A mass communication major prepares you for virtually all the media courses. It serves as the foundation towards understanding the major principles of media. It also helps one in making a career choice.
1. Journalism: It’s good to start with those guys who wake us up with news and end our day with the news. Journalism can be said to be the most popular career choice in mass communication and also one of the most reputable the world over. With their pen, journalists can do the undoable. Just, do not hand them a pen because you may be on the news the next minute. Journalists find news and disseminate them to the public.
It would be better to have a well-grounded academic record if you must excel in this field. It is not just about being a graduate because for some reputable media houses to employ you, they would consider your academic background and your track record. Diploma courses may be considered by some organizations as well.
However, your skills would matter above other considerations. You must have a nose for news, differentiating between what’s news and what is not, as well as skillfully presenting your job to the public.
To become a high performer in the journalism industry is not a bed of roses. That is why you must start from somewhere and then, climb the ladder. You might struggle at the onset before getting your break. Working for hours, getting rejected, being ignored or sabotaged, and so on, are all parts of the job.
2. Advertising:Advertising offers you a lot of things. Fame, money, glamour, you could name it! However, it also means work, work, work. Advertising is one of the most demanding career options today. It is about presenting a product or brand to the public in a way that appeals to them. There are different formats of advertising which include pictures, videos, and texts.
If you have a strong skill in influencing people to make a decision, advertising could be the right opportunity for you. It does not just pay you well; it makes you an outstanding personality. You need artistic and marketing skills to sell yourself, in addition to formal education. Skills, not certificates, do the job.
3. Film production: There are plenty of opportunities offered in the film industry. This is where most celebrities are created. Acting, producing, photography, cinematography, editing, directing, sound engineering, and so on are some of the popular roles in the industry.
It is all about your talent. If you have a flair for the industry, you’ve got to put in the time to work on your professionalism. Do not let popularity or money be your motivating factor. If not, you may not last.
4. Photography: Do you need any introduction again? The name has said it all. Photography is a trending career in the 21st century. It has undergone quite some face-lifting. It requires real talent and passion to become a professional photographer. Wildlife, fashion, health, business, photojournalism, and so on are all areas you can choose to focus on.
Taking a diploma course in photography could help in brushing up that raw talent of yours. Working under a professional photographer could also award you some experience.
Vlogging and blogging: This was one of the professions that came with technology. A few years back, it was just a dormant seed in someone’s mind. Then, with time, it became something that people do for leisure.
Today, the narratives have changed.
5. Vlogging and blogging are one of
trending professions and they are gaining popularity like wildfire. All you need is to come up with good content around a subject that intrigues people and pronto, your story is trending. Each click and viewership on your blog becomes a money-making avenue.
It sounds good, I know. The better side of it is that you can do it as a full-time job and of course, become your boss. You need to develop your writing skills as well as acquire some technical knowledge on the use of some tools. If you can’t undergo the four-year mass communication course, taking some short courses in writing and digital marketing might set you on the pace.
6. Public relations: Public relations entails you being the mouthpiece of a company. Duty is bestowed upon you to create and maintain a positive image of your organization to the public, even when the chips are down. Sometimes, when a crisis erupts, it can destroy the corporate image of the organization. Good PR would do everything possible to redeem the image of that organization.
Crisis management skills, effective communication skills, advertising, and social responsibility must be held dearly at heart if you represent your company well. Because every company would love to keep its image clean, they usually hire the best public relations officers to do this job. The pay is worth it, in case you are considering it. Learn how to combine creativity and professionalism to bring out the best in your career.
7. Marketing: Marketing is, unarguably, the gold child of mass communication. It pays well to be a marketer, especially, if you know how to use your skills to compel people to patronize the company. People from all sorts of academic backgrounds can choose to pitch their tent in marketing and still perform excellently. The most important thing is to sell your products and services to the target audience. In some cases, you are entitled to some commissions, aside from your salary, for each product you push out of the market.
8. Graphics: Pictures, they say, can convey a thousand words. If you have the flair for creativity using different forms of designs, this could be a chance for you to make money out of your passion. You can create flyers, signs, and posters for corporate bodies or individuals, using graphic design software. One good thing about graphic design is that you can choose to freelance or work for an organization. Don’t waste that talent; it is time to put it into practice.
9. Education: If all that is mentioned above does not excite you, you might choose to become a professor and teach other students. After graduation, you will be faced with the opportunity to continue in the academic field. You may wish to solely teach or become a researcher, or you can become both. All you need is beyond having your first degree. A postgraduate degree in mass communication is a must. You can go to any reputable institution to become your dream personality.
10. Television and radio production: When you switch on your radio or television, what do you hear or see? That’s it! Working as a television and radio producer gives you one thing – a stable career. You get paid by producing shows and airing them. In the same vein, you would work for a media organization.
Both radio and television production are similar, but use different media for presenting their work. Each content to be produced is fashioned to suit the particular medium of presentation. Television producers perform such roles as writing, filming, producing, editing, anchoring, and so on. This is not so in radio production. Radio production involves the services of producers, recording technicians, and radio jockeys, among others. The program producer is in charge of the whole production.
