Responsible Career Choices In Communications

Following up on my post on responsible entry-level jobs in Marketing and Sales, I received questions about responsible career choices related to communications.  Of course marketing and sales heavily rely on effective communication.  However, there are many other responsible career choices available in communication.  We are all bombarded with information, from greenwashing to business as usual claims about what we should believe happiness and success mean.  Being involved in communicating the important messages of businesses that truly operate based on a triple bottom line of economic, social, and environmental value creation tremendously important to grow these businesses.  Through effective communication, triple bottom line businesses will grow and gain market shares, which in turn will lead to new responsible career options for future generations.  In sum, effective communication is critical to getting business done better.

There are at least two different types of communication that contribute to getting business done better:  external communication and internal communication.  Of course, external communication represents the messages an organization sends to external constituents, such as consumers, communities, partners, investors, and vendors.  In addition to external communication, internal communication is crucial to acquire and retain top talent to contribute to the goals of the organization.  A study by Dr. McMurray and Hermina Burnett further indicates that "organizational communication plays a vital role in the success of a micro and small business. It touches on all aspects of small business management and its members and sets the scene for a climate of innovation and change, particularly in the first stages of business development".

Many companies and organizations dedicated to get business done better understood this, and they are all putting tremendous resources behind their external and internal communications efforts.  This is illustrated by the 998 jobs related to communications that are currently posted on our Justmeans Job Board.  These jobs span all types of responsibility levels, from entry-level, to middle management, to upper management.  Also, these responsible career choices include opportunities in the business sector, social enterprises, and nonprofits.  If getting business done better by increasing the effectiveness or penetration of responsible organizations' messages among their stakeholders is making you excited, check out some of the new job opportunities that were posted on our Justmeans job board:

Early Career Choices:

• Assistant Program Manager - Bevilacqua-Knight Inc, Los Angeles, CA:  Would you like to use your communication skills to support the implementation of regional building energy retrofit programs in Southern California?


• Media & Communications Manager - Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Knoxville, TN:  Would you like to research environmental trends, craft compelling messages, and leverage multiple media and distribution channel to assist in the growth of an environmental advocacy organization dedicated to promoting responsible energy choices?

Mid-Level Career Choices:

• Program Officer - Scholars At Risk, New York City, NY:  Would you like to connect professors, lecturers, and other researchers with resources, contacts and information as well as conduct research and write reports for an organization dedicated to promotes academic freedom and defends the human rights of scholars and their communities worldwide?


• Project Manager/Business Development - Seventh Generation System Integration, Madison, WI:  Would you like to leverage your effective communication skills to coordinate and implement all phases of wind and solar projects to ensure they are completed in a timely, efficient, successful and professional manner for a company dedicated to promote renewable energy systems in the Midwest?

Senior Level Career Choices:

• Senior Advisor, Sustainable Development Communications - Conocophillips, Houston, TX: Would you like to lead the development of ConocoPhillips' strategic communications for sustainable development and environmental issues for an integrated energy company with operations in more than 30 countries?


• Director of Marketing - American Civil Liberties Union, New York City, NY:  Would you like to lead the creative strategy and management of programs aiming at increasing the visibility and the membership of an organization dedicated to principles of liberty and equality embodied in the Constitution?

As you might start to realize, a strong foundation in communications can help you build a career in any business area (e.g. marketing, finance, operations, human resources).  Hence, effective communication is more of a transferrable skill than a work specialization.  Therefore, if you are pursuing a major in communications or are have a degree in communications, it is key for you to clarify what messages are important to you, and which types of organizations you would like to contribute your communications skills to.  The more you know what your career goals are, the easier it is to find career choices that align with your career goals.

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