3/7/2018 Considering Communication

Considering Communication

Blog Article #10: Because using social media is part

of your job!
I’m sure you are all familiar with this scenario: you’re in a boring class, your teacher is lecturing about
some confusing concept that you don’t care about, and all you want to do is leave. You start to think of
how you plan to make it through class without falling asleep. You pull out your phone and scroll
through Facebook.

Photo from makeawebsitehub.com

Social media has become a critical facet of our lives. As of right now, there are 2.3 billion social media
users around the world (https://www.statista.com/topics/1164/social-networks/). This is an
astounding statistic, since since social media is still such a new part of the internet user experience. I
think I can speak for most milennials when I say that social media is very important to us. It keeps us up
to date with what is going on around the world, what is going on with our friends and family, and
archives our pictures and interactions with others.
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Among many other reasons, communication is an excellent field to pursue because it is extremely related
to the inner workings of social media. Think about this: every company needs exposure. Every company
needs clients, and the main way people find out about a company’s service is through social media.
Every time you see the “Promoted” tag on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, this is because a social media
strategist at that company designed that advertisement and chose to target it toward a specific social
media audience.

Social media managers are responsible for making sure that a company’s publics understand what that
company is all about. Let’s say that I am a social media manager for McDonald’s. I would post on all of
its social media accounts about its new menu items, deals, and just engaging company information.

Like I discussed in the last post (https://kaylajschorr.wordpress.com/2016/11/17/do-i-need-higher-

education-to-get-a-job-in-communication/), these social media positions are attainable entry level jobs.
Although they may not have the best pay, obtaining a social media position could lead to working your
way up in the company over time. The communication major can lead to many jobs, but if you end up as
a social media manager, checking Facebook will be part of your job, and not just a distraction.

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Reference:

“Statistics and Facts About Social Networks.” Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/1164/social-

networks/ (https://www.statista.com/topics/1164/social-networks/)

kaylaschorr
November 18, 2016November 30, 2016

Blog Article #9: Do I need higher education to get a

job in communication?
Since you are still in high school, you are probably hearing all about what everyone around you wants to
do when they grow up. I’m sure you’ve heard it all. I remember hearing all about the “future doctors of
America” or “women in engineering” in high school. At your point in the educational system, people
have very idealistic visions for their futures.

I am not here to say that your peers will not be able to become the doctors, scientists, engineers, or
whatever else that they aspire to be. However, at your age, students do not really consider how much
schooling goes into these professions.

Let’s look at a medical profession, for example. First of all, to even be accepted into medical school,
students must maintain an extremely reputable GPA all throughout college. Then, they must get into
medical school, complete 4 years of medical school, do a 3 year residency, and then go through even
more schooling even if they want to specialize.

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My point here is not to scare you. My point is to show that although it is helpful to pursue higher
education after you earn your communication degree, communication jobs
(https://kaylajschorr.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/what-is-the-communication-major/) are actually
very attainable right out of college.

Photo from funnyclone.com

So, what should my plan be?

According to Tyler Page (https://www.comm.umd.edu/people/graduate-student/page),

communication professor at University of Maryland, the best track to ensure success is to take an entry
level communication job after graduation. These jobs typically involve social media strategizing,
blogging, creating media lists, writing press releases, and other work that does not run any company
risks. After jumping around a few of these kinds of jobs, it may be a good idea to further your
communication education to become an executive at one of these companies. This is where grad school
comes in.

In summary, entry-level communication jobs do not expect more than an undergraduate degree. And
after sampling out a bunch of these kinds of jobs, you can then assess what realm of communication you
would want to study in grad school, if you decide to go. However, the fact that grad school is not
completely necessary is a huge plus.

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kaylaschorr
November 17, 2016November 30, 2016

Blog Article #8: Linking you to the future: The

Grunig Gala
You have probably come to realize throughout this blog that the communication major truly values
professional development. As you may remember, one of the major communication/public relations
societies here at Maryland is Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
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(https://kaylajschorr.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/what-extracurricular-activities-can-i-get-involved-in-
within-the-communication-major/). While PRSSA hosts many events throughout the year, there is one
annual event that truly stands out among others for its outstanding link to the professional world of
communication: The Grunig Gala.

What is it?

For starters, the Grunig Gala (http://www.gruniggala.com/) is an event that welcomes all
communication majors to network with local public relations/communication professionals, engage in
roundtable conversations, and listen to renowned keynote speakers. The event was created by Dr.
Elizabeth Toth to honor the works of James and Larissa Grunig, former UMD communication professors.
Each year, a team of about 8 communication students plans this large event, which culminates in a
dinner and professional evening with local professionals.

Baltimore Ravens PR Manager Chad Steele speaks at the Grunig Gala. Photo from
gruniggala.com.

Who is there?

The ninth annual Grunig Gala took place in October, and there were around 30 different communication
professionals there from different companies. There were many representatives from large scale PR firms
(such as Edelman, Ketchum, and Fleishman Hillard), but also, there were many PR/communication
professionals from the internal departments of several companies. This year, representatives from the PR
teams of the National Museum of American History, Baltimore Ravens, and Lockheed Martin came to
speak with Grunig Gala attendees. All of the professionals at the Grunig Gala are willing to offer advice
about the world of communication, and even asnwer questions about upcoming internship
opportunities.

So, why does this mean that I should major in communication?

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Like I’ve mentioned in other posts, the communication majors offers ample opportunities for
professional development. When deciding what to choose as a college major, it is obviously important to
be passionate about what you choose to study. That being said, it is also important to remain practical.
Many majors do not offer a promising path toward a specific field, and simply educate students about a
topic. Communication is different, in that it is a skill, not just a topic. There is also value in the fact that
the communication department truly wants all of its students to graduate with jobs, which is why it
holds many different opportunities (such as the Grunig Gala) to help with this objective.

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kaylaschorr
November 17, 2016November 30, 2016

Blog Article #7: Another communication club: UCA

Alright, I know I may have gotten a little carried away during the last post when I discussed PRSSA. I’m
sorry if that was a lot to take in. I just have personally taken advantage of many of PRSSA’s services, and
can only say amazing things about this communication society. Because I really do feel that
extracurriculars are very important to the full communication experience, this post will discuss another
one of Maryland’s communication clubs: the Undergraduate Communication Association.

Photo from
ucamaryland.weebly.com

About UCA

Undergraduate Communication Association, or UCA, is a student-led organization that is more tailored

to the communication major as a whole. According to its website, “UCA works directly between
students and faculty to build connections, provide a deeper understanding of the field of communication
and position students for internship acquisition and overall success.”

Whereas as PRSSA is more of a bridge to the professional world, UCA helps communication build
necessary skills in order to succeed in communication. In addition to networking events that encompass
a broad spectrum of communication positions, UCA offers many resources to students, such a resume
critiques, software tutorials (InDesign, Photoshop, etc.), and designing e-portfolios.

“I wanted to get more involved in my major and challenge myself to take on a leadership position,” said
UCA president Meredith Guerinot. “Since joining UCA I have met so many great people in the
communication department, networked with alumni, learned a plethora of new skills I will use in my
future career and had fun working alongside fellow board members.”
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Why this is valuable

When looking for a job, applicants need to show that they are passionate about the field they are
pursuing. Although Maryland has myriad clubs and societies to join, getting involved within a
communication society is valuable, because it shows that you want to explore communication outside of
your mandatory coursework.
Aside from its resourcefulness to communication, UCA provides very relevant skills to just about
anyone. The communication major itself teaches innumerable skills that assist with any kind of career
development. Because resume writing, mock interviewing, and website building are forms of
communication, these topics are emphasized within both the major and communication clubs.
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Reference:
“About UCA.” Undergraduate Communication Association. http://ucamaryland.weebly.com/about-
uca.html (http://ucamaryland.weebly.com/about-uca.html)
kaylaschorr
November 17, 2016November 30, 2016

Blog Article #6: What extracurricular activities can I

get involved in within the communication major?
In the last post (https://kaylajschorr.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/what-classes-should-i-take-in-high-
school-to-prepare-for-the-communication-major/), we talked about how to prepare yourself in high
school for the communication major by taking relevant classes. Although most of your classes in college
will be relevant to your major, we are going to talk about how to get even more involved within the
realm of communication.

In high school, your day is evenly divided between academic instruction, social time, electives, lunch,
and all that other good stuff. While the school day takes up about 7 hours of the day, there is a lot of
down time throughout the day. In college, this is not at all the case. The only structure in your schedule
is your class schedule. Most days, college students only have an average of three classes per day. It is
very important in college to get more involved on campus, so that your schedule does not only consist of
class time and homework. Here are a few ways to advance your knowledge of communication in
extracurricular activities.

Public Relations Student Society of America

Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has been a great resource for me when seeking PR
internship and networking with other communication students. According to their website, “The Public
Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is the foremost organization for students interested in
public relations and communications. We seek to advance the public relations profession by nurturing
generations of future professionals.” At Maryland, PRSSA holds many events to connect communication
students to professionals in the field. Whether we are meeting with alumni, networking with local PR
professions, or even just discussing PR issues in the world, PRSSA provides a great environment for
communication students.

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“PRSSA really is a great resource for communication and PR students alike,” said advisor and professor
Susan Simon. “You do not have to be on the PR track to join, and we do see a lot of general
communication majors find a passion for PR within this society.”

As a member of this club, I would highly recommend taking advantage of this great resource as a
communication major. The world of communication is very broad, but joining something like PRSSA can
help you figure out exactly how you want to fit into this professional field.

Photo from umdprssa.weebly.com

Word Count: 379

Reference:

“About PRSSA.” Public Relations Student Society of America. http://prssa.prsa.org/about/.

kaylaschorr
November 15, 2016November 30, 2016

Blog Article #5: What classes should I take in high

school to prepare for the communication major?
Communication is a broad major that offers opportunities in a variety of fields. Are you sick of hearing
this yet? (https://kaylajschorr.wordpress.com/2016/11/09/blog-article-3-shouldnt-i-major-in-
something-more-prestigious/) I know it may sound repetitive, but I would not keep making this point if
I truly didn’t mean it. Communication really does play a role in every job. If you are already passionate
about pursuing communication in college, I would recommend taking a few classes in high school to
meet your fullest potential in college.

Journalism

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Many communication related jobs involve correspondence with journalists. Although it may seem as
though journalists write their own pieces, they often rely on communication specialists for information.
In other words, let’s say I am a public relations official for University of Maryland. Let’s say that this
year, University of Maryland improved its diversity statistics this year after finalizing acceptance
decisions for the upcoming academic year. This is a very notable accomplishment for Maryland because
it shows that the university celebrates people from all ethnicities, races and cultures. As the PR
representative, I would then write a press release (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-to-write-a-
press-release-with-examples/) about Maryland’s increase in diversity and send it to local journalists in
order to boost the university’s reputation. This press release would need to be written in proper
journalistic format, which is very different from regular literary writing. If communication majors took
journalism in high school, they would be better prepared for the assignments they will need to complete
in college.

Photo from selfpublishingrelief.com

Creative Writing

As a communication major, you will often need to come up with creative leads and ideas to help
promote certain business ventures. While some people may find that coming up with creative taglines
and slogans may come easy to them, it is often very difficult to develop this creatively organically. I took
a creative writing class in high school that taught how to think outside of the box and develop creativity
within groups. Although it may sound trivial, creativity really does set one job applicant apart from
another. If you have the ability to develop this sense of creativity early, I would definitely recommend
harnessing it early so you can succeed within the communication major and beyond.

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Reference:

James, Geoffrey. “How To Write a Press Release.” CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-to-

write-a-press-release-with-examples/

kaylaschorr
November 11, 2016November 30, 2016

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Blog Article #4: What’s the most meaningful thing

you’ve gotten out of the major so far?
I feel that my experience in the communication major has really prepared me for my future. Since I am
on the public relations track (https://kaylajschorr.wordpress.com/2016/11/09/blog-article-2-what-
kinds-of-classes-will-i-take/), my answer to this question may be more relevant to someone pursuing
this specific field.

Portfolio

Two semesters ago, I took the most rigorous class of my entire life. It was called News Writing and
Reporting for Public Relations. Everything about this class was challenging (I know, I’m doing a great job
of persuading you to pursue this major!). It was a long class, we had a ton of assignments, the directions
were unclear, and the professor expected nothing short of excellence. At the end of the semester, all
students were required to submit an intensive portfolio that included all of our work from throughout
the semester. We were required to re-write all of our work with the necessary edits and write additional
essays about our revision processes. Although this project took a very extensive amount of time to
complete and perfect, I now have tangible evidence of everything I learned from this class. I have even
showed this binder to employers, who have all seemed extremely impressed by the work I did as just a
sophomore inn the public relations department.

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Photo courtesy of Kayla Schorr

Online Profile

In the succeeding class after News Writing and Reporting for Public Relations, I took News Editing. In this
class, one of our major assignments required students to create an online portfolio
(http://kaylaschorr.weebly.com/) of our work. Because communication/public relations is quickly
becoming a very digitized profession, it is important to gain an online presence. Designing this personal
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website was also very valuable because it gives student a leg-up when applying to jobs. Employers are
very eager to see the kind of work students have been working on throughout their college careers,
especially the work they are most proud of. I feel that with all of my coursework and projects, I have
compiled s very impressive and valuable package that I can show employers when I apply for jobs.
Though both the online profile and and binder portfolio were difficult assignments, both of these
endeavors have resulted in very positive experiences, and have boosted the reputation of both the
communication and public relations departments.

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Reference:

kaylaschorr.weebly.com

kaylaschorr
November 10, 2016December 1, 2016

Considering Communication
Blog at WordPress.com.

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