Students majoring in mass communications can expect to receive theoretical knowledge and practical communication skills that are critical in the workplace. Courses included in a mass communications degree program may cover topics such as journalism, business writing, media outlets and oral and visual communications. Students with a mass communications degree can seek a wide range of career opportunities, such as public relations, professional writing and marketing.

Copy Editor

The primary responsibility of a copy editor is to prepare content for publications in magazines, books and newspapers. Copy editors rewrite and revise the copy of writers so that readers can easily understand it. Many editors start their careers as writers before transitioning into editing. While reviewing copy, editors look for grammatical errors, misspellings and punctuation problems. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers looking for copy editors typically hire individuals with degrees in communications, journalism or English. To effectively carry out their job duties, copy editors depend on creativity, critical thinking, communication and writing skills.

Lobbyist

Working as a lobbyist is another career option available to individuals with a degree in mass communications. Lobbyists work for a variety of entities, such as small and large organizations, nonprofits and individual clients. The primary goal of a lobbyist is to convince politicians to vote in the best interest of the organization the lobbyist represents. To achieve this goal, lobbyists must communicate well and master the art of persuasion. Lobbyists often meet with congressmen to present their case through the use of polls, graphs and reports. According to the Princeton Review, a critical component of their job is to maintain good relationships with politicians, making effective communication vitally important.

Advertising Sales Agent

Advertising sales agents try to sell ad space to prospective clients. These agents spend much time out of the office meeting with clients. During client meetings, sales agents explain to clients how advertising products and services will help increase the client’s sales. Time spent in the office usually consists of making phone calls to secure business, creating promotional plans and sales literature and processing paperwork related to new and existing customers. The ability to effectively communicate is a skill critical to the success of a sales agent. Other key traits include initiative, organizational skills and persistence.

News Broadcaster

News broadcasters, frequently called reporters, report news events on television, radio and through similar media outlets. These reporters typically cover a particular story. They often travel to the location where the event occurred and conduct interviews to investigate the story and report on it. When a new story breaks, news broadcasters often work long hours under stressful conditions to meet deadlines and be the first to report the story. Many communication programs offer courses in journalistic ethics and teach students how research stories and accurately report them.