus and have them participate in a core course, COMM 2384: Info Gathering & Analysis, where they work with a professional client to create marketing materials. In addition, we build in 14 portfolio items into our production courses that they must generate before graduation. These include news stories, press releases, the marketing campaign mentioned, still photographs in studio, still photos of live events, video packages, direction, and working on a live-action video shoot crew.
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
Dr. Rafael Vela: Professionalism is key for our students. They learn to speak in professional environments, and these skills are reinforced in other courses where they must present. We also put our students into group environments, where they must learn to function as team members and as team leaders.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Communications Specialists?
Dr. Rafael Vela: There's no substitute in the communication world for professional writing skills. If you can't write, it shows an inability to think and organize those thoughts efficiently. I'd say proficiency with the Adobe Creative Suite comes second, but it varies from student to student.
What skills will help Communications Specialists earn the most?
Dr. Rafael Vela: I had one student use the skills she learned in Info Gathering and the internship class to earn a job. She walked into an interview for an auto parts store, having analyzed their marketing. During the interview, she turned the tables, assessed them, and told them how to improve their public face. That combination of organization and leadership worked for her. I've also had students return from interviews with major companies saying they were told that having a diverse portfolio with multiple media items set them apart from other applicants. We try to give our students the widest range of tools to conquer the job world. Feedback has been spotty, but we definitely seem to be improving in placing graduates into rewarding, high-paying careers.
What skills stand out on Communications Specialist resumes?
Gregory Ormes: This is actually a really important question for our discipline. Every year, studies get published which report the top skills employers are looking for in graduates that are entering the job market (like this one from Dec. 2020, for example: Top 11 Skills Employers Look for in Candidates | Indeed.com). The skills that we specialize in as a discipline are always at the very top of these lists. Our graduates enter the workforce with skills including leadership, relationship building, collaboration, teamwork, problem-solving, organizing, and professional communication across a wide array of media and to diverse audiences. Furthermore, our graduates aren't just adept in these areas, they are experts in them. So, when you hire a Communication Studies graduate, you're not just getting some who is skilled in teamwork. You're getting someone who improves the teamwork of everyone around them.
This doesn't even include some of the specialist training we do in fields like public relations, human resources, leadership and management, digital media management, broadcasting, and many more.
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
Gregory Ormes: Soft skills are often attributed to those personality traits and interpersonal skills that are really important to one's professional success but also tangential to the specific work being done. I would begin by pushing back against this assumption, however, because our workforce is increasingly moving in a direction that foregrounds these "soft skills." For professions like public relations, sales, marketing, management, customer/client services, social media, the service industry, and others, these "soft skills" are absolutely foundational to success for both the individual and the organization. Even in more technical fields like medicine, engineering, or mechanics, success requires collaboration with colleagues and interfacing with clients. Among these "soft skills," I would identify the following as the most universally important:
-Relationship building and management
-Collaborative decision-making and problem solving
-Leadership (coaching & mentoring)
-Conflict management
-Flexibility
-The ability to adapt a message to appropriately meet the needs of diverse audiences
What hard/technical skills are most important for Communications Specialists?
Gregory Ormes: What is most important will depend a lot on the specific profession one intends to pursue within a communication field. For instance, someone entering the field of public relations will want to develop technical skills that include media writing, social media management, graphic design, and data analytics. However, someone pursuing a career in broadcasting may need to train in sound mixing or video editing.
This is a place where collaborative academic programs can provide a great service to our students. For instance, at our institution, we have a collaborative minor in Digital Media and Design that combines course work from Communication Studies, Art, and English. We have another collaborative minor in Leadership that combines coursework from programs like Communication Studies, Management, and Political Science. By creating programs that offer a targeted curriculum, we are better able to provide the technical skills that a student would need for their particular profession.
As a final note, we have to consider how the Covid-19 Pandemic has changed how our workforce does business and adapts accordingly. From now on, graduates need to be skilled in communication that takes place across diverse media. Collaboration from a distance is here to stay, and it unlocks a world of potential by allowing organizations to do business across great distances. All students must be comfortable and skilled collaborators in virtual environments.
What skills will help Communications Specialists earn the most?
Gregory Ormes: This can be hard to predict in a field like communication that is always evolving. Like most fields, the skills people will pay the most for are the ones that are the scarcest. For example, some of the communication jobs that have the highest median annual salaries today include Social Media Managers and Digital Strategists. These are positions that simply didn't exist 20 years ago. For this reason, it is essential that we teach our Communication Studies students to be life-long learners in the field, and we emphasize adaptability as central to being on the cutting edge of the discipline.
In terms of more traditional and stable communication positions, professionals working in human resources, marketing, and management are still significant earners. Furthermore, coupling a degree in Communication Studies with a degree in another more technical field can really set you apart and dramatically enhance your value to an organization.
Ann Bilodeau
Clinic Director - Communication Sciences & DisordersButler University
College of Communication
What skills stand out on Communications Specialist resumes?
Ann Bilodeau: Speech-language pathologists, who earn a master's degree, and audiologists, who earn the Doctorate of Audiology, shine when their resume shows various clinical experience and depth of academic learning. In addition, varied experiences in leadership and volunteer work with the organizations that support those with communication challenges would stand out among peers. Research experience is impressive as well. Due to the increasing need for skills to work with bilingual individuals, having a second language, particularly Spanish, can have a resume quickly rise to the top.
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
Ann Bilodeau: Obviously, being a strong communicator is essential to being an exemplary clinician; this includes both oral and written skills. Having initiative and organizational skills is important given a large amount of information that must be maintained and sorted. Critical thinking, problem, creativity, and enthusiasm are necessary to assess clients and plan successful treatment. Patience and understanding, along with empathy and a healthy sense of humor, are important to keeping the clinician and client moving forward with goal achievement.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Communications Specialists?
Ann Bilodeau: It is important to gain clinical experience with the population you are most interested in helping. For example, if you are interested in working in a school setting, look for graduate training programs with a strength in that area. For speech-language pathology, graduate students are trained for various settings; however, certain programs may cover some specialty areas in more detail. This can be true for audiology as well. Navigating current computer programs for documentation and billing needs will be critical, and understanding ethical and governmental responsibilities.
What skills will help Communications Specialists earn the most?
Ann Bilodeau: Considering opening a private practice versus working for an agency, hospital, or school tends to be more profitable in these clinical fields. Being strong in understanding your worth as a clinician and advocating for this can go a long way to earning a fair and equitable salary.
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
Ian Borton Ph.D.: Broadly, impeccable communication skills are valuable: listening, reframing, reflective responding, comprehensive knowledge of world affairs, and mediation.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Communications Specialists?
Ian Borton Ph.D.: I guess that knowledge of how to effectively and ethically gain social media traction is valuable
What skills will help Communications Specialists earn the most?
Ian Borton Ph.D.: I find the idea of that as a motivator to not be something I would ever advocate for a student. Maximizing "earning" in terms of financial gain is a pretty low priority for a classically trained mind. I'd caution even trying to make that a priority.
What skills stand out on Communications Specialist resumes?
Jamie Bowen Ph.D.: Various skills are important for a Communication Specialist. You want them to have clear writing skills and the ability to communicate in both large and small groups. In this day and age, if someone has intercultural communication training, that can stand out because the client pool and the workplace is becoming more diverse in their nature. I would also say any technical skills really stand out, such as experience in Adobe Suite and video/photography skills.
What soft skills should all Communications Specialists possess?
Jamie Bowen Ph.D.: It is important to have a diverse resume, so having experience working with or in the media is important. Additionally, having public relations abilities or experience can help land that person the job of their dreams.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Communications Specialists?
Jamie Bowen Ph.D.: Any experience working with the Adobe Suite can go leaps and bounds in landing someone a job as a Communication Specialist. However, knowing how to use a camera to take pictures and video and then edit the footage can set them apart from the rest of the pack.
What skills will help Communications Specialists earn the most?
Jamie Bowen Ph.D.: Any technical skills will help you earn more. The best Communication Specialist will have all the writing and media relation skills. Still, the one who earns the most money will have all the technical skills and even know how to code or manage a website.
What general advice would you give to a Communications Specialist?
Annemarie Franczyk: They may be entering an industry that increasingly will require practitioners to be highly motivated to work efficiently and effectively away from an office location. Whatever the students are learning about being a successful remote learner, -- being highly organized, a self-starter, independent worker -- they will need to take that into their future workplaces.
What Communications Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Annemarie Franczyk: No one location is better than the rest. The wider the graduates cast their nets, the luckier they will be in landing a job.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Communications Specialists?
Annemarie Franczyk: Journalists increasingly will need to produce content across a variety of platforms, and because they might be working remotely, they will need to have great facilities with all aspects of devices, apps, editing software, and the like.
Jennifer Mullen
Senior Instructor of CommunicationIndiana State University
Department of Communication
What experience really stands out on Communications Specialist resumes?
Jennifer Mullen: The following things stand out to employers:
-Work experience that relates to a respective industry
-Notable projects that are associated with a respective industry
-Organizations or teams where an impact has been made
However, I think any work experience is useful to include that can be tied to a story related to a respective job description. I think people often sell themselves short on paper and in interviews.
Students tend to think that they don't have specific jobs and may not apply for them. I have to remind them that even class projects can relate to job qualifications. They forget they get experience in the classroom - even with teamwork. Every career path requires the ability to work well with others.
What Communications Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jennifer Mullen: I would recommend more people take a gap year if students have support at home. By the time students get to college, many of them are burnt out on going to school and doing homework. Many of them don't know what they are interested in, and they are figuring it out as they go. Students change their major an average of three times.
As far as learning new skills, students need to explore their interests first. Gifts can come once they know who they are. More students should find employment and find out what they like and what they don't like. They should also explore hobbies. If someone can combine a hobby with a career, that is the golden ticket. For example, suppose students enjoy working with wildlife and are interested in digital media. In that case, they could potentially design the website and create graphics for the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) or something similar.
If students DO find they are interested in a particular industry, they can find tutorials of all things on YouTube. They can also find courses on coursera.org. I think there's a misconception that people can only learn in the confines of four walls - most people have the ability to teach themselves - they have to have the curiosity, the passion, and the will to do so. They should also find mentors in their particular areas of interest. I tell my students that "success leaves clues." Talk to the people who do what you are interested in. They will give advice most of the time. Find out where those people hang out and go there. Social media has made it so easy to find people and reach out to them.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Communications Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Jennifer Mullen: Technology moves so fast, it is hard to answer this question. As soon as I finish this sentence, Snapchat might become obsolete (just kidding). I enjoy LinkedIn to find professionals in most fields. I hope it is still around in 3-5 years.
Who knew Zoom would be so important right now? I honestly knew we were heading to an online teaching era - I didn't think we would plunge in headfirst. I know technology is a competitive market. I assume that even more virtual platforms will be created in the next five years. As far as digital media is concerned, some heavy hitters seem to be Adobe, Canva, and WordPress. I assume more competition will continue to arise. And when that happens, we will be ready...because we have to be.
What general advice would you give to a Communications Specialist?
Peter Bicak Ph.D.: In general, take opportunities to meet people and network. Be courageous and proud of earning your degree; it's an accomplishment in many ways-in an area of study, self-discipline, goal-setting, and, in a way, project management for four years (or more!) At the same time, show respect for employers-no one is owed a job. Thoroughly research your field and particular companies to which you apply.
Learning the broader landscape of the industries that appeal to you (or even those that present an opportunity to you) show that your thinking goes beyond being a jobholder or employee and more toward a career or lifelong learner. Never stop learning! Be patient. Most young people change jobs several times before they are 30. You may have to do something that doesn't feel like what you intended when working on your degree, but experience and hard work will create opportunities. Take advantage of the career services offices on your campus.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Communications Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Peter Bicak Ph.D.: Some COVID-related experiences will linger. Some sources will go so far as to say that some business travel has been changed forever by COVID-19, given the growing comfort and efficiency of remote communication technology. As a medium, face-to-face communication is still so crucial because something special happens when people are in the same room, looking around for cues, generating ideas in real-time, and so on. Mastering and taking advantage of skill with technology, in general, will be more critical, but what's most important is understanding artificial intelligence.
Data science and the technology behind it will be necessary. Knowledge of how algorithms function and are written and modified by human beings and the values they express through them, consciously or unconsciously, do and will continue to have an enormous effect on how we live our lives. Careers in social media (such as social media marketing, social media account manager, etc.) will continue to grow. So proficiency in current and emerging platforms will be especially crucial, as will an understanding of platforms' political, cultural, and economic implications (for example, knowledge of critical questions, such as who has access to various venues (or even the internet in general)? How is social media used culturally? Who owns which platforms? What are their motives? How are platforms and media content related? What are the emerging economies with current and new media? Gig-economy? And so on).
How would you rate the starting salaries for Communications Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Peter Bicak Ph.D.: I would rate them as competitive. Business Communication, if truly comprehensive, has substantial depth and breadth of opportunities. Interdisciplinary BC majors should have significant writing opportunities, including for social media, traditional media, and journalism. The most prominent options are likely to fall in marketing, public relations, advertising, sales, and management due to the students' experience with basic business units such as accounting, economics, data science, and management. Internal and external organizational communication will always be a part of our corporate, civic, political, and economic lives-one still has to "get the word out" in ways appropriate to the organization for whom he or she works.
Thus, these technologies will be the key instruments for doing so, and there will be a place for business (organizational) communicators. While the major is not designed to be immersive in business instruction, it provides insights that give a graduate a leg up. So, advancement is substantial. For example, a major who enters the advertising and marketing field as an account manager likely has opportunities in the areas (e.g., working on an account in pharmaceuticals leads to other options not just in PR or advertising, but within the pharmaceutical field itself) in which that account exists, given their experience.
What type of skills will young Communications Specialists need?
Glendal Robinson Ph.D.: Writing skills are needed whenever you're talking about communication. Also, (2) Quantitative and analytic abilities; (3) Social (people) skills; and (4) Digital media skills. Video skills to a lesser degree.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Communications Specialists to find work opportunities?
Glendal Robinson Ph.D.: Urban areas, specifically high-tech regions. Also, anywhere with a large media market.
How do you envision technology impacting Communications Specialists in the next 5 years?
Glendal Robinson Ph.D.: The field will become more data and numbers-driven. Data Management Platforms (DMPs) will be more critical in building audiences. Advertising is becoming less of a driver.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Communications Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Christine Carmichael Ph.D.: Despite the epidemic (or perhaps influenced by the outbreak, since SLPs evaluate and treat patients with COVID-19), job opportunities in speech pathology are expected to grow 25% in the next ten years. Maybe not so much for PhD-level faculty in CSD university settings, but I foresee an increase in school-based, private practice, bilingual and corporate/traveling SLPs once a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 is widely available and life gets back to "normal."
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Communications Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Christine Carmichael Ph.D.: Fueled by the pandemic, telepractice using digital platforms for service delivery is likely to become a mainstay for speech pathology, or at least a woven component into evaluation and treatment plans. While clinicians cannot perform manual techniques via teletherapy, I think the mandate for this type of practice made us realize that many assessments and treatment facets can be accomplished with this technology.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Communications Specialists in the next 5 years?
Christine Carmichael Ph.D.: The projected growth in the job market beckons to a rise in CSD graduates. We thought our graduate program applications would suffer a significant decline in this cycle, but the numbers are right on track with previous years. We still receive 150-200 applications per year to fill 25 seats in our master's program. I don't see a drastic drop in the future for students interested in becoming speech-language pathologists. The field is richly diverse. SLPs evaluate and treat neonates through the elderly across a wide range of primary and secondary disorders. SLP demand continues to grow because of the expanding older populations, increased survival rates owing to medical advances, early identification and diagnosis, increased numbers of outstanding education students in elementary and secondary schools, and an upward shift in the need for bilingual SLPs (which substantiates our Bilingual Certification Program).
What type of skills will young Communications Specialists need?
Kevin Swift Ph.D.: A mix of new and old will be essential. The conversation often turns to technology because companies large and small love recent graduates' skills naturally. Shooting and editing video is helpful in all parts of this field. Knowing as many software programs as possible, such as video editing, graphics, animation, and data analysis, is a huge help.
Often lost in the quest for learning technology is writing and speaking skills. Technical skills are essential, but hiring employees almost always say that writing and speaking skills are becoming a lost art in the digital world.
Want to set yourself apart? Work on your writing and speech skills.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Communications Specialists to find work opportunities?
Kevin Swift Ph.D.: There are opportunities everywhere, but those about to graduate should focus on demographic shifts and company relocation trends. I always suggest checking a list of designated market areas (DMA's) and looking toward small and medium-sized markets for a good start. This goes for journalism, public/media relations, sales, human resources, social media managers, etc. It is possible to get a job in the city of your dreams, but the cost of living must be considered, and with an entry-level salary, it could be a real challenge.
How do you envision technology impacting Communications Specialists in the next 5 years?
Kevin Swift Ph.D.: The technology being used right now to help deal with the pandemic is likely to stick around and become everyday use, even after concerns are alleviated. Don't just learn, but focus on being a leader in the current technologies used to communicate interpersonally and with groups. They could set you apart.
What type of skills will young Communications Specialists need?
Gheni Platenburg Ph.D.: To prepare for tomorrow's jobs, students need a solid background in fundamental journalism techniques and the technical skills of today. This is a multimedia journalism industry, meaning journalists need to possess the ability to tell stories across multiple platforms. There is no longer such a thing as a journalist who only broadcasts work or writes stories for print. It's OK to have specialty areas, but all new graduates need to have writing, video, audio, and graphics skills.
Additionally, mobile journalism skills will also be essential. Before and after the coronavirus pandemic's start, the ability to produce quality work from outside of the newsroom remains a coveted job skill. I foresee the industry moving more into this direction as we advance. Therefore, students should take the opportunities now to perfect those skills.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Communications Specialists to find work opportunities?
Gheni Platenburg Ph.D.: Cub reporters do not always have the luxury of being picky when it comes to their early-career jobs. If you find a news outlet that is hiring, the work environment is right, and the pay is enough to sustain your basic needs and maybe a few wants, apply for the job. Even if the geographic location is not ideal, most people can live anywhere for a year or two.
Get your experience and move on afterward, if you desire to do so. Given the current industry changes, however, smaller community news outlets and digital-only outlets are great options to pursue.
How do you envision technology impacting Communications Specialists in the next 5 years?
Gheni Platenburg Ph.D.: Technology will change the way news is collected and the ways it is disseminated and consumed. Journalists are tasked with delivering the story in a way that is consumable and accessible to their audiences. For example, when social media began to flourish, journalists began using Facebook and other crowdsourcing and news dissemination apps. As new digital applications are created, news practitioners will adapt to those, too.
Furthermore, journalists are also innovators. We are always trying to improve our storytelling, and we are in a unique position to identify technology deficits that can impede this growth. Over the years, journalism entities such as Al Jazeera and the Knight Foundation, for example, saw a need for more interactive story forms. There were not existing products available to the masses. So, they created them. I encourage all journalists, new and seasoned, to follow their examples.
Kimberly Schwartz
Counselor in Crisis Communication and Nonprofit CommunicationCrisis Communication and Nonprofit Communication
What type of skills will young Communications Specialists need?
Kimberly Schwartz: -Before graduation, learn to write (error-free), speak clearly, prepare print, audio, and audio/visual pieces with the ability to respond in the media "language" (e.g., directed towards the media style and audience). Also, learn how to prepare for interviews, from appearance to mock interviews.
-Get two internships before graduation or one during college, and one immediately following graduation.
-Take a job that helps you build the skill set your dream career needs. Students will become contract workers, using a skill set needed by a company for a task before moving on to the next.
-Plan to get your Master's degree as soon as possible. This provides access to promotions and bigger paychecks.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Communications Specialists to find work opportunities?
Kimberly Schwartz: Years ago, geographic relocation may have mattered, but the location is not a primary consideration anymore. Many businesses are headquartered in large metropolitan areas, such as McGraw Hill and IBM. They moved from Chicago to Dubuque, Iowa, with IBM recently moving again to Columbia, Missouri.
Secondary to this, part-time telecommuting has grown into full-time, due to COVID-19. For many, this will become permanent. This then becomes advantageous for students who can live where they wish.
How do you envision technology impacting Communications Specialists in the next 5 years?
Kimberly Schwartz: Our society has arrived at the age of information haves, and the word has not. This leads to a community where the information haves has information overload.
This requires being selective and budgeting time, which includes sleeping, eating, and downtime. Ditch online media for a news summarization service, so you get what you need without having to read mountains of data.
The information have nots will range from those who have no technology and thus a lack of access to any media that is only online, to those who have technical access that relies upon social media and questionable sites whose sole function is to mislead or start rumors. This means local word of mouth that may prove incorrect or biased at one end to those who rely upon Facebook for news.
All of this has changed Public Relations from strictly a one-way information producer, but a two-way conversant source of accurate information.
Dr. Ruiying Ding Ph.D.
ProfessorElmhurst University
Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Communications Specialists?
Dr. Ruiying Ding Ph.D.: Our second-year graduate students have had offers rescinded in May because of Covid-19, but eventually, everyone who is looking for a job will have a job. Speech-language pathology graduates have strong job prospects despite the impact of COVID.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Communications Specialists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Ruiying Ding Ph.D.: Generally speaking, speech-language pathology graduate students don't have difficulty finding jobs across the US. If they want to work in an acute hospital, sometimes they have to be more flexible to move to an opening outside of Illinois.
How do you envision technology impacting Communications Specialists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Ruiying Ding Ph.D.: We have used teletherapy and telesupervision almost exclusively this Spring and to a large extend this Fall. I think teletherapy is here to stay even after the pandemic, and our students have been trained in the clinic to offer teletherapy, and this is an excellent job skill for them to have in their future jobs.
