Jada Rojas
Professor Magas
Writing for PR copy
March 9, 2020
Why I Chose My Major In Communications
Why You Should Consider It Too
As we get older, I think one of our generation’s biggest fears is working a job that we’d consider boring. No one wants to spend the rest of their life sitting at the same desk… doing the same thing… for eight hours a day every day. If you want to do this, kudos to you! But personally, I dread the day of having a future where I am bored and hate the job that I have. This is the exact reason why I chose to major in communications. Working in a field like communications gives you so many varying pathways and opportunities to engage in different lines of work. It’s called the umbrella major for a reason. It is a field that requires fast-paced thinking and creativity—forcing you to step out of your comfort zone and think outside the box. If you are curious about what some of these jobs entail, let’s go through a couple that made me excited about choosing this major, and why you should too.
- Film & Production
One of the very first classes that I took as a freshman communications major was media production. If you find yourself to be someone who would like to engage in the magic that happens off-screen, being a communications major can teach you how to do so. You get to learn the different onset terms that workers in production use, how they write the scripts and screenplay for on-camera talent, and more. Most people believe that you strictly have to be a film major to learn the ropes, however, being a communications major allows you to engage in this kind of work as well as other cool jobs. You can get a taste of everything, which helps you find and narrow down what you really love to do even more.
- Journalism
If you are headed towards becoming a communications major, get ready to do a TON of writing. However, do not let the idea of having to constantly write fear you. It scared me a little bit at first too. But it’s not those boring papers that you dreaded handing into your teachers in high school. Engaging in journalism as a comm major can open the gate into writing about anything you desire! Whether it be a piece for a particular magazine on the latest gossip of your favorite celebrities or television shows, blog post, writing about political debates, or daily news updates that can be published in the papers or shared across social media. There is no limit — and if you get bored with one, there is always going to be something new to write about. It never gets boring! Depending on the piece, journalism basically allows you to get paid to either express your opinion, or write the facts. Who wouldn’t wanna get paid for that?!
- Anchoring & On-Screen Talent
You dream and see yourself on the big screen? Well, acting classes are not the only way to end up there. With a communications major you can take anchoring and reporting classes and learn what it is like to be on the on-camera talent. Not only can you develop the behind the scenes skills that I previously stated, but you can learn and practice what it takes to be on-air reporting content on camera. Let the world in on your amazing personality and make a career out of doing so. This is just another intriguing and exciting form of work that one can learn once becoming a comm major. You can trust that you’ll never be bored, look at all these amazing options so far!
- Writing for Advertisement
Get the creative juices flowing! Another one of my favorite branches of the communications department that I have dabbled in is writing for advertisements. Through this, you can develop the knowledge and skills on how to both promote and build on a particular brand or product. It allows you to either work individually or with a team and come up with ideas that no one else has thought of before. It enables you to keep your mind fresh and really dig deep into your imagination and creativity. With millions of products and companies to promote, work can be something different each day. You won’t be stuck sitting at your desk all day bored trying to make yourself seem busy. You will learn how to construct commercials, radio ads, television ads, or even newspaper and magazine advertisements. This was actually one of the very first classes that made me realize I had chosen the right major in college. We always worked on something new each class and it forced me to dig deep with my imagination and creativity. Your ideas and projects could be so unique and attention-drawing that they end up on a billboard in your favorite city, land on a big screen in Times Square, or be shown to people worldwide. Your brilliance and creativity will be shared and viewed by many. All while getting PAID.
- Writing for Public Relations
Engaging in public relations is probably one of the most stimulating and riveting occupations that someone can get themselves into. The drama that could arise from working in this field is what makes it so exciting — my fingers tingle just typing about it. Working in the public relations field forces you to be on your toes while staying on top of everything. This includes the latest stories, news media, trends on social media, and so much more. It enables you to learn how to be organized and create a solution in a time of chaos. Whether you work in celebrity PR or do PR for a particular brand or company, you can use all the other elements of communications that you have learned throughout your major and apply it to this job. With technology and social media becoming so prominent, it becomes easier for companies, celebrities, politicians, and other big-name brands to run into trouble. This is where PR workers swoop in and save the day. We are NEEDED! You’d be surprised by the stories or mishaps that you will have to work on to create a possible solution. It can get hectic, but that is what makes it so exciting and intriguing.
These are only five different reasons on why I became a Communications major, and five major reasons on why you should do. Communication majors can be very slept on, but people do not realize what it takes to engage in all these practices and be good at them. You develop skills that you can put forth in any job you obtain. The constant change in our world and society is what keeps this field and your job so exciting and different each day.
