A Proposal

The purpose of a proposal is a way to provide solutions to a problem or suggestions for improvement. A proposal must be persuasive because you are trying to convince someone that your idea is the way to go. It is important to make your proposal interesting front he beginning. Your title must be able to grab your audience from afar. In a stack of papers you don’t want your to get lost in the shuffle. Make sure that the proposal is clear in its content. You want your reasoning and outcome to flow easily for the audience. 

I once proposed that my work use a specific way to draw in Marines and their families to certain classes. When laying out my plan, I was clear as to who the proposal was regarding, what I wanted to accomplish and how the “best” way to do that was. I think that is was successful because it was clear and to the point. It was obvious the benefits of recruiting the way I proposed.  I think if you go into preparing a proposal with an exact idea of who and how you want to reach then it will be successful. 

Careers in Communications

Here are just a few interesting options for careers with a communications degree. 

Graphic designer is a career that came up requiring good communication skills. They need to know how to reach their audience, which requires a lot of non verbal communication. They are told by the client what they have in mind and it is the graphic designers job to make that happen. “Graphic designers—or graphic artists—plan, analyze, and create visual solutions to communications problems.” The salary range for this position is between $36, 000 to $46,000. Graphic artists have a pretty positive outlook for the future of their careers. A bachelors degree is usually required but some companies will allow you to work for them with certain certificate programs.

Interpreter or translators are a communication heavy career. In this position you will constantly be communicating with others. You are there to help people who speak another language communicate with people of another language. There is a great outlook for this career. As time goes on we come across more and more need for them as more people come from other countries. It has been shown that interpreters can make between $22,000 to $79,000 depending on education. Education for this career is knowing at least two languages. Like most other careers, a bachelors degree may be required but many times are not.

Technical writers are in charge of writing and developing how-to manuals, instructions, and other instructional documents. This career is heavy in writing, which as we know is a large part of communication. Education desired for this career would be a bachelors degree in journalism, communications, or English. Some companies may hire you on just based on really good writing samples. This is a good field to work in because it doesn’t look like it is going anywhere. There will always be a need for a technical writer. The salary range is anywhere between $36,000 and $97,000 depending on the type of company you are working or writing for. 

A funeral director is another position I came across that would be good for a communications major. In this position you would be working with other companies to coordinate funerals and such. You would also need to have very good communication skills to work with the grieving families. Education for a career like this would involve potentially mortuary science which can last 2-4 years and they also have lots of continuing education. The outlook for this career is steady. It isn’t going to have a boom, but it definitely isn’t going anywhere. The salary for this career is anywhere between about $30,000 to $90,000. 

The last option I am going to list in the communication field is a psychologist. Their job is to listen and communicate with others regarding their everyday life and problems. They help others understand their feelings and emotions to hopefully better live their lives. The education required for this career is a doctoral degree which usually takes about 5 years. This is another career that is very steady. No big explosion of job openings, but definitely a safe career. The salary range for this career is between $37,000 to $100,000. Sounds good to me!

Professional Organizations In Communications

American Communication Association is an organization that promotes excellence in the communication field. It is an online venue where people can ask or answer questions regarding communication. This site is good for anyone worldwide you would like to interact with peers in their own field. The membership is free. 

“ The Association for Business Communication (ABC) is an international, interdisciplinary organization committed to advancing business communication research, education, and practice,” (http://businesscommunication.org/about/). The membership is for all people in the communication field. It is not restricted to just North America. The dues are between $30 to $100 a year. The dues incude subscriptions to two publications, reduced fees for conventions and conferences, access to a members-only are of the ABC web site.

The Association for Education in journalism and Mass Communication is an organization that wants to promote the highest possible standards for journalism and mass communication education. This website would be great for students, new grads or professionals that take an interest in these areas. The memership fees are between $0 for retried and $110 for a regular membership. Membership includes publications, exclusive job listings, the AEJMC annual convention, and networking/contacts. 

“The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is a professional association of thousands of educators and others whose activities are directed toward improving instruction through technology,” (http://www.aect.org/About/default.asp). This is a great organization to join if you have a passion for technological communication and want to make sure others have the opportunity to learn that way. The membership costs between $400 and $75. It includes subscriptions, discounts, access to annual conferences, and more. 

“The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) is the professional association for professors, industry professionals and graduate students who are interested in teaching and research related to electronic media and multimedia enterprises,” (http://www.beaweb.org/about_us.htm). Their primary desire is to prepare college students to enter the communication fields of radio and television. The membership can range from about $130 to free for students. 

I think all of these organizations are beneficial. I feel strongly about technology in communication and would most likely opt to join the Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

Delivering Bad News Tactfully and Effectively

“You are a department manager in a mid-sized company that provides technology support services.  You have ten employees who are required to maintain a high level of technical expertise and deliver excellent customer service.  One of your employees, who has been with the company for two years, is performing at a substandard level and you have received numerous complaints from customers and coworkers.  In addition, this employee has displayed confrontational behavior which has created a hostile environment.  You must now meet with this employee and deliver an ultimatum regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.”

In a situation like this it is important to think of the well being of your company. In order to do this you must have productive and happy employees. To start, I would ask the employee to come to my office for a meeting. I would make sure to be direct. Sitting the employee down and letting him or her know my concerns and the complaints would be first on my agenda. I expect that the employee will get defensive and possibly blameful. I would let them know that we hired them for a reason and want to keep them with the company for that same reason, but some changes will need to be made. It is important to not just point out the negative. It can be detrimental to their self esteem and lead to further issues. Letting the employee know that If they want to continue working for the company they will need to go back to the place they started and revive those skills is an important aspect of the problem resolution. I would ask the employee to work on their interpersonal skills with the other employees because customer service outside of the company is only half the battle. In situations when you are “criticizing” or giving bad news it is important to try and give solutions to the problem. Some techniques I would use to keep the peace would be keeping my tone low and optimistic, use me and we statements instead of you, and being empathetic. I feel that doing these thing could result in an optimal outcome.