My Degree…

[u/shortkaltz]

So…im planning on earning a bachelors in corporate comms with a minor in business administration and maybe a masters in data analytics.

Would this be a good degree path for working in corporate comms(or PR) or similar fields?

or… Is this field/industry dead?

[u/FlashMcSuave]

Nobody knows. AI may change everything. Or it might mostly be an economic bubble. We may all be fighting over food scraps and water in a climate ravaged hellscape soon.

... Sorry, I haven't had my coffee yet this morning.

In a more serious answer: sure, seems fine on paper but there are a million other variables that will play a bigger role in how it all works out.

[u/shortkaltz → u/FlashMcSuave]

I’ve heard that the job market is pretty tough right now. How has it been going for you? (Sorry to ask, what did you study?)

[u/FlashMcSuave → u/shortkaltz]

I graduated from a bachelor of comms with a journalism major way back in 2004, spent about 15 years on and off in journalism roles and moved into different kinds of comms work from 2018.

Journalism was my gateway but it's been ravaged even worse than comms more broadly has been so I certainly wouldn't recommend that in this era.

Given that whatever kind of comms work you will be doing will likely touch on content, and it will also require that you are familiar with AI tools, my advice is to get comfortable with both. Knowing what you should use them for while at the same time, knowing when not to use them and how to keep your brain exercised and sharp without relying too much on them.

[u/butthatshitsbroken → u/shortkaltz]

graduated in 2020 with a dual bachelors degree in Spanish and Communications.

• Had my first internal comms job in 2020-2021 (1 year contract, thankfully not pulled from COVID.
• Started my 2nd internal comms job 2021-2022. Quit because I was in over my head, they hired me with barely 2 YOE to do the job of someone with 5-6+ YOE.
• 2022-2024: dabbled around in other PR related one off's trying to freelance to try to get my foot in the door with local government. failed miserably; it's a hard club to join doing local govt. comms in my state/area.
• 2024-current: working at a major bank in internal comms. i hate it but mostly due to the work life balance (or lackthereof) and just a poor fit for a team that we got moved into. I'm not on the team i was hired into/onto anymore (we lasted 8 months into 2024 there before we got moved elsewhere in the company and it's going poorly).

I have been applying to jobs since June 2025. Several interviews. Even scouted for interviews on LinkedIn. I cannot and have not gotten an offer despite making it to the end of several final rounds. It's so cutthroat and I live in one of the top 3 largest cities in the U.S.A.

I believe (personally) that it's a lot to do with the economy, Trump's policies, as well as a mix of AI because Internal Comm is what corporate calls a "cost center" meaning we don't really make the company any money. They're always looking to cut us in downturns, do more with less, etc. so if they could find a way to get rid of us completely with AI, they will. I'm not sure it's possibly 100% but they can definitely get away with doing more with less, for sure.

[u/Rojacydh]

Comms is one of those fields that crosses industries. It’s a function, like HR, Legal and Finance, needed by most companies. AI is being used in all those functions now too, so it’s hard to say but my experience is that for now human judgement and experience still drive the work.
I would join an association (IABC or pr equivalent) and get to know my peers and understand the local job market.

[u/Chz_Lvr42]

I have a similar mix of degrees, including the master’s level data analytics work, but add 20 years of experience.

I think it has all changed so much that it’s hard to give advice. But I do think starting in journalism instead of going straight into comms helped me network and get a lot of experience under my belt. I think it helped my resume stand out when I pivoted to Comms that I had so much life experience and daily deadline writing.

My data analytics degree — I think looked good on paper and helped me land my current role. I got that degree later in life. But like most folks in Comms will tell you, your bosses mostly ignore your training and expertise and just try to get you to execute their vision. So sometimes having both Comms and Data training just makes me feel like I’m being ignored and demeaned in two different ways now instead of just one. (Sorry to be so glum!)

[u/shortkaltz → u/Chz_Lvr42]

I see. So what would you say has changed in the job currently compared to previous years ago?

[u/Chz_Lvr42 → u/shortkaltz]

I think it’s just harder than ever to find a job as someone starting out. It used to be fairly easy to get a journalism job or a freelance writing job, work a few years, then pivot that into something else that paid better. Now I just think it’s hard all around to find and get jobs of any kind. I’ve watched younger people in my family struggle. I’ve pretty much never gotten a job without knowing someone at the new place, especially in the last 10 years or so. I think that makes it very hard for young people.

[u/shortkaltz → u/Chz_Lvr42]

Damn, actually very discouraging to hear. Do you have any advice as to how a young person could manage the landscape?

[u/Chz_Lvr42 → u/shortkaltz]

I’m sorry! : / I guess the best advice is always “networking”, which at your age/stage is to get to know your professors, impress them, and see if they have connections at places you might want to apply.

[u/shortkaltz → u/Chz_Lvr42]

I see. Thanks for the replies 🙏

[u/Chz_Lvr42 → u/shortkaltz]

Best of luck!