Real People, Real Experiences Communication Studies A collection of experiences from COMM graduates, for COMM majors

Communication, Michigan State University Loan Officer, First National Bank Past work includes:  Concert promotion, East Lansing MI  Intern, WJIM 97.5 “Now FM” Lansing MI Little John Fl

Real People, Real Experiences: Communication Studies

A collection of experiences from COMM graduates, for COMM majors

v1.0: Last Update – November 2009

This pamphlet represents an ongoing project aimed at providing current COMM student with an answer to the all-too-common question, “What can I do with a degree in Communication Studies?” Rather than simply providing students with lists of potential career choices, this pamphlet is designed to show them real people with real careers and real experiences.

It is my belief that by making this a personal statement rather than a mere list of career aspirations, we might be able to capture the students’ attention and show them that Communication Studies isn’t just a piece of paper; indeed it is a gateway to a wide and varied range of careers

Please share this information with your students, and I encourage you to encourage recent and former COMM graduates to contribute their own stories about how the Communication Studies curriculum has helped in their careers They can share their testimonials at ndbowman@yhc.edu

As this project grows, we will be creating it into a larger booklet; we are also planning a more multi-media approach, with video testimonials and

podcasts from COMM graduates Thanks for your interest in the pamphlet!

~Nicholas David Bowman Young Harris College

Real Experiences

Evan Center

M.A Communication, Northern Kentucky University

Ph.D Student, University of Kansas

Past work includes:

 Instructor, Siam University

 Social research with Hurricane Katrina

victims

Jessica Varner

B.A Communication, Michigan State University

Loan Officer, First National Bank

Past work includes:

 Concert promotion, East Lansing MI

 Intern, WJIM 97.5 “Now FM” Lansing MI

Little John Flowers

B.A Communication, Michigan State University

Manager, Wal-Mart (Saline, MI)

Past work includes:

 NFL player, New York Giants & New York Jets

 Football player, Michigan State University

Katherine Walz

B.A Communication, MidAmerica Nazarene

University

Graduate student, Central Missouri University

Social media intern, KC Bizcare

Past work includes:

 Field producer, Granada America

 Production assistant, WDAF-TV Kansas City

 Casting associate, The Bachelor

Joe Harris

B.A Communication, University of Missouri-St Louis

Eastern Missouri Editor, Courthouse News Past work includes:

 Sports reporter, Suburban (Mo.) Journals

 Sports reporter, St Louis Post-Dispatch

Al Selvin

B.A Film and Video Studies, Michigan M.A Communication Arts, Wisconsin

Director of Usability, Sales and Marketing Systems, Verizon

Past work includes:

 Director of Portals, Connectivity, and eLearning, Verizon

 Senior eBusiness Architect & Technical Manager, Verizon

 Consulting work for Anheuser-Busch, NYNEX, and various other companies

Mickey Seward

B.A Public Relations, Illinois State University

Sports Information Director, Young Harris College Public address announcer, Berry College

Past work includes:

 Sports Information Director at University of

Texas-Arlington and Berry College

 Press Officer for 2000 U.S National Baseball

Team

 Texas Rangers beat writer, SportsTicker.com

Real Experiences (cont’d)

Nicole Keesecker

B.A Communication, University of Illinois-Chicago

M.A Health Communication, Michigan State

University

Health Communication Specialist, University of

Chicago

Past work includes:

 Health Communication Fellow, National

Cancer Institute

Katherine Klein Margolis

B.A Communication, Cornell

M.A Communication, Michigan State University

Ph.D Communication, Michigan State University

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Past work includes:

 National Institute for Occupational Health

and Safety

Nick Bowman

B.A Communication, University of Missouri-St Louis M.A Communication, University of Missouri-St Louis Ph.D Communication, Michigan State University

Assistant Professor, Young Harris College Past work includes:

 Editor, Courthouse News Service

 Freelance sports writer, St Louis Post-Dispatch

 Crisis Communication intern, Fleishman-Hillard

Mariana Lamaison Sears

Degree in Tourism, University of Moron, Buenos Aires, Argentina

B.A Communication, University of Texas-San Antonio

Freelance journalist and Spanish blogger (vermontenespanol.blogspot.com) Past work includes:

 Staff reporter, Burlington (VT) Free Press

 Reporter, The Paisano (UTSA newspaper)

 Intern, Rumbo (Spanish newspaper)

Angel Xie

B.A Communication, Michigan State

University

M.A Communication, Michigan State

University

My name is Angel Xie, and I am originally

from China I completed my Bachelor’s and

Master’s degrees in Communication at

Michigan State University with an emphasis

in intercultural communications and mass

media I graduated in December 2007 and

landed my first job as a Market Research

Specialist in Los Angeles for an apparel

company Thanks to the Research Assistant

experience and the *painful* process of

conducting my thesis back in school, I was

able to pick up the position very well and excel Two years later, I am now a Media Specialist in one of the top three Asian-American advertising agencies in LA, working on Asian American markets for high profile corporate accounts My job scope includes media planning and buying with in-language media (i.e Mandarin Chinese), public relations and event planning, interactive engagement, and other tasks This is a career I have been dreaming of while I was in school…using a combination of both my language and cultural experience and media expertise

Natalie Dasher

B.A Communication, Michigan State University

I work in the entertainment industry with a company called Broadway In Chicago This company owns three major theaters in the downtown Chicago loop area that host traveling Broadway productions as well as

permanent shows such as Wicked and Jersey Boys My

role with Broadway In Chicago is an Operations Assistant dealing with everything from general office administration and accounting tasks to facilities upkeep and customer service In addition to this, I am also working on a Master’s Degree in Business

Administration online at Central Michigan University However, I can honestly say that I wouldn't be where I

am in my career without my degree in Communication I know that sounds cheesy and cliché, but it's true My ability and knowledge about creating and maintaining relationships with people has stemmed from my education Being able to set in motion the skills I've learned about the workplace and how an

organization works, as well as various situations you can encounter when dealing with people and how to resolve them has been the basic framework and stepping stone I needed to be successful in all of the work environments I have encountered so far I've learned how important it is to create and maintain strong social networks, and my degree taught me all of the skills necessary to do this It may not seem that important at the time, but when you're looking for recommendations and people to use as references when searching for a new job or applying to

graduate schools, these networks are a vital resource Being able to practice those skills and improve upon them while in school – and while in a Communication major – is vital to successfully landing a job

Testimonials (cont’d)

Jakki Waldecker

B.A Communication, Michigan State University

My name is Jakki Waldecker and I graduated from Michigan State University in 2007 with a degree in Communication During my junior year I began the search for an internship By using networking seminars, professors and TAs (and by just putting myself out there), I landed

an internship doing in promotions for Greater Media Detroit Working for this major radio station opened up a lot of doors; most importantly, the recommendation letters they wrote for me at the end of my term were essential in my job search By the end of my senior year at MSU I found a small brewery called Magic Hat looking to expand its distribution nationwide After one year with the brewery I transferred to Arizona and still work for IBU

(Independent Brewers United), the company that Magic Hat created when it merged with Pyramid Breweries I am

in outside sales and everyday is different I use a variety of skill sets ranging from business math to interpersonal communication, and everywhere in between I often call on my internship experience as well as my education in Communication when conducting bar promotions and festival events, and so far they have served me well

Kristen Arnett

B.A Communication, University of Texas-San Antonio

I started working for Gemini Ink (a non-profit literary group in San Antonio) right after graduation; however, I was there

for about two weeks before they found out they were going to lose funding for my position From this, I worked in telemarketing for about three months During this time, I found an internship at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as their web marketing intern, where I am currently working (www.teamintraining.org/stx) I've been improving the site since late August I have since quit the telemarketing job in September and began working for Hallmark part time while working at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society The part-time job at a Hallmark store grew into something much more, as it turns out that Hallmark is looking for young, energetic, degreed individuals, and that just happens to be me! I’m preparing for a corporate interview as I write this, and if I’m able to make an impression, I’ll begin a yearlong management training program I expected to have my dream job right out of

college, but the real world just doesn't work that way Most employers want at least one year of work experience (some as many as three to five years experience); this is the point of my internship However, even in a tough economy there is still a lot

to be said about someone who has a Communication degree When an employer looks at me, I know they see a well-rounded, confident, educated woman, and my experience in college has given me these attributes I know that because of my training in Communication that once I get into the job interview with Hallmark, I’m gold I have the management opportunity at Hallmark because I'm young and degreed, but also because I know how to work hard, get along with, and read people…because I am a Communication graduate!

“As communication graduates,

we write, speak, and read

non-verbals better than

anyone else out there, and I

am convinced that all of this

will help me in my goals.”

Nicole Keesecker

B.A Communication, University of Illinois-Chicago

M.A Health Communication, Michigan State University

After my first two years of undergraduate school at UIC, I attended one year of Pharmacy School at the University of Illinois It was during that experience that I learned something about myself; I knew I always wanted to be in the health field, but I didn't want to do it by just understanding interactions between chemicals Instead, I wanted to understand interactions among people the health care system, so during my senior year I took a special topics course in Health Communication I knew then that's what I wanted to pursue in graduate school

I took a few years off between undergraduate and graduate school to pay off some debt and save some money But as a Master's student, I found that the relationships I formed with my advisor and other faculty were essential

to my success (a.k.a you cannot be a fly on the wall and expect someone to notice you You need to go out of your way to get involved and show people that you are truly invested).The thing that sets me apart from others in

my field is not only my interest in and knowledge of health and health care, but more importantly my

understanding and experience with communication research

My advice for students looking for jobs in this field: (1) there is no such thing as a standard resume or cover letter Every part of your application should be tailored to the job description, (2) only apply for jobs that you would really want If you spend more time on fewer applications, you should end up with a higher yield, and (3) use your communication skills! Develop key messages that you want an employer to take away from your cover

letter/resume/interview

Jarett Smith

B.A Communication, Michigan State University

My name is Jarett Smith and I am currently a senior at Michigan State University majoring in communication I am also in the process of applying to law school Originally I was declared as a political science major but I made the switch over to Communication, and I am glad I did I had an internship my sophomore year with Dennis Olshove, who is a Michigan State Senator One of my days in the office with him, the topic of college majors was brought up

I told him about how I was a political science major and my ambitions to go to law school and told me that was a solid choice I then asked him what his undergraduate major was; only to find out he earned a communication degree from Michigan State The more I asked him about the major, the more interested I became in it Eventually

I made the switch over It has undoubtedly also improved my social interaction skills, which is a must for a prospective lawyer Within the field of communication, there are also unlimited possibilities I chose to focus on public relations communication This focus has dramatically increased my writing abilities as well as changed the way I look at critical situations Other communication classes that I have taken have helped to improve my education as well, for instance classes on media effects Those classes made me look very critically at the

“As a communication major I

have not just learned about

the history of something or

someone, I have learned how

things are changing and how I

can adapt to them.”

strategies different forms of media use to communicate with the public, and as a person that one day wants to go into politics, that is extremely beneficial

Jason West

B.A Communication, University of California-Santa Barbara

A degree in Communication has been, and continues to be, a tremendous asset to my career since graduating from college over a decade ago The multidisciplinary approach of

my university’s curriculum has provided me a solid foundation by which I’ve transitioned between several entertainment industry-oriented positions From producing segments for a nationally-syndicated daytime talk show to overseeing the research department of a top entertainment news program to, most recently, working as a media

consultant/generational strategist for a leading research-based consulting firm – my degree in Communication has been nothing less than complementary to my evolving career in media and consumer research Certainly, the true value of a college degree lies

in one’s application of the knowledge they take away from a higher education setting; however, I can confidently state that a degree in Communication put me in the running for a better future – one in which I’ve been able to demonstrate a record of success in multiple environments

Sarah Tomlinson

B.A Communication, University of California-Santa Barbara

My Communication degree has provided me a solid career as a workshop trainer, facilitator and public speaker I cannot think of another area of study more useful both professionally and personally After graduating and getting

my first "real" job, I came to the conclusion that technical knowledge - while important - will only get you so far by itself Regardless of industry, effective communication and social skills are what set apart those that truly excel

As such, I am thankful I chose to focus my study in Communication As an effective, confident communicator, I continue to advance professionally and have never found myself unemployed since the day I graduated In today's economy, I think this speaks volumes

For more information on Communication Studies careers:

Aurora University, “What can you do with a Communication degree?”

http://www.aurora.edu/academics/programs-majors/undergraduate/communication-gwc/careers.html

Eastern Illinois University “What can you do with a Communication degree?”

http://www.eiu.edu/~speech/old/dowithug.htm

Pennsylvania State University, “What can you do with a Communication Arts & Sciences Degree?”

http://cas.la.psu.edu/undergrad/career_opps.htm

University of North Carolina-Wilmington “What is Communication Studies?”

http://uncw.edu/stuaff/career/Majors/communication.htm

Sonoma State University “What can I do with a degree in Communications?”

http://www.sonoma.edu/sas/crc/majors/communication.shtml

University of Illinois-Springfield “What can you do with this degree-Communication?”

http://www.uis.edu/Communication/about/degree.html

Simon Fraser University (Canada) “What can I do with a degree in Communication?”

http://www.sfu.ca/career/documents/Communication%20Brochure.pdf

University of Windsor (Canada) “What can I do with a degree in Communication Studies?”

http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/commstudies/home.nsf/inToc/49EE622FCBED9C3D85257042006014F0? OpenDocument

All included testimonials are released with permission from those people featured Information contained in this booklet not to be used for commercial purposes

“Real People, Real Experiences: Communication Studies”

Booklet © N.D Bowman, 2009

Department of Communication Studies

Young Harris College For more information, contact ndbowman@yhc.edu