Career Possibilities

The following is a list of some career possibilities that students in this major might find rewarding. Remember that your major does not necessarily determine your career. Graduates use their academic majors in a variety of professional fields. The options below can be used as a starting point to explore potential career paths; however, you may also want to investigate more using recommended resources to gain a more comprehensive list of careers. Keep in mind that additional education, training, and experiential education beyond your major may be needed to pursue these possibilities.

ACQUIRED SKILLS

  • Ability to analyze, interpret, and appropriately convey physical and social events and behaviors to others
  • Strong reading skills
  • Writes/speaks clearly
  • Gather/evaluates information and data
  • Ability to create entertaining and persuasive messages
  • Ability to relate to people of diverse backgrounds
  • Strong decision-making skills
  • Create powerful images with sight, sound, motion, and words
  • Attention to detail
  • Understand institutional and cultural values

CAREER TITLES

  • A&R Rep
  • Actor
  • Advertising Worker
  • Art Director
  • Assistant Director
  • Broadcast Technician
  • Community Relations
  • Guest Coordinator
  • Critic
  • Disk Jockey
  • Editorial Assistant
  • Editorial Writer
  • Educator
  • Event Planner
  • Filmmaker
  • Fine Arts Manager
  • Journalist
  • Key Grip
  • Lawyer
  • Marketing Director
  • Media Buyer
  • Media Specialist
  • Multimedia Creator
  • Multimedia Technician
  • Music Director
  • Photographer
  • Photojournalist
  • Producer
  • Production Assistant
  • Public Relations
  • Publicist
  • Publisher
  • Radio/TV Announcer
  • Researcher
  • Stage Technician
  • Screenwriter
  • Technical Writer
  • TV/Film Production
  • Unit Production Manager
  • Writer

TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HIRE

  • Advertising Agencies
  • Public Relations Firms
  • TV, Radio & Cable Broadcast Companies
  • News Agencies
  • Magazines/Newspapers
  • Publishing Houses
  • Government Agencies
  • Film Studios
  • Museums
  • Music Companies
  • Production Co’s
  • Education
  • Not-for Profit

CAREER INFORMATION AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION LINKS

www.buzzfile.com/Major/Communications.And.Media-Studies - Employers by major
www.namac.org - National Alliance for Media Arts & Culture
www.centerforcommunication.org - Center for Communications
www.aaanet.org - American Anthropological Association (AAA) 
aesonline.org - American Ethnological Society
ethnographymatters.net - Ethnography Matters
www.nywici.org - NY Women in Communication
www.bls.gov/ooh - Occupational Outlook Handbook

JOB SEARCH LINKS

www.purchase.edu/careerdevelopment - Purchase JobScore
www.mediabistro.com  - Job &  industry information
www.creativehotlist.com- Creative marketplace
www.thealliance.media/- The Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (formally NAMAC)
www.idealist.org- Nonprofit site, internships and jobs
www.chronicle.com - The Chronicle of Higher Education, information and jobs
www.bookjobs.com - Jobs/internships in publishing
www.adweek.com - Advertising and marketing jobs
www.media-match.com/usa/media/jobsboard.php - Media industry job list

Additional Resources Available at the CDC