A degree in Journalism and mass communication will open many doors to a wide variety of careers across media, communication, and public-facing industries. Journalism and mass communication degree will introduce you to many subjects like Public relations, Photography, Anchoring, Content Writing, Advertising, Print media & Digital media, Media management, etc.
Your path depends on your interests, whether they lean more towards journalism, corporate communication, or entertainment. In this particular educational writing, I listed some career options you can choose from.
Public Relations Officer
Another best career in the field of journalism and mass communication. In this job profile, you will be asked to maintain the company’s reputation and image through various strategies. People with keen communication skills must opt Public Relations Officer as a career.
Sound Engineer
A Sound engineer is a profession people are not much familiar with, as it is not a traditional profession. You start your Career in Sound Engineering by accepting freelancing work in your final years of college to gain expertise. A professional Engineer earns as much as an MBA graduate with a good salary package.
You need to learn technical skills and practical skills to record, mix, and manipulate the sound for various applications, film, live events, and music.
Usually work in studios, live events, and are responsible for high-quality audio or music.
News Reporter / Journalist
The responsibility of a news reporter or journalist is to collect stories, write them, and publish them.
Making a career as a news reporter is a good alternative for someone who likes to be involved with other minds. The skill set required to be a journalist includes strong communication skills, research, fact-checking ability, and the capability for effective interviewing.
Media houses are looking for extroverted people for such a job profile.
Editor / Proofreader
An Editor & Proofreader plays an important role in ensuring that written content is clear, accurate, engaging, and impeccable.
These careers suit people with strong language skills, attention to detail, and a love for words.
An Editor & Proofreader is not the same, though their responsibilities are quite different from each other. The Editor focuses on the content structure, tone, and clarity of the content, whereas a Proofreader reviews the final copy for surface-level errors (spelling, punctuation, grammar, formatting).
Proofreading involves glancing at the writing before it gets published.
A good command of the language and good knowledge of grammar are required to be in this profession after a journalism and mass communication course.
Scriptwriter / Screenwriter
Scriptwriters create interesting shows for you to watch. A highly respectable and lucrative job for one who loves to express themselves through writing.
Video Editor
One of my friends is interested in editing videos and pictures. Should he opt video editor as a full-time career? A student asked in career counselling, held in my school.
You should go for a career that you like. The work you like to do regularly to earn a living is the best thing in the world. Wake in the morning, happy to go to work, what else do you want in life? Replied the counsellor.
YouTube/ Vlogging Professional
After completing the journalism and mass communication degree, many of the creative minds choose vlogging as a career rather than join the corporate world.
YouTube vlogging as a profession can be highly rewarding for the BJMC graduate. You would enjoy monetization potential, creative freedom, and Global reach after becoming a YouTuber
SEO/SEM Specialist
A SEO/SEM specialist is a digital marketing professional who optimizes websites for organic and paid search engine ranking
It is in high demand as organisations and companies desire to build their image online in an organic way. They want someone who manages both SEO/SEM strategies to improve online visibility, drive targeted traffic, and boost business growth.
News Anchor / TV Presenter
Respectable career in the journalism and mass communication field.
As a News anchor in a show, your responsibilities are presenting shows, hosting television shows, conducting interviews, writing scripts for various news segments, providing commentary and collaborating with reporters, and working in the field.
Content Writer / Copywriter
Content writing and copywriting are very popular careers to opt for after receiving a Journalism and mass communication degree. There are many different types of niches that you can do at a professional level.
People are in need of content writers and copywriters as they are looking for human-written content in a world where AI rules the world but makes mistakes simultaneously.
TV/Film Director or Producer
Many eminent directors we know do really well in this particular field. Farha Khan is one of the well-known female directors who has directed many films in her career.
Media Planner
Someone who is a marketing and advertising professional responsible for deciding how, when, and where a brand’s message will be delivered to the target audience.
Must opt for Media planner as a profession after a 3-year or 5-year degree in journalism and mass communication, if you have strong analytical and quantitative skills, knowledge of media platforms and digital marketing, communication & negotiable abilities, proficiency with tools like Google Analytics, Nielsen, Comscore, etc.
Photojournalist
If you are familiar with the ability to capture images, tell stories, you are made for this profession. A photojournalist’s job is to wander across the world to search for incidents & stories and capture photographs.
Social Media Specialist
Someone who creates engaging and relevant content across different platforms to enhance a company’s online or digital presence is a Social media specialist.
They are also responsible for monitoring the performance metrics and interacting with followers.
A social media specialist must be familiar with a little understanding of almost everything that is required to make a company’s digital image robust. A strong understanding of social media and its algorithms is a basic but essential skill required to be a social media specialist.
Apart from this. Creative and engaging content creation skills, interpersonal skills, writing skills, and communication skills are required as well. Experience with social media analytics tools and software is looking at a demand by companies.
What to do for a Successful Career in Journalism & Mass Communication?
If someone is looking to establish his or her career in the journalism field, the very first step is to pursue a degree in mass communication. Many educational institutions offer 3-year or 5-year programmes to interested children.
You can also pursue post-graduation in the same field to acquire and enhance your knowledge in media. Companies are always in search of candidates with having post-graduation degree.
Grab every opportunity that comes across your path to gain experience in the media industry. Internships and freelancing work in writing, storytelling, and photography put weight in your resume and curriculum vitae and are admired by companies to applying for.
Writing a YouTube video script or documentary, writing a news article for a media house, and editing videos for anyone who offers you a certificate will help you build a career in the journalism field. The more you develop skills in yourself, the greater your chances of being selected by companies will be.
Networking is the cornerstone of building your career, especially in the media and journalism industry. Building connections with mentors, peers, and media professionals through attending workshop media events is a great way to make networks.
A social platform like LinkedIn is an eminent application to connect with like-minded people. Similarly, Twitter, currently X, encourages you as a media student to engage with live events, current affairs, technology, and significant media trends.
The field is highly compatible. As a media student or professional, you are required to polish your skills and keep learning new technical skills. These skills make you stand out in the crowd.
Moreover, soft skills are equally significant for a media professional.
Conclusion
At the end of the writing, I would say media graduates can opt for any profession according to their interests. With the rise of digital platforms, it is easy to apply for a job or internship at companies.
Job opportunities in writing or social media professions, the Mass communication and journalism degree will open up various paths to a successful career.