{"id":4585,"date":"2016-08-01T14:38:31","date_gmt":"2017-08-24T11:38:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/?p=4585"},"modified":"2018-06-29T14:15:17","modified_gmt":"2018-06-29T14:15:17","slug":"become-communications-specialist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/become-communications-specialist\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become a Communications Specialist"},"content":{"rendered":"

An intriguing field with plenty of career opportunities, the field of communications has a lot to offer recent grads. If you\u2019re interested in becoming a communications specialist<\/a>, you might be wondering about the best way to get started. Should you look for an internship or attend networking events? Ideally, you\u2019ll want to do both with a few other things mixed in.<\/p>\n

Here are the steps you need to follow in order to become a communications specialist.<\/p>\n

1. Decide what area of communications you\u2019re interested in<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Like the field of public relations<\/a>, communications focuses on building and maintaining relationships between a company and the public (including customers, the media and industry thought leaders). However, unlike public relations, communications is a broader field which also includes creating internal communication strategies and training programs for specific companies. In order to give yourself the best chance of success in the field, it\u2019s important to research the different type of communications you\u2019re most interested in. For example, if the idea of being the public face of a company appeals to you, then a role on an external communications team could be a good fit. On the other hand, if you think you\u2019d rather work to build communications policies within the company, then an internal communications role might be a better choice.<\/p>\n

Pro Tip:<\/strong> If you\u2019re not sure what each type of role entails, reach out to people who work in the industry \u2014 either from your own network or from your school\u2019s alumni network \u2014 and ask to set up a 15 minute chat so that you can find out more about the roles and decide which one is most appealing to you.<\/p>\n

2. Develop your skill set by taking relevant classes<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In addition to learning about the field itself, it\u2019s also important to develop your skill set by taking relevant classes and working on independent projects. Good classes to take include those that fall under the umbrella of a communications major<\/a> \u2014 such as marketing, sociology and business classes. These will give you a better understanding of the field as well as helping you to develop useful skills like crafting press releases.<\/p>\n

Pro Tip<\/strong>: If you\u2019re interested in more than one subject, consider taking on a double major or minor to help you learn about communications while also giving you the chance to explore other subjects.<\/p>\n

3. Intern with a communications agency<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Internships are another great way to learn new skills and get hands-on experience and interning with a communications agency is a great way to gain exposure to all the different aspects of a communications position. During your internship, you\u2019ll attend strategy meetings, create materials for distribution and learn how to handle media enquiries. Best of all, you\u2019ll get a sense of how all of these different tasks fit together to create an integrated communications plan.<\/p>\n

4. Grow your professional network<\/strong><\/h4>\n

One of the best things to do in any industry is to grow your professional network<\/a>. When it comes to communications, this is especially important since you\u2019ll frequently liaise with journalists and customers, as well as working closely with other communications professionals. The best way to do this is by reaching out to your network of friends, professors and peers and identifying those people who have direct experience in the field. Beyond that, it\u2019s also a great idea to stay in touch with former co-workers and managers from your previous jobs. Since communications is a tight-knit field, they\u2019re likely to know about new opportunities as they come up and they can help connect you with hiring managers for those roles.<\/p>\n

Working in communications is an exciting opportunity to be both the public face and internal core of a company. By following these tips, you\u2019ll be sure to find an opportunity that\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as 5 Tips for Getting an Entry-Level Job Unrelated to Your Major<\/a>\u00a0and find answers to common interview questions such as Why Do You Want to Work Here?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An intriguing field with plenty of career opportunities, the field of communications has a lot to offer recent grads. If you\u2019re interested in becoming a communications specialist, you might be wondering about the best way to get started. Should you look for an internship or attend networking events? Ideally, you\u2019ll want to do both with … Continue reading “How to Become a Communications Specialist”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":811,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,130,112],"tags":[70,113,197,198,199,206,207],"class_list":["post-4585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-major","category-media-social-sciences","category-communications-major-101","tag-full-time-job","tag-communications-major","tag-underclassman","tag-postgrad","tag-senior","tag-communications-journalism","tag-media-communications"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Become a Communications Specialist | Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019re passionate about communications, then you might be interested in becoming a communications specialist. 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