Communication is a great degree for many reasons. The topics covered while studying communication are wide-ranging, meaning you will become familiar with many different careers. Further, skills learned in a communication degree, like public speaking, social media communication, and interpersonal communication, all translate well to almost any job. These are just some of the reasons why a communication degree is a good idea.
But like any major, communication comes with its own unique challenges. Some of these challenges include getting over fear of public speaking and writing, finding what part of communication interests you, and creating a space for people to see your work. Here is my best advice for dealing with these challenges.
Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone.
Communication majors often must deliver presentations, participate in discussions, and write papers. If you are like me, you may not be too excited about the public speaking aspect of these tasks.
My advice is to approach public speaking and other challenges with the mindset that failure is part of the process of improving. If you are bad at something, like public speaking for instance, you only have two options: practice and get better or avoid it and never improve.
Each time you give a speech, present a project, or write a paper, you will be more prepared for your next one. Embrace stepping out of your comfort zone and treat it as an opportunity to improve.
Find what excites you within the major.
The great thing about a communication degree is that it is so versatile. If you look at job descriptions, communication is one of the most common degrees that employers are looking for.
But there is a downside to this versatility as well. Since you can do so many different things with a communication degree, it is hard to decide exactly what to do. Should you pursue human resources, public relations, media, social media, research, or something else?
To find out which career path is best for you, pay attention to the courses, projects, and assignments that you do not mind working on. Many things in college simply feel like work that needs to be done, but this attitude is not always present. Pay attention to the instances in which you do not mind dedicating time to a subject.
Sometimes hours can go by working on a project without you looking at a clock or even caring that you are working instead of doing something else. When you encounter these subjects that you can get lost in and enjoy, pursue them further. They may provide a great career path for you.
Build a portfolio.
Having a website that displays your experience and examples of your work is extremely useful.
This is because a portfolio goes beyond a resume. A resume will describe your strengths and your experience, but a portfolio will provide evidence of your strengths and experience. An employer should be able to see your portfolio and have no more doubts about your capabilities.
If you specialize in writing, you can start a blog that showcases your abilities and your consistency. If you are a great public speaker, you could upload speeches or video essays to your portfolio. Perhaps your specialty is public relations. In that case, show public relations projects you have completed. No matter what your specialty is, you will likely benefit from having an online portfolio.
Conclusion.
These are not the only challenges or useful pieces of advice for communication majors. But there is no question that a student of communication who approaches their fear of public speaking and writing as an opportunity to grow, pays close attention to what excites them within the major, and builds a strong portfolio full of their work and experience will be better off than they would have been if they did not.