The Career Outlook for Communicators Is Strong

from the Office of the Dean

Information today increasingly arrives by podcast, Twitter, YouTube and other means unimagined even 10 years ago. While this has displaced some traditional media jobs, it has opened the door to a world of possibilities for professional communicators.

In its most recent edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that employment in arts, design, entertainment, sports and media occupations will grow by 12% in the decade 2008-2010, resulting in almost 332,600 new jobs.

“There will be very exciting careers in communications in the decades to come, but they certainly won’t look like the careers that existed 30 years ago,” says Hofstra School of Communication Dean Evan Cornog, Ph.D.

New technologies, new opportunities

The communications professions are evolving at lightning speed, thanks to technology that places the ability to gather and disseminate information into the hands of many. Organizations no longer need rely on traditional outlets to be heard. They can upload their own videos to the Internet, publish and distribute their own materials on line and find ways to be heard via satellite radio and television, to name but a few of the new communication channels.

“As new technologies challenge traditional providers of information, more opportunities are created at non-profits, corporations, political groups and other organizations seeking to reach the public,” says Dean Cornog in explaining some the anticipated job creation in this sector.

The fundamentals still count

The communications industry will continue to evolve, making it imperative that students prepare for life-long learning. “Today’s students will be defining new career paths during their work lives,” says Dean Cornog. “As a result, we must ensure that they have foundational knowledge.”

Whether concentrating on journalism, public relations, or mass media; radio, television and film, or speech communication, rhetoric, and performance studies, the School of Communication curriculum incorporates ethics, information analysis, rhetoric, writing and other fundamental skills into every degree program.

And, because the media exist to protect the freedoms of our society, we require our students to study the foundations of society in liberal arts – the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. This gives them the balance and background they need for a future in all fields of communication.

Real world learning

Hands-on learning, both through use of state-of-the-art equipment in Hofstra’s classrooms or via internships, further prepares students. We are fortunate to have New York City as a nearby resource. For internship opportunities, summer jobs and some of the best practical experiences anywhere in the world, nothing beats the number one media market: New York. Guest speakers – often alumni – are on campus frequently to speak with students and offer advice.

With the world of communications in flux, it is essential that students know how to manage change. “Much of our teaching revolves around training students to take complicated information, analyze it and disseminate it to the desired target audience through the most appropriate medium,” Dean Cornog adds. “In this way, they will have the necessary skills to adapt to the careers of the future.”