While I studied, I frequently got asked questions such as: “What does a Corporate Communicator do?”, “What does one do with such a degree?” etc.
First off, one searches for a job. A daunting, longwinded process that I am going through at the moment. I keep telling myself the dream job is just around the corner. Those around me keep telling me it’s a game of numbers and that the time leading up to Christmas is awful to be searching for a job.
The other question was something I hadn’t prepared for! Imagine that! I knew what the role entailed and I knew what I had been studying but I had never constructed a sentence or two to describe my importance and the tasks a communicator takes on.
As a result I mumbled an awkward and lengthy answer that left the person who asked me more perplexed than before I spoke.
I have seen many different definitions on the work of a communicator and as Cornelissen (2017, p. 15) puts it:
“….is a management function that offers a framework for the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the overall purpose of establishing and maintaining favourable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the organization is dependent.”
I really enjoyed reading Cornelissens “Corporate Communication” book while I did my masters, I even used this exact quote in my dissertation. However, to use such an elaborate wording for someone that is completely clueless about the work of comms it doesn’t really give clear answers.
After giving it some thought and trying to pull the things I studied together I came up with an answer I believe is better and it goes something like this:
“A corporate communicator makes sure that all the communications inside and outside of a company are consistent. A communicator does so through analytics and creativity and then uses many different channels to get those messages out to different people (stakeholders). Some may work with marketing teams, internal communication teams and PR teams, some may have one team for all of it and some may even do all of these things alone, depending on the size and the scale of the company. Due to the worth of a good reputation, every company should definitely have someone to look after their communications, no matter how big or small. “
What is your title and how do you explain your job in short to people you meet?
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