If you have a knack for crafting the perfect message that gets everyone’s attention, then you’re a great candidate for a career in communications. When you set your sights on a job in this industry, you can expect to find a diverse array of opportunities, including public relations, internal company communications, digital marketing, social media management, and more. If these sound exciting to you, here are the top tips you need to prepare for a career in communications.
Know the Ins and Outs of the Web
In today’s digital environment, you can set yourself up for success in communications by knowing the web inside and out. If you’re someone who strives to live an “unplugged” lifestyle, communications may be a stretch for you. On the other hand, if you’re constantly moving on to the newest trending social media sites to keep your finger on the consumer pulse, then you’re off to a great start.
Getting to know the internet takes time and critical analysis. From understanding how to leverage Wikipedia for CEOs to keeping track of trending website design, you have to set your eyes on the prize when it comes to this type of knowledge.
Learn How To Code
Learning the basics of coding will give you a huge advantage in your career in communications. Code is the foundation for all things you see online. Since nearly all communications work gets delivered digitally in some form or another, understanding how code works can give you the upper hand in comparison to others who don’t have the same knowledge. Consider all the advantages you’ll experience by learning at least the basics of coding. These include:
- Streamline cooperation between marketing and developers
- Make quick adjustments to email and digital campaigns
- Give valuable input about web and campaign design
- Excel in a startup environment while working with minimal resources
Hone Your Voice
Whether creative writing comes naturally to you or it’s something you’ve spent hours working at, honing your voice is a critical step while preparing for your career in communications. Voice is an umbrella term for all of the elements of writing that make up your individual style. This includes things like word choice, sentence structure, rhythm, tone, and more.
To develop your voice in writing, you have to create a writing practice. That means you have to commit to writing frequently. Here are some ways you can develop a regular writing practice:
- Keep a daily journal
- Join a writing community
- Start a personal or professional blog
- Get a writing internship
- Take on freelance writing jobs
There’s another way you can hone your voice in writing and that’s by reading extensively. Reading is not only a critical skill for your communications career, but it is also one of the best ways to develop your knowledge of writing, word choice, tone, and voice. Spread your focus to different industries and fields to gain a sense of how various brands use voice in their web copy and marketing materials. This will help you learn how to be flexible no matter where you work in the future.
Embrace Creativity
Another highly effective way to help you prepare for your future career is to embrace creative writing and other creative pursuits. If you think that marketing and communications professionals aren’t creative writers, then you’re sorely mistaken. In fact, the best marketing campaigns and communications materials often take the most creative and unexpected approaches. Creativity is an essential trait that you must embrace fully if you want to succeed in communications.
You can embrace creativity in a number of ways, but the most accessible and fun way is to do creative things. There’s poetry, fiction, travel writing, and creative nonfiction, but that’s just the start. To stretch your creative wings, take up painting, pottery, or any number of creative arts.
To succeed in communications you have to be determined and resilient. If you approach life with the mindset of a lifelong learner, you can make a significant impact in communications.
