School is back in session! As you all prepare to get back in the groove I wanted to share some advice for my college students out there earning degrees in Communications. Listen up! Let me break it down for you…this major helps you perfect your soft skills.

You.

Need.

Hard skills!

But don’t fret. You can get these much needed hard skills one of two ways! First, you can add a minor. Accounting, Business, Chemistry – SOMETHING! Even if you’re not good at it, that’s ok. Challenge yourself and give yourself a leg up on the competition.

The second way you can earn your hard skills is to get real world experience through internships. When I was in college I had the unfortunate misconception that all internships were unpaid (My parents were both teachers – forgive me. I didn’t know any better). So, I spent my summers checking and bagging at the local grocery store to earn extra cash. I should have been applying for internships in the agency or corporate world instead. Those internships are typically paid. The ones that aren’t paid, are most likely non-profit internships. Also, let me squash another misconception I’ve heard – Summer is not the only time companies offer internships. You can take part in internships all year long. Find something close to your school and work it into your semester schedule.

You need a variety of internships to make yourself valuable, so chances are some will pay and some will not. If you are a communications major, there are four areas you should get experience in.

1. Agency (public relations or advertising)
2. Corporate (communications, marketing, human resources)
3. Non-profit
4. Politics/Government

This will not only help you figure out which environment fits you the best, but you will become a more well-rounded candidate when start applying for jobs.

I hope that helps! Comment if you have questions.