5 Signs That a Communications Degree is NOT Right for You

I’ve already made a blog post on the 5 Signs That a Communications Degree is Right for You.

But now, I’m sharing the 5 signs that a communications degree may not be the best fit for you.

These signs are here to help give you a better idea of what’s involved with being a communications major and if your traits and skills are favourable for a communications degree.

5 Signs That a Communications Degree is NOT Right for You

1. You don’t like reading or writing

This may be the most obvious sign, but if you don’t enjoy reading, writing, or speaking, studying communications may not be a good fit for you.

Studying and working in communications means you could be asked to:

• Write lots of essays
• Write social media content
• Read and analyze news stories
• Give presentations
• Speak and debate in large groups

Although there are some careers that you can get with a communications degree that require less writing, like videography or graphic design, it’s still highly likely that you will have tasks in your job that require lots of writing.

So, if you don’t like writing, or even reading or speaking, I’d recommend thinking twice about whether this degree is right for you.

2. Social media and technology aren’t really your thing

When you study communications, you’ll quickly learn how important technology has been for communicating in society for decades. 

From the radio, to TV, to now social media. These technologies have all helped communication advance over the years.

If you don’t care about technology, especially social media, studying communication may not be a good match for you.

Nowadays, it’s hard to have a career in communications without needing to work closely with social media or technology as a whole. Most successful communication professionals have multiple skills like, social media content writing, graphic design, and web design.

If technology isn’t your forté, you should consider twice whether studying communications is right for you.

3. You prefer knowing what to expect and having a routine

Most people do prefer having a set routine and knowing what to expect in their studies and careers. This is completely normal. 

But, a good communication professional is flexible and able to pivot (insert F.R.I.E.N.D.S joke here) when plans change. If you don’t think this is you, it may be hard to succeed in communications.

Communications is always changing:

• Technology and social media trends change overnight
• Timelines and projects have unexpected changes
• New information gets released and communication plans need to be changed

If you don’t think you’d do well in these situations when they arise, a communications degree might not be a good match for you.

4. You prefer working alone

Communications is obviously all about communicating with others. So, if you think you’ll be spending most of your time working alone, you could be mistaken.

As communication professionals and students, we need to be able to work well with others and brainstorm ideas to make engaging and strategic communications content.

Also, most communications projects are very big and layered so you’ll need to be able to work and rely on others.

If you prefer working alone and don’t enjoy working in a team, I’d encourage you to think again about pursuing a communications degree. 

5. You consider yourself more analytical, than creative

Being analytical can come in handy for some aspects of communications, like research and analyzing data. However, if you also don’t see yourself as someone creative who can think outside of the box, communications may be more of a challenge for you.

The most successful communication professionals and students are those who come up with new creative ideas on ways to do things.

If you only focus on the analytical side of communications without using your creative skills, you may need to consider what type of communications career you’d want for yourself and how your skills can be applied.

If you are a very analytical person who also wants to pursue a creative program, I’d recommend looking into whether a marketing degree would be right for you. To find out more about these two programs, check out Marketing vs. Communications: How to Choose the Right Degree for You?

Do you feel like a good fit for a communications degree?

These 5 signs are definitely not set in stone, and they don’t mean that you’re not allowed to study communications. However, these are good thinking points to figure out if your personality and skills would thrive in this program of study.

Comment below if you feel like a communications degree is a good fit for you or not!