Written by Ruben Tefera
Made up of over half a million people Australia-wide, and underpinned by hundreds of unique roles, the creative services sector, specifically the media communications industries, are both influential and abundant. Whether confronted as an indecisive recent graduate or an aspiring employee in an adjacent role, the wide and deep sea of occupations present in these industries can be quite daunting to navigate. The following guide and quiz were crafted to assist those unsure of the path they wish to pursue.
Advertising and Marketing – Perfect for frenetic and imaginative minds, the advertising and marketing industries concern creatively weaving a product’s story to the world. Careers within the fields, can span from more creative idea driven jobs such as an Advertising Copywriter, Advertising Manager and Graphic Designer/Art Director, to the more analytical business-driven Market Research Analyst, Advertising Sales Representative and Media Planner/Buyer roles.
Social Media – Requiring a capacity to craft perfect captions, mould content to various client identities and a strong knowledge of social media platforms, careers in Social Media span a number of titles and skill sets. Including Social Media Manager, Analyst, Editor, Blogger, Brand Ambassador, Brand Manager, Content Strategist and Content Manager/Producer positions.
Journalism – As an industry driven by attention grabbing angles and expertly constructed reports, the extremely fast-paced, analytical and competitive journalistic landscape involves a series of differing responsibilities. If you carry a flair for writing and researching the latest affairs and events, titles you may wish to consider include Reporter, Editor, Scriptwriter, Presenter and Producer of news materials.
Government – Whether you are equipped with a passion for effective policy and ground-breaking government research, or just passionate about politics, there exists an array of communications roles ripe for the picking within the government sector. Requiring highly-refined research and analytical skills, as well as legal and social background knowledge across various government departments, these roles include Policy Officer, Government Researcher, Policy Advisor, Speech Writer, Community Liaison and Election Campaign Advisor.
Public Relations (PR) – With elements of advertising and marketing, public relations jobs involve sparking and shaping the connections between a client and the public. These roles can take the form of Public Relations Executive, Publicist, Account Manager and Managing Director. For deeper advice on the PR industry, see my Interview with PR Executive Sia.
Known as embedded professionals in non-media industries, thousands of employees categorised under the aforementioned roles exist within the countless private non-media organisations scattered across the country.
Other roles, embedded both within the media communication industries and other fields, can include Human Resource worker, Communication Specialist, Media and Communications Advisor, Technical Writers, Corporate Spokesperson, Writers and Authors, Photographer, and Communication Strategist positions.
When attempting to stay afloat through the waves of career options, industry internships are a great place to test the bounds of your skills and interests. Helpful resources that may aid in a job or internship search include CareerFAQs, CollegeGrad, The Communications Council website, as well as listing sites such as Indeed, SEEK, Job Search(.gov) and CareerOne. Alternatively, as is the case for many organisations, when looking for internships and jobs, listings and contacts can be found exclusively on a company’s website, rather than advertised externally. For current Queensland University of Technology students, the resources UniHub and InPlace are highly valuable in securing industry jobs and internships. If you’re still unsure of which career avenue is best for you, take the quiz below to match your skills and future job.
