What Can You Do With a Communications Degree?

Strong communication skills are invaluable in order to provide meaning and resonance to a companies’ aims, and to present the company and its services or products in the clearest possible way to consumers, clients and colleagues. It is important to continue to build on these skills, particularly as the field of communication is continually changing. 

ISCOM ensures that all of its communications programmes are constantly updated and adapted to include economic, sociological and technical developments in the communications industry. Students can specialise in the areas of communications that most suit their career aspirations and interests.  

Practical learning in the form of projects, think tanks, branding workshops and entrepreneurial projects will help ISCOM students develop the soft and hard skills needed to succeed in the field. Throughout the programme, students will also have the opportunity to complete various work experience placements due to the school’s close links with industry.  

Read on to discover where a communications degree could take you.  

Here we look at a selection of more typical jobs in communications; from HR departments to the world of advertising – these are the typical roles where your communication skills are most in need. 

Communications careers in business 

With communications playing such a key role in any business or organisation, a communications degree is a great way to enter the business world.  

Regardless of product or industry, entry-level communications roles will require you to demonstrate strong written, oral communication and presentation skills, along with knowledge of how a business functions across departments.  

There is also the potential for career development into executive, managerial and training roles after gaining some experience. 

Communications careers in human resources 

A key department of any large business, human resources is vital for developing and maintaining worker ethics, performance and motivation.  

As a communications graduate, you may be involved in recruiting new staff, raising awareness about training or professional development programs, or ensuring company guidelines and regulations are clearly communicated.  

Communications careers in this area will benefit from an aptitude for nurturing relationships and communicating well with many different types of people. 

Communications careers in marketing, public relations and advertising  

Marketing, public relations and advertising are three more great fields you can enter with a communications degree, delivering effective written and oral communication to consumers, colleagues or clients.  

This could be in the form of press releases, advertising scripts, company presentations and print campaigns, as well as attendance at media events and the ongoing development of professional relationships with clients and the media. 

Communications careers in media 

Media jobs with a communications degree are extensive – as you’d expect, since the main aims of the media sector are to communicate information and provide entertainment.   

Whether you’re interested in becoming involved with TV and film production, magazine and newspaper journalism, or online and digital channels, media careers all require graduates with excellent communication skills, and the ability to curate and disseminate information in engaging and relevant ways. 

Media is, however, a very competitive industry, and it’s unlikely (though not impossible) that you will be hired by a big media corporation such as the BBC or the Huffington Post straight after graduation.  

Relevant work experience is essential, so those interested in entering the media world should consider undertaking internships or getting involved in student media productions while still studying, to increase their chances of getting a related role upon graduation.  

Those interested in journalism may also consider building a portfolio of their own journalistic work and/or gaining a relevant postgraduate degree. 

What can you do with a communications degree if you don’t want to go into the typical careers outlined above? Read on for a selection of less typical jobs with a communications degree, from film producer to legal secretary.  

This is not an exhaustive list; communications graduates are sought-after in almost any industry you can think of. 

Communications careers in digital media  

The digital media industry has reshaped the way society consumes media and information. Online news sites, social networks and digital technologies are all areas of the industry continuing to expand, leading to significant increases in job opportunities for those with a combination of communication skills and digital proficiency. 

Digital media is an expanding field that incorporates careers in journalism, video production, web design, social media and online publishing – and more roles are appearing as technologies and audience behaviour continue to evolve. 

Communications careers in law 

Although most people entering the legal industry do so with a postgraduate qualification or specialised law degree, communications graduates may be interested in pursuing administrative and organisational roles, working for local or national civil and criminal courts or even governmental and independent legal firms. For example, legal secretary roles and paralegal roles are often held by communications graduates.  

An undergraduate communications degree could also be a great starting point from which to apply to law school. 

However, if you do not wish to gain further qualifications there is a limit to your advancement in this industry, due to the requirements for roles such as a solicitor or barrister. Depending on the hiring company, however, there may be the possibility of gaining some additional qualifications while you work. 

Communications careers in education 

Another option is education, where your communication skills will be utilised daily.  

To be hired within primary or secondary education, you’ll need a teaching qualification. Depending on the country you want to work in, this will take at least a year to obtain.  

For tertiary education, at institutions such as colleges and universities, it is more likely that you’ll need a postgraduate qualification in a related specialisation in order to teach. 

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‘What Can You Do with a Communications Degree?’ is part of our ‘What Can You Do With…’ series. We have also covered art, biology, business, computer science, English, engineering, fashion, finance, history, geography, law, marketing, mathematics, philosophy, politics, psychology, sociology, chemistry, economics and physics. 

This article was first published in January 2015 and most recently updated in July 2022.