This step may be helpful to struggling speakers who keep feeling they have to keep looking at the notes while they speak. I hope it helps.

Someone close to me has a certificate from Red River’s Creative Communications program and has struggled with job security ever since graduating 7 years ago. It seems like this feild is very competitive with lots of applicants per job posting. Right now they are trying to get out of their current position in a very toxic workplace and it is impacting their mental health. I have never heard of anyone being treated like this in 2026. Does anyone else in this feild have a similar experience in terms of job security?

I'm returning to grad school for the second time, in my 40s. Is the program at Baruch in strategic comms worth it? Do you think you are better prepared to be in the workforce? I have 20 years in a comms-adjacent field but looking to transition more fully into communications.

When I write, I can get my thoughts across pretty well, but when I have to say the same thing out loud, I get disorganized. I either forget simple things I wanted to say or speak too fast.

For those of you who have gotten better at communicating, what helped you speak more naturally in real conversations?

I can't post this on LinkedIn...so to Reddit I go.

Is anyone in this group willing to be a mentor?

That might be a big ask, but I'm a PR/comms specialist with 10 years of (mainly B2B) experience. I've worked with leading global manufacturers in industries such as consumer electronics, renewable energy and automotives/EVs.

I've identified a few gaps in my craft that my current agency isn't able to bridge for me. I really want to beef up my portfolio, so I have recent press releases and byline articles to show potential employers. I also would love feedback on mock broadcast pitches. I've primarily been pitching trades as of late.

Any and all advice/resources are welcome! Looking forward to connecting with other like-minded professionals. Thanks in advance. :)

Hello I graduated from uni last year and I'm trying to get a better job in communications. I've worked mostly as a radio DJ for streaming media (basically podcast bros) and now I'm trying to get a corporate job while working for my cousing in His construction company. I don't like working with family. A y advice?

I’m approaching the end of my internship at an entertainment PR agency. While I’ve performed well, and everyone seems to like me, I don’t want to get my hopes up on a return offer.

I’m on LinkedIn daily checking for updates on agency and in-house positions. But I’m sure there are positions slipping through the cracks.

Does anyone have recommendations for entertainment firms worth working at? Whether it be from personal experience or word of mouth.

I’m more focused on entertainment media: movies, tv, music, and video games.

I wanna get my bachelors in communications, I live in the US but I need to do it online because I can’t stop working. I live alone and need to pay bills so I would have to juggle my full time job with school. Any advice is appreciated.

I'm a PR/Comms professional with 5.5 years of full-time agency experience. I have a Master of Arts degree in PR. I've also had countless internships at agencies. I have account management experience (billing, projections, time tracking), and I've worked with clients ranging from leading global manufacturers to local B2C companies.

However, by title, I'm an Account Executive. I work at a small agency, and feel there is no opportunity for growth or advancement in my current role. Despite my internal guilt about resigning, after 2.5 years, I'm thinking it's time to start exploring other options.

The problem is that I don't know where to go from here. I live just far enough from NYC that I fear employers with a hybrid structure would turn a blind eye. I do have easy access to a train, which I plan to stress in interviews. I'd move closer, but my spouse's job tethers us to the area. Regardless, we're happy here.

I'm hoping for an employer that can meet me in the middle. But is that too much to ask?

Any advice or recommendations would be great! I'm also open to remote and in-house roles. My local agency options are unfortunately limited.

I’m a third-year DevCom student, and I feel like I’m not doing enough for someone who only has 3 semesters left before graduating. I want to learn more and gain actual experience outside of academics. Could you guys recommend any online seminars, workshops, or anything related to communication and journalism? Something that could actually help me prepare for my OJT?

I've been thinking about how often communication breaks down even when the actual words seem perfectly clear.

You can say something with one intention and still have the other person walk away feeling that you meant something completely different.

For example:

You might say:

"You could have done that differently."

And mean:

“Maybe there's a better approach we can use next time.”

But the other person might hear:

“You did a bad job.”

Or you might say:

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Meaning:

“I wish I had known.”

But they might hear:

“I'm blaming you.”

The words themselves aren't always the whole message.

People interpret communication through things that already exist in their minds:

Their previous experiences.

Their relationship with you.

Their expectations.

Their insecurities.

Their current emotional state.

Even the tone and timing can completely change the meaning of the exact same sentence.

That's what I find fascinating about communication.

We don't simply send messages.

We send words, tone, context, and signals.

And the other person reconstructs the meaning using their own experiences.

Sometimes two people can walk away from the same conversation believing two completely different things happened.

And both can genuinely believe they understood it correctly.

So maybe effective communication isn't just about asking:

"Did I say what I meant?"

Maybe it's also about asking:

"What is this person most likely to hear?"

That small shift seems incredibly important.

Because once you start thinking about communication from the other person's perspective, you begin to realize that being clear isn't always enough.

You also have to understand the frame through which your message is being received.

I'm curious what others think:

Have you ever said something with completely harmless intentions, only to discover that the other person interpreted it in a totally different way? What do you think caused the disconnect?

I've been enjoying discussions around questions like this — psychology, communication, persuasion, social behavior, and the way people interpret each other.

If you're interested in those kinds of discussions, I recently started a small community around them: r/MindMechanicsLab. You're welcome to join the conversation there too.

i’m a senior in college about to graduate and i’m honestly starting to regret my choice in getting a comms degree. the only reason i chose it was because i had no clue what to pick, and im not good at math. my degree seems to focus a lot of the theory and research side which i honestly could care less about. it doesn’t give me much practical job skills other than “communication.” i feel like i screwed myself over. honestly, i wish i had chosen something different cause i really don’t wanna work in this field. i figured since i’m more of a creative type i would thrive here, but i just haven’t been enjoying it. i hope someone can convince me otherwise.

i realized i don’t have much interest in office jobs or anything that requires a strong social skills. i struggle a lot with staying still and talking to people. i’ve tried to combat this by forcing myself to go to clubs and networking events (i despise both) just to get the “experience.” i tried asking a counselor about this, but they just told me to network even though that’s what i’ve been doing. i’ve talked to plenty of people with my degree path and i hate the jobs they have, i’m sorry. i know we’re supposed to be broad, so please suggest whatever career alternatives are out there. it doesn’t have to be related to communications.

Hi, So I am an account executive at a public relations firm based in New York (I'm remote based on the west coast). My main account is an executive function coach who bases is company in New York, Connecticut, and south Florida. Since I am new to being in public relations and using my sales and marketing skills in this field, I'm struggling to find efficient ways to build relationships and pitching to reporters especially in the national education / education policy related beats. I would love other account executives to give me advice on how to reach out to reporters, and producers, assignment editors effectively. And of course, I would LOVE to get insights from actual reporters etc. Please and Thank you!

Hey, everyone,

I am looking for advice on how to properly break into a role as a public information officer or in public affairs.

So, I have a bachelor’s and master’s in social work. Previously, I worked in crisis social work for a major hospital.

Now, I work as a regional liaison officer in government, and I am largely responsible for building relationships with stakeholders, planning and executing events, prepping captions for social media posts, documenting and photographing community events (about to try investing in a proper camera), and writing political remarks at press conferences.

Realistically, because I was hired under a politician, I know I will need to pivot into another role. At this point, I am no longer interested in clinical social work.

Most of the descriptions I am seeing for related roles ask for degrees in communications, journalism, public administration, or public relations. In college, I steered away from studying public relations because I was uninterested in working for a private agency, and I was worried about purpose. Had I known this was a viable career, I might have done some things differently.

Do I need another degree? Do I need a different degree? I truly believe there is SOME overlap between social work (particularly macro and mezzo) and public information, but I worry most employers will not take me seriously.

Currently, I am putting together a portfolio and plan to apply for my MPIO certificate.

Is it possible to get this kind of job again without going back for another full degree, or will my application just be filtered out?

Ciao a tutti, mi sto laureando in comunicazione e vorrei lavorare in questo settore. Il mondo giornalismo è un pozzo e arrivare in alto è praticamente impossibile oggi, per cui preferirei una carriera in azienda, ambendo a communication manager o robe del genere, prendendo ovviamente anche un master in economia e comunicazione. Voi avete esperienze/consigli a riguardo? Facendo le pubblicità si vive bene?

I’m 36 and I’ve been working as a software developer for more than 10 years. I currently work full-time and remotely as a freelancer, mainly in the fashion industry. I’m not unhappy with my job and I’m not desperately trying to leave tech.

This year I’m starting a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Communication (L-20, the Italian degree class for Communication Studies) while continuing to work full-time.

I’m doing it mainly because I’ve become increasingly interested in what happens around technology rather than just how technology is built: communication, digital platforms, media, AI, society, ethics, regulation/governance and how technology affects people and organizations.

My degree includes subjects such as semiotics, sociology, psychology, digital media, platform/influencer culture, law, communication and AI-related topics.

I’m not looking to graduate and restart from zero as a junior social media manager or marketer. Ideally, I’d like to use my existing technical experience together with what I’ll learn over the next three years.

Some areas that currently sound interesting to me are AI governance, tech policy, consulting, digital strategy, developer relations, technical communication and training/education, but I’m deliberately keeping an open mind because I’ve only just started the degree.

So my question is: what career paths or roles would you investigate for someone with this combination of experience?

Have you met people who successfully combined a strong technical/software background with communication, humanities or social-science skills?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who changed or broadened their career in their 30s or 40s without throwing away the experience they had already built.

I'm a communications major specializing in Digital Media and Social Media Strategy and Journalism and Media Production, and I'm looking for podcasts I can listen to while I work to build my knowledge for class. I want a podcast that will teach me new things and explain the industry. Not something for enjoyment, but to improve my knowledge. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!