What to Do With a Communications Degree There's a Wide Range of Careers Where This Degree Is Useful Print Jamie Grill / The Image Bank / Getty Images By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Dawn Rosenberg McKay Dawn Rosenberg McKay is a certified Career Development Facilitator. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 06/25/19 Communications majors study the best practices for conveying information on interpersonal and organizational levels. When you graduate, you should know how to write and speak effectively and persuasively, and use interpersonal, time management, and critical thinking skills. As a result, this major can prepare you for a variety of careers. Many communications majors choose to work in mass communication and media, film, music, television, journalism, public relations, and advertising, to name just a few. Let's take a look at 10 such careers. Marketing Manager Marketing managers assess the demand for a company's products and services and then help decide how, where, and to whom to sell them. They also help set prices. They collaborate with public relations and sales staff and with product developers. This requires excellent interpersonal skills. Such work also requires marketing managers to be good at gathering information and communicating effectively. Event Planner Event planners, also called convention and meeting planners, make sure events run smoothly. They choose locations, hire vendors, and arrange lodging and transportation for attendees. They must be detail-oriented and excellent at time management. Event planners also must have strong communication and interpersonal skills. Lobbyist Lobbyists are, by definition, communicators. They are paid (although some volunteer) to persuade legislators to act in the best interests of the groups the lobbyists represent. As a communications major, you have almost all the skills and knowledge you need for this career, but you will need to learn about the legislative process. A minor in political science would be advantageous, as would internships or volunteer work with legislative staffs or lobbying organizations. Sales Representative Sales representatives, working for manufacturers and wholesalers, sell products to retailers, government agencies, and organizations. They do not sell to the public. Their job is to convince clients how selling these products will help grow their profits or contribute to achieving other goals. Your ability to speak and write persuasively will be an asset in this career, as will your strong interpersonal skills. Advertising Sales Rep Advertising sales reps sell time during television and radio programming and space in magazines and newspapers and on websites and outdoor media. They must be able to persuade companies that advertising in the media they represent is the best way to reach customers. You will make good use of your strong communication skills. Human Resources Specialist Human resources specialists are responsible for hiring and retaining a company's or organization's employees. They recruit, interview, and hire job candidates and answer employees' questions about company policies and benefits. This occupation will make good use of your strong speaking and interpersonal skills. When it comes to checking candidates' backgrounds and keeping records, being detail-oriented certainly will be an asset. Producer Producers deal with the business behind making movies, television shows, stage productions, and even video games and computer software. They coordinate personnel and tend to budgets and schedules. The amount of time you will spend dealing with other people will make you thankful for the excellent communication and interpersonal skills you attained while earning your degree. Attorneys Attorneys give advice to their clients in criminal and civil legal cases. They represent them in court and at hearings. Attorneys need excellent speaking and writing skills which you will have after earning your undergraduate degree. They also must be adept at gathering information, which is another of your skills. Admission to law school requires that you have a bachelor's degree, but it can be in any major of your choosing. Graphic Designer Graphic designers employ visual elements to communicate messages through print and electronic media. As a communications major, you learned about using words to convey messages. Your communication skills augmented with technical training in graphic design can put you on this career path. Management Consultant Management consultants are hired by companies who want to become more efficient or profitable. The consultants, who work for firms or are self-employed, help them achieve these goals. Your strong communication, interpersonal skills, and time management skills will allow you to succeed in this career.