The somewhat exhaustive guide to comms jobs

Working in communications is fantastic. You will learn about different parts of your organisation, work with many people, and take on exciting challenges. There are lots of different comms jobs to consider.

I have written this blog post for a range of different people. Perhaps you're beginning your career or wanting to take a pivot. You could also be keen to get a better understanding of what other team members do.

In the long term, I recommend trying your hand at several different roles, particularly if you are keen to progress to comms manager jobs.

Remember that there are similarities across all communications roles. To communicate effectively, you need to create a strategy, know your audience, and decide on key messages.

You must also understand different communication channels. It's beneficial to have a bachelors degree. This could be in public relations, journalism, marketing or communications.

This blog post provides advice on how to write an effective communications strategy.

Here is my somewhat exhaustive guide to different comms jobs.

Media relations

Media relations jobs focus on working with the media. These team members work to ensure their organization receives positive media coverage. They also manage situations where the organization may receive negative portrayals.

On a day to day basis this can involve developing ideas for proactive positive coverage. This will likely involve writing press releases and potentially organising press conferences. You will also need to build relationships with journalists and respond to media queries. Another element of this job can include playing a leading role in crisis communications.

Roles in media are usually fast paced and can sometimes be a bit unpredictable. You never know when a media query will hit.

If you're applying for a media relations job, ask which media outlets the organisation wants to focus on. Learning how they manage out of hours media queries is also useful.

Internal communications

Internal communications roles tend to exist in larger organisations. In these roles, internal staff are your target audience. This can be as simple as letting people know about upcoming events.

Internal communications roles are crucially important when organisations are going through periods of change.

In a communications crisis, the internal communications team makes sure staff feel supported and informed. To be successful, you need to be able to work well with senior leaders right up to CEO level.

If you're applying for a job in internal communications, it's important to know how well the team works with senior leaders. It's a good sign if they work together to write a communication plan for staff.

Digital communications

Digital communications roles are all about pushing out information through digital channels. Some roles will include all digital channels such as websites, social media and EDMs. Other organisations might specify more and assign team members solely focused on just one of these channels. Digital communications roles usually involve developing content for various channels.

To be successful in a role like you need to work well with the tech team. They will keep you updated on changes to the website. If you have a good relationship with them you will get a chance to provide advice on how their plans will impact different audiences. Also important to stay across trends in the digital and social media space.

If you're applying for a digital communications job, ask which channels you'll be working on.

Marketing communications

Marketing communications roles support marketing activities that help to promote a company. This could be creating marketing materials, such as brochures or web pages, that support your organisation to sell different products.

These roles tend to be extremely customer focussed, linked to brand awareness and customer satisfaction. It's likely you will be working closely with the marketing team. You will also likely find yourself working with graphic designers and digital team members.

If you're applying for a marketing communications job, ask about the team's main goals to understand what you'll be focusing on. It's a good sign if these are specific and measurable.

Corporate communications

Corporate communications roles can vary depending on the organisation. They can span across both internal and external communications channels.

Some organizations have corporate communications teams that focus on managing their reputation and working closely with the media team. They may even take on some media relations tasks such as crisis communications.

In other organisations, corporate communications can be similar to an internal communications role.

Corporate communications roles tend to lead strategic tasks like defining communication objectives and creating a communication plan.

If you're applying for a corporate communications job ask about the team's priorities and what a typical day is like.

Communications manager

A comms manager job description will likely encompass various elements of the above roles. The manager typically leads a team composed of advisors who oversee various areas, such as digital, marketing, media, and internal communications. If this is the case, it makes sense that the manager understands the nuances of each role and has some knowledge themselves.

In larger organizations, they may lead a team focused on one specific area. The communications manager job description should make this clear.

Other helpful skills include strategic communication, manager skills, project management and operating in a fast paced environment.

If you are applying for a manager role, ask what support they offer to help you manage a team successfully. It would also be good to understand how well connected the communications team is to other parts of the organisation.