Maegen Lembeck
Molly Cormaney
College Writing and Research
10/02/2013
Informative Essay: Communications
“No one would talk much in society if they knew how often they misunderstood others”,
a famous quote by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (Johann). Communication is a skill that has not
been mastered by the majority of the world. As a generation that is said to be lacking in
communication skills, I might be crazy for choosing to pursue the communications field.
However, I couldn’t see myself choosing any other path. A communications degree has many
positives and negatives for someone as myself, considered a “generation y”.
Generation y (born in the mid 1980’s and later) has many characteristics that describe the
generation as an entire whole, one of them being the lack to effectively communicate. What
makes this generalization accurate? According to USA Today, it is technology that stifles this
generation’s ability to properly communicate. The well-known struggle for this generation’s
communication ability makes employers hesitant to hire this generation’s graduates who are
supposedly experts in the very thing they lack. It is this generalization that pursuing a degree in
communication more challenging. It is important, then, for the people in this situation to prove
that not all of us “gen y’s” are incapable of communicating properly. CBS news challenges this
theory stating that,
“A large and long-term study at Stanford shows that the process of writing online, for a
large audience, throughout childhood, is a terrific way to learn to write effectively - far
more so than the process of writing for a single reader (i.e., the classroom teacher). And
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Maegen Lembeck
Molly Cormaney
College Writing and Research
10/02/2013
while most generations wrote only for school assignments, Gen Y-ers have been writing
constantly ever since they could type, which means since they were little kids. The
Stanford study concludes that living online makes Gen Y's communication skills sharper
and more effective than those of older generations.” If I am able to combine the techsavvy reputation and the ability to communicate, I would be one desirable employee.
As previously stated, generation y’s are claimed to be technology advanced. Having this
advantage is key because so much communication done today is actually done on the computer.
CBS news argues that because this generation is so involved with technology, they are able to
work and process information a lot faster than previous generations. Being able to work
efficiently on the computer opens up many opportunities for companies such as expansion and
new ways to promote themselves. Many communications jobs include just that; promotion and
explaining to people why your product is what they want. I will use Nicole Neuhaus from my
interview narrative, who is a learning solutions national regional manager at McGraw Hill, as an
example. Her job is to convince universities, professors, parents, and students why the products
that her company creates are the best ones out there. The books and programs from McGraw Hill
are nationally endorsed, thanks to the ability to communicate through technology. She is able to
set and keep track of goals for the company, using technology, and constantly introducing new
ways to improve the product. Technology creates an entire new way to keep records, track
progress, and improve an entire company as a whole. Even though my career field will include
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Maegen Lembeck
Molly Cormaney
College Writing and Research
10/02/2013
communications, it is important to understand technology to be prepared to enter the workforce
in the future.
A communications major takes a lot of communication (who would have guessed). A
person in this field must be able to effectively get their point across while taking others’ points
into consideration. The main aspect of any career under the communications field is working
with other people. You cannot follow through with a career in marketing, public relations,
advertising, or any of these field without having an understanding of other human beings. Being
a part of generation y, it is said that we have grown up with more interaction with diverse groups
of people. We are blessed to have been exposed to more diverse experiences and cultures,
therefore reducing the probability of discrimination or “ruling out” potential clients in the
workplace. Also, thanks to technology, generation y is more able to be aware and ready for
globalization, making it possible to to be less-domestically focused. We consider and take into
account other parts of the world, opening up so many opportunities for expansion and growth.
Not only is it a business opportunity, the opportunity to understand the way that other cultures
communicate compared to ourselves opens up our minds and ways to think. It calls for more
ideas and creativity, something very important when in the communications field.
As I look more into career options with a communications degree, I am drawn
particularly to a marketing communications specialist. Marketing communications specialists
must know the best methods of reaching the public to sell a product or service. They review past
sales reports to determine which sales techniques worked well or didn’t work well, and how to
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Maegen Lembeck
Molly Cormaney
College Writing and Research
10/02/2013
turn them into profit. Because this career has communications in the name, it doesn’t take a
genius to figure out that this profession requires high communication skills along with writing
skills as well. People in this profession possess outstanding research and problem solving skills,
which makes sense considering it is their job to find how the company can improve in every
aspect. They also must be able to influence or appeal to various groups of people, in order to
promote their product or service. This particular area of communications appealed to me because
it is specifically working with people, which is my intention. It is a fast-paced unpredictable job
which attracts me because I do not like working in the same setting doing the same thing every
day.
On average, marketing communications specialists work about 40 hours per week with
some overtime depending on special products or campaigns that may come up. Their job does
not stop until their goals are reached, and then it is their job to figure out how higher goals may
be reached. According to salary.com marketing communications specialists make an estimated
annual income of $58,324 but $108,260 as a manager. This career in most cases requires a four
year degree in public relations, marketing, or communications. For the most part, these jobs
require some sort of experience to have familiarity in marketing trends and expectations,
generally 1-5 years is recommended. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “Employment
of advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers is expected to
increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2014.” Bls.gov also states that
“Employment of advertising, promotions, and marketing managers is expected to grow 14
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Maegen Lembeck
Molly Cormaney
College Writing and Research
10/02/2013
percent from 2010 to 2020, as fast as the average for all occupations. Advertising, promotions,
and marketing will continue to be essential for organizations as they seek to maintain and expand
their share of the market.” The job outlook for these three particular job areas in communications
is very positive.
Being a part of generation y there are very many generalizations that completely
contradict my ability to communicate. My ultimate goal is to take those generalizations and
prove them very wrong. Communications is a very broad major that has very broad
opportunities. It is that very reason that I chose this degree. If you can’t tell already, I really have
no clue of the exact direction I want to take my life. I do know, however, that I want it to involve
interacting with other people. I hope to be able to take the characteristics of this generation, such
as being technology advanced or culturally diverse, and become a productive, well spoken, open
minded individual and employee. It is clear that the outlook for any career under
communications is very positive. My dream is that one day I will be doing what I love,
regardless of whatever specialization that may be.
Lembeck5
Maegen Lembeck
Molly Cormaney
College Writing and Research
10/02/2013
Works Cited
"27-3099 Media and Communication Workers, All Other." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2012. Web. 03 Oct. 2013.
"Generation Y: They've Arrived at Work with a New Attitude." USATODAY.com - Generation
Y: They've Arrived at Work with a New Attitude. N.p., 08 Nov. 2005. Web. 03 Oct. 2013.
"Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe - Quotes." Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. European Graduate
School, 12 Oct. 2013. Web. 03 Oct. 2013.
"Marketing Communications Specialist Job Description | Salary.com." Marketing
Communications Specialist Job Description | Salary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2013.
"The "Millennials" Are Coming." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 03 Oct. 2013.
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