Communications degree jobs: how hard it is to get hired, and the fix

Is it hard to get a job with a communications degree

The NY Fed tracks outcomes for recent graduates by major. Recent communications graduates had a 3.9% unemployment rate, against 4.2% for all majors. Their underemployment rate was 53.0%, so more than half worked in jobs where fewer than half of workers say a bachelor's degree is necessary. Communications ranks 10th highest for underemployment among the 73 majors in the table.

NY Fed definitions: recent graduates are ages 22 to 27; underemployment is the share working in jobs where fewer than half of workers say a bachelor's degree is necessary; wages are medians for full-time workers with a bachelor's degree only (early career 22 to 27, mid-career 35 to 45).

Communications majors have an early-career median wage of $52,000 and a mid-career median of $88,000. The medians for all majors are $58,000 and $87,000. Aim the first job at a role that uses writing, media, and audience skills from day one.

Jobs you can get with a communications degree

The BLS lists public relations specialists and these similar occupations. Each one hires communications graduates.

Medians cover all experience levels. New-graduate offers start below them. The two manager roles come after years in the field.

O*NET lists the titles that public relations specialists report holding. Search them by exact phrase: communications specialist, community relations coordinator, corporate communications specialist, media relations specialist, public affairs specialist, public information officer, public information specialist, and public relations coordinator. Add marketing coordinator, content writer, social media coordinator, and internal communications coordinator for in-house teams.

How to get a job with a communications degree

1. Pick one target role for 30 days. PR coordinator, marketing coordinator, content writer, social media coordinator, or internal communications coordinator. One role gives each sample and résumé line a clear job to do.
2. Build a one-page portfolio with three to five samples matched to that role: a press release, a blog post, a social campaign, an email, a newsletter. Add one line under each with the audience and the result.
3. Name your tools. O*NET lists the software public relations specialists use, including Canva, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Google Analytics, HubSpot, WordPress, Salesforce, and Microsoft Office. List the ones you have used in a real project.
4. Apply to four employer types each week: in-house teams, agencies, schools and universities, and government offices.
5. Send a spec sample for the roles you want most. Rewrite one of the employer's own posts, emails, or press releases and link it in the application.
6. Follow up five to seven business days after each application, and track every reply.

How to get into communications: where the jobs are

The BLS lists the largest employers of public relations specialists, also called communications specialists, and the 2025 median pay in each:

Government pays the highest median of the five, and schools employ the largest share. Both post roles on their own career portals. Agencies hire coordinators who work across several clients at once.

What employers look for from communications graduates

NACE's Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update asked employers what they look for on a new graduate's résumé. Verbal communication skills (78%) and written communication skills (72%) both rank in the top five, behind the ability to work in a team (85%) and problem-solving skills (82%). In the same survey, 59% of employers said they want résumés to list specific skills with examples.

The BLS adds three points for public relations roles. Degree programs let students produce a portfolio to show employers. Internships at PR firms or in company PR departments help with hiring. Some employers prefer experience from a school newspaper, social media platforms, blogs, or a leadership position in school or the community.

The communications portfolio: what to include

• Three to five samples for one target role, newest first.
• One line under each sample: the audience, the channel, and a result such as opens, shares, attendance, or media pickup.
• One writing sample under 300 words, so a screener can read it in a minute.
• One campaign or multi-channel piece that shows planning: the goal, the messages, the channels, and the outcome.
• A link at the top of the résumé to the portfolio page.

Campus media, club accounts, class projects for real clients, and freelance work all count as samples.

A 30-day plan for communications graduates

• Week 1: choose the target role, pick the three to five samples, and publish the portfolio page.
• Week 2: build a list of 40 employers across the four employer types. Send 15 tailored applications.
• Week 3: send 15 more, follow up on week 2, and write one spec sample for a top employer.
• Week 4: compare replies by employer type and move more applications to the type that answered.