|
"Exploring" My Site |
Mike’s Communication Job Hunting
Site This is a sampling of the sites that look
the most promising for communication students, both graduate and
undergraduate. ·
Not by the
‘net alone: Nothing beats wearing
out a little shoe leather and making connections with professionals in the
field through internships, interviews, and other experiences. ·
A rose by
any other name: Remember that “communication” jobs fall
under a variety of names. Also know
that many of the lists below, even those specific to something like journalism, often have postings for jobs across the field
(e.g., PR). So, be creative in searching. Some key words: communication, communications specialist,
writer, editor, advertising, advertising copywriter, marketing, public
affairs, account executive, public relations, etc. ·
Don’t Fence
Yourself In: National sites feature national opportunities; you
may want to work in Philadelphia, but be open to jobs around the East Coast
and beyond. ·
Nothing
ventured…: Many of the sites
contain ads for experienced professionals (a plus for Professional
Communication students). Many of you
won’t have 10 years’ experience and qualify for a senior VP position. But I wouldn’t dismiss those ads that ask
for anything from 1-5 years. If you’ve had some killer internships or other
experience, are passionate and knowledgeable about the organization, and
think you can talk your way into the job, go for it. Word On the
Street:
We
have over 25 years worth of alumni, plus a lot of friends and supporters, who
want to hire La Salle people. They
send us their job opportunities, and we post them here. Links below updated and verified June 22, 2007—New sites added! General Job Hunting
Sites and Career Information Annual Surveys of
Journalism and Mass Communication: For a number of years,
researchers have tracked the employment and salaries of communication
graduates around the country. This
site, housed at the University of Georgia, reports on job data from the
previous year’s class (so, 2005 report is for the class of 2004) Great data on entry-level salaries and
employment rates for graduates. Good
news: La Salle grads ranked a little
above the national average in both rate of employment and salary. You may have to search a little, because
the site also contains enrollment data for mass communication
departments. Monster @ philly.com: Updated site! Yes,
Virginia, you can find work in Philly. The Philadelphia Inquirer is the first
newspaper in the country to team with Monster to offer localized job search
services. Be creative with your key word search and
you might unearth a number of local communication-related jobs. In addition, this site features career,
work and job-hunting advice and a nifty salary calculator—an invaluable tool
when negotiating for that first paycheck.
A recent career tip from this site:
Seniors should schedule some classes before 9:00 a.m. so they can get
used to the typical work week schedule.
College
Journal: The Wall Street Journal’s college web
site. Offers lots of job hunt , resume, and career development advice. Search feature turned up over 1000 jobs
nationwide for the keyword “Corporate Communication.” I’m not sure how many of those were
actually communication jobs, but it’s a start. CareerJournal: This
is the Wall Street Journal’s site for
grown-up job-hunters. Offers advice on
everything from salary negotiation to changing careers, as well as leads on
what industry sectors are hiring. Yahoo!
Hot Jobs: A good portal to all sorts of jobs. Note that Advertising/PR is one of the
industry categories listed on the home page.
Idealist: A job site
for those interested in nonprofit organizations. The search covers a number of categories,
including advertising, events management, fundraising, public relations,
human resources, and more. Includes
international listings. Jobs in Sports: This is a
subscription site that covers a variety of positions in sports. You can see some sample listings, but the
full Monty will cost you nearly $30 a month.
A trial subscription is cheaper.
Although there are a number of jobs that are not
communication-related, there were a few PR/Marketing/Broadcasting jobs in the
sample listings. Journalist's
Tool Box: Don’t let the name mislead you: this is a
wonderful site for anyone interested in news, current events, writing, or
mass communication. This part of the
site is a portal for a number of job sites in journalism, broadcasting, and
public relations, as well as general job search and career advice sites. La Salle Career
Services: Career Services can assist you in a number of ways,
from resume preparation to job leads.
Be sure to check out The Vault,
an online job and career research resource sponsored by La Salle’s Career
Services Center and Connelly Library.
If you wondered what you can do with a Communication degree, The Vault
might be able to help. La
Salle University Employment: Just don’t want to leave the nest, eh? Or are you eyeing the tuition remission
benefit to start your graduate career?
Either way, this site lists current jobs at La Salle. Media Bistro: This was a
hard site to categorize. It leans
toward writers of all kinds, with an emphasis on freelancers. However, the job postings include some PR,
Advertising, New Media Production (good for DART majors/minors) and assorted
other communication positions. Monster.com: If you want to search nationally, beyond the
Philly Inquirer’s Monster link, this site has lots of listings, lots of job-hunting resources. La Salle University has an account with a
“Monster” alternative site. You can
access that here. Click on “Search for Jobs and
Internships,” then find La Salle University on the list of schools. MSN
Careers: This site is actually powered by CareerBuilder.com,
but offers different content on job hunting and career development. NonProfit Times: This site
offers a nation-wide listing of jobs in the nonprofit sector. There are many for which communication
majors qualify. Note that among the
categories of jobs you can search are those in public broadcasting. However, I think there are many jobs for
public relations and human communication students, too. A quick search revealed 244 jobs with some
connection to communication. Occupational
Outlook: Can I get a job? This question can be at least partly
answered by the U.S. government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational
Outlook annual. This publication lists
hundreds of jobs (including those in communication), what people do in those
jobs, and the outlook for short- and long-term employment. For example, we know that the employment for
PR people is going to grow faster than average through 2014, although
entry-level competition will be keen. Thanks
to Karla Donohoe for this site. Resume Tips: Caveat emptor, here—this site is clearly designed
to sell a book. But it also offers
some free tips and examples of resumes for a variety of different
fields. If you’re looking for
inspiration, this might be a place to start.
Salary.com: So, can you
get paid in your profession?
Sure! But how much you’re paid
depends on a variety of factors. This
site gives you ballpark figures for a variety of jobs, including some
communication professions. Having some
idea of how much you’re could be paid can help you judge the quality of an
offer. Use this only as a guideline;
salaries are influenced by a number of things. This link takes you to the home page;
you’ll likely want to choose one of the personal options for computing your
salary. USA
JOBS: This is the
official site of the U.S. Government’s Personnel Office. There are a number of ways to search, and I
found jobs in audio-visual production as well as a number in public affairs
or public information (the government’s terms for public relations). Public Relations and
Advertising Advertising/Public
Relations @ About.com: A portal for all kinds of information. It used to be a PR site, but now features
mainly advertising tips. Two links to
explore (along the left side of the page) are “career source” and “PR
jobs.” Warning: annoying pop-up ads can mar your trip
around this site. Adweek.com:
Advertising Week is one of the leading magazines in the industry. This site offers both a free and paid
subscription service. Nice search
engine, some job hunting and resume tips.
American Advertising Federation: One
of the largest trade groups in advertising.
This link takes you to the home page of the organization’s job hunt
page. Follow the instructions there
for searching. College and University
Public Relations Association of Pennsylvania (CUPRAP):
New Site! One of
the few state level associations for college and university PR professionals,
this site offers a variety of PR and marketing jobs at universities around
the state. Thanks to Jean Dolan, MA
student and Bucks County Community College PR pro. Cornerbarpr.com: Ok, I know this sounds like a dream job for you—working in a corner
bar doing PR. But this site is
actually a great down-to-earth PR resource for anyone interested in the
business. It’s PR with an attitude—and
a link to a good job hunting site (now supported by Workinpr.com—see link
below). Sue Shaw, an alumnus who
recommended the site to me, claimed that it helped her maintain sanity during
a long job hunt. The “jobs” link is
in small print on the left side of the page.
International
Association of Business Communicators: This is the leading
organization for people interested in corporate communication, with a good
dose of public relations jobs in the mix.
As an international organization, IABC lists jobs from all over the
world. The IABC
Philadelphia chapter also offers a job site for those who don’t want
to leave the area. O’Dwyer’s
PR Daily: What a pleasant surprise to find that O’Dwyer’s has stopped charging for its job service. There are two different resources
here: PR Jobs
Board lists dozens of jobs from around the country; the Directory of PR
Firms gives you online access to firms around the country; you can
visit their Web sites to see if they’re hiring. Opportunity Knocks: This
site is devoted to nonprofit job opportunities around the country. If you use the “advanced search” feature,
you can pick a job title that most closely matches what you seek. You can also search by state. In addition to communication/public
relations, Communication graduates might be interested in marketing/sales,
human resources, education/teaching, and the like. Opportunities
in Public Affairs: A joint listing of Washington DC area jobs
and entry level positions in public relations from around the country. The DC
area list also includes broadcasting and journalism jobs. Note: This site offers some “teaser” ads, but to
view the full list, you need to subscribe to the service. However, the last time I reviewed the
public relations section, there were 19 interesting jobs; if you go back to
the list regularly, you might find some good opportunities. Pennsylvania
Public Relations Society: New Site! A PR association based largely in the middle of PA,
the organization offers a variety of professional development opportunities
and a job board. You must create an
account, but viewing the listings is free.
Another good source is the annual member survey, which offers a “local”
profile of salaries, education levels, and career advancement. Philadelphia Cultural
Alliance Job Bank: This is a resource for all of the cultural
institutions (museums, theatres, etc.) in the Delaware Valley. A number of public relations, marketing,
and development jobs are listed. Click
on “search for a job.” Thanks to Jean
Dolan. Philadelphia
Public Relations Association: PPRA is the oldest urban public relations
association in the nation. A great place
to network, PPRA also lists some jobs on-line. Ten jobs were listed at press time, and joining
the organization allows you to network.
PR Network: The site
offers an e-mail newsletter (PR and Marketing Jobsgram)
as well as the opportunity to search the jobs database, powered by Media
Bistro. You need to register, but the
service is free for job seekers. PR
Week: PR Week is a leading public relations
industry trade magazine. This site
boasts a range of industries and job opportunities. You need to register to use it, but it
appears to be a free service. Public
Relations Society of America: PRSA is the foremost professional
association for PR folks. The site
lists a variety of jobs, although they tend to be mid-management and above
with the occasional entry-level position.
The site also offers other resources for job hunters, but you may have
to pay a fee if you’re not a PRSA member.
(The Public Relations Student Society of America—PRSSA—also
offers a job site; however, the listings are only for PRSSA members. But you can check out a variety of job
hunting tips at the Resources
site.) The Philadelphia
Chapter of the PRSA offers a free job listing for members; at last
check, the job listing newsletter is $45 for nonmembers. The job listing
email sometimes features as many as 30-40 listings. WorkinPR.com: The site’s title says it all. This site is dedicated to public relations
jobs of all kinds. Allows you to
search for jobs by region or specialty.
You can post a resume for review and critique, and get valuable
information about the field. Communintelligence: A
relatively new Web site that offers an online “community” for public
relations, organizational communication, and interpersonal communication
professionals. In addition to the jobs
page, there are online discussion boards for various professionals. Journalism, Mass
Media, Media Sales Corporation
for Public Broadcasting: For jobs in public broadcasting—radio and
television—around the country. Can
also contain information about promotion jobs, not just production and
editorial positions. Entertainment Careers: This
site is for all sorts of entertainment industries (film, TV, records) and
jobs (production, sales, public relations, etc.). Also a good site for internships and low-no
pay jobs (otherwise known as your foot-in-the-door). Journalism
Jobs.com: This site, co-sponsored by the Columbia Journalism
Review, offers a comprehensive search engine for a variety of journalism,
media, and public relations jobs. The
site also offers links to industry information, updates on the journalism job
market, and job hunting tips. Mandy:
No, not the title to Barry Manilow’s first hit, but rather a listing of television
and film production jobs, including casting calls. Site offers both foreign and domestic job
information. Medialine: This site
offers a chance for television talent to connect with employers. While the focus seems to be on-air talent,
the categories also include producers, directors, and the like. The “job of the day” when I last checked
was for an anchor in Johnstown, PA. Site
use requires a subscription; rates vary from about $10 to about $70,
depending on the length of your subscription.
Thanks to Dr. Goedkoop for this recommendation. Media Recruiter: This site is exclusively for those interested in
selling advertising or managing promotions for media outlets. The search firm that handles this site
claims some production jobs can be found, but there weren’t any when I
searched. Nice list of North Atlantic
region opportunities. National
Association of Broadcasters: A trade organization for broadcast
professionals. Look for jobs in
television and radio, find information about job fairs around the country,
and look for state broadcasting associations, which can list jobs in specific
states (but not Pennsylvania and New Jersey!). Contains extensive links to
other journalism and broadcasting job banks.
Pennsylvania Association of
Broadcasters: The state job bank for broadcast
professionals, including sales and promotion, in radio and TV. Also contains internship listings. Showbiz Jobs: This is a
comprehensive site that offers entertainment industry jobs across the
board. Some of the search categories
include advertising, public relations/publicity, production and
post-production, and human resources. Temporary
Broadcast Professionals: This site lists short-term employment
opportunities in broadcasting. As of this update, the site was “under
construction.” When it was up, there
were a number of paid internships, volunteer opportunities with the
Philadelphia Film Festival, and a temporary hosting gig in New York. Good opportunities for jobs to see you “in
between” things. Service is based in Bala Cynwyd. Review the FAQ and services to see how this
firm works. TV Jobs.com: This is an
online directory to a variety of opportunities in mass media, including
online journalism, freelance, and some radio.
In addition to job listings, there is a salary database (which seems
incomplete), a discussion forum, and updated industry news. A pretty good source of information for
internships. TV
and Radio Jobs: A small site, but one that lists
opportunities in radio, TV, film and elsewhere. Also had some links to specialty sites,
such as jobs in sports. Write
Jobs: A job site for journalists and media writing
professionals of all kinds. Film (Did you remember
to look at the journalism/Media list above? Some film sites are listed there,
such as Entertainment Careers and Mandy.) Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers: This
site is sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Film Office. The “hotline” lists current opportunities
for cast, crew, staff positions, and internships associated with companies or
productions shooting in Philadelphia. |
|
Updated June
22, 2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
