Careers and the Com Arts Major
Radio, TV, Film
After completing a liberal arts education with a communication arts major, Com Arts alumni pursue a variety of careers. Below is a sampling of their occupations gathered from an alumni survey. The occupations have been divided by the concentration of study within the major, but students are encouraged to look at both lists. Many of the occupations can be pursued by students completing either concentration within the major.
Letters and Science Career Services has a variety of resources on their web site to help you explore career options (http://www.lssaa.wisc.edu/careers/exploration/external_career_resources.html) and to assist you with your job search (http://www.lssaa.wisc.edu/careers/jobs/job_intern_home.html).
Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
Advertising photo producer Television advertising sales Advertising sales coordinator Advertising sales, Forbes Magazine
Account supervisor in an advertising agency Communications coordinator
Senior public relations associate for American Girl Senior public relations manager - Philips Medical Systems Vice president, broadcast business dept of an advertising agency
Account manager for a company that builds and hosts marketing database, compiles and sells consumer data, supplies strategic analytics support and does direct mail processing
PA to the marketing director of Stonyfield--an organic yogurt brand Copywriter at a B2B marketing firm
Senior copywriter for a marketing agency
Television marketing and creative services professional Marketing consultant
Marketing consultant for WXLC/WKRS radio stations PR marketing consultant
Marketing coordinator for NFL Network Marketing and sponsorship manager
Marketing and communications manager at large insurance company Marketing director for a national manufacturing company
Director of marketing and PR for a large, national church
Director of marketing and promotions for Newsweb Radio Company
Vice president - marketing & communications (within a global hotel company) Vice president of marketing with one of America's largest investment companies
Vice president of sales and marketing for a document management software and services company Owner - marketing company
Attorney/Legal Field
Attorney
Attorney; labor relations coordinator for UW-Milwaukee Entertainment law
Telecommunications Policy Attorney, Federal Communications Commission
Recruiter for a large law firm- recruit lawyers at summer associate, lateral and partner levels
Business/Finance/Management Related
Administrator for regional office Apartment manager
Business consultant
Business consultant specializing in employee assessment, development and facilitation of training materials Business consulting (aviation sector)
Business executive
Business operations analyst at a large pharmaceuticals corporation Certified financial planning professional
Communication specialist/print buyer Demand planning analyst for Nike
Director of business development for JJR, an award-winning firm offering services of urban planning, landscape architecture and civil engineering
Director, foundation and corporate relations, Para Los Ninos, Los Angeles, CA Event manager
Financial advisor Freelance grant writer Hotel manager
Insurance business development Investment management Loan officer
Manager of ground services for Ryan International Airlines National pricing specialist (at major accounting firm) Network television negotiator
Operations coordinator for Harley-Davidson in Dealer Development Quality assurance manager
Real estate investor Restaurant manager Restaurant owner
Self employed- manufacturer representative for the hotel industry Senior accountant
Technical writer and consultant for a multi-million dollar company based out of Chicago Teller at a credit union
Wine & spirits manager, Pebble Beach Resorts Writer working in the toy industry
Computer/Information Technology/A.V./Digital Media Related
Administrative assistant at an IT consulting firm
Audio/visual technician, photographer & webmaster for the Neville Public Museum of Brown County, WI Audiovisual technologist for university facilities
Broadcast traffic and service coordinator for the MN Twins Commercial editor - Charter Media
Computer database programmer
Computer programming, database administration
Creative specialist for Apple Computers in California and freelance video editor Director of editorial and design for new media
Executive IT manager
Graphic designer for a small film distribution company Internet developer
IT consultant
IT support with a specialization in video over the web IT systems engineer
Media producer
Media services specialist
Multimedia specialist (web design, photography, video production, project management) Multimedia technician
Network administrator (MIS)
Own a learning technology consulting company called Imagine Brainwave Technology
Senior technical writer (write software manuals and online help for a computer software company)
Software architect
Software developer specializing in web development Software licensing manager
Software product manager in the financial services Software trainer
Technical integration specialist – NASA/Johnson Space Center Technical services librarian
Television consultant (engineering design, training and software design on live switching and newsroom editing and computer systems)
Education Related
6th grade teacher Academic advisor
Administrative assistant to the head of school at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School in Manhattan Advanced library service manager at university library
Advancement/alumni relations at a private school
Assistant director, medical/health administration, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Associate director of admission; University of Wisconsin-Madison
Communications manager for University of Wisconsin-Extension's Division of Outreach and E-Learning Dance instructor
Director of education and programs at the Internet Society Director of a public library
Director of an undergraduate environmental studies program
Director of international programs at the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business Director of UW Extension's broadcast and media innovations division
Director, corporate & foundation relations, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Office of Development Educational administrator in the for-profit, distance education field
English/speech instructor - secondary education 9-12
High school teacher in NYC (teaching communication arts/theatre) High school teacher-history
Instructional designer working for several large corporations, including IBM and Cingular Wireless Instructional support at the university level
Middle school substitute teacher
Ph.D. student in media, technology and society and Northwestern University Professor
Program coordinator for the teacher certification program at Concordia University Program supervisory with UW-Extension
Run the young entertainment program for UJA-Federation of New York (United Jewish Appeal) Screenwriting teacher
Special education teacher (5th – 8th grade)
Special education, elementary school Student services coordinator
Student services specialist (emphasis in visual arts and film programming) Teach film and media studies at an east coast liberal arts college
Teacher of video production, the Ohio State University Teacher of language arts and communication at a junior high Teaching English in South Korea
University administrator Youth counselor
Government
Auctions software project manager on a contract with the Federal Communications Commission Clerk IV for Dane County
Correctional program officer, Federal Bureau of Prisons Dane County Sheriff's Office
IT specialist with a federal government agency
Media relations specialist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Policy and budget analyst for the State of Wisconsin
Video production with State of Wisconsin
Health
Account manager for nursing facilities
Appeals administrator, Physicians Plus (Health) Insurance Co., Madison, WI Counseling psychology
Healthcare equipment sales
Processor for an insurance company
Special investigations assistant (Humana Insurance Company) Surgical first assistant specializing in orthopedic surgery
Human Resources
Cultural communications training
Director of human resources. Area of expertise is in compensation and benefits Director of finance & human resources
Fulfillment representative at CareerBuilder.com Human resources / recruiting director
Human resources generalist IPC - training coordinator
Non-Profit
Adoption social worker
Advocate/policy analyst at national consumer advocacy organizations Arts administrator at the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) Communications director, U.S. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory Corporate development and major gifts at Wisconsin Public Television Corps member of AmeriCorps NCCC
Director of a non-profit fundraising company
Director of fundraising for a national non-profit organization Executive director of a non-profit
Head of television communications, United Nations Income development for a non-profit
Non-profit fund development
Program assistant for Interfaith Ministries for greater Houston (non-profit) Public affairs firm in Washington, DC called Dittus Communications
Public affairs specialist at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction in Camp Springs, Maryland
Publishing
Account manager for a commercial printing company Assistant publisher
Book author, writer
Director of marketing in a book publishing house
News researcher with The Columbus Dispatch, a daily newspaper in Columbus, Ohio Newspaper editor
Publisher, president media company
Publishing manager - Vanguard Press - Perseus Books Group Real estate account executive Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Radio
Creative director for a group of radio stations
Executive producer of The Connie and Fish Radio Network at Z104 (WZEE-FM Madison) Producer for Wisconsin Public Radio
Production assistant at a recording studio Promotions director at an ESPN Radio station
Research
Cataloger, visual resources and special collections Getty Research Institute High tech market research analyst
Manager of strategic services for a tech channel research firm that serves institutional investors Research scientist - medical imaging & neuroscience
Researcher for national top rated talk show
Vice president, communications, Nielsen Media Research
Sales
Account executive (sales) with television station Commercial real estate leasing and development Insurance broker
Media planner for Proctor & Gamble in Korea Merchandising at Best Buy
Owner of a real estate corporation specializing in luxury properties Personal assistant for a commercial real estate guru
Real estate sales Retail manager
Sales: for a $2billion company that trades on the NYSE Sales and operations manager
Sales assistant, Ralph Lauren
Sales engineer, primarily designing voice and data networks.
Sales manager at a film/video production consultation and production equipment/studio rental warehouse
Sales/consulting for a TV & radio news distribution service: video news releases, satellite media tours, radio news releases, radio media tours, public service announcements.
Waitress and retail associate
TV and Film: Entertainment & News Fields
Assistant to a film producer/director/writer in Los Angeles Associate producer
Associate producer, CNBC
Associate producer/post production supervisor Camera technician at Panavision Hollywood
Creative services director for WSOC-TV (ABC affiliate) and WAXN-TV (Independent) in Charlotte, NC Development assistant, CBS Paramount Network Television
Director of creative services, WISN-TV Milwaukee
Director of development and production at Bravo-NBC in Los Angeles
Director of programming and marketing, FSN Northwest (regional sports television network) Director of the Jewish Broadcasting Network
DVD producer and screenwriter
Editor for a television show in Los Angeles Film critic
Freelance producer, independent filmmaker and a director for Wisconsin Public Television Freelance travel writer, novelist, and former TV/film writer
Junior producer HBO's creative division
Live events coordinator in a pay-per-view sports department Motion picture editor/digital compositor
News producer at the CBS affiliate in Minneapolis News reporter
News technical supervisor KWGN-TV
News videographer/photojournalist (shoot and edit what you see on the evening news). Online video editor
Online news producer
Owner of film/video production company
Partner/director with Purple Onion, Inc., a film production company Photojournalist for NBC affiliate in Las Vegas
Post production assistant for an NBC drama called "Heroes." Post production supervisor for Harpo Studios in Chicago Post-production editor/special projects for KTVK, Phoenix, AZ Producer /assistant director independent films
Producer / technical director for FlickerLab, a NYC company that does animation, graphics, live production and post for TV, film and web
Production assistant at Foxsports Net West in Los Angeles Production executive, Endgame Entertainment
Professional filmmaker with an emphasis in both documentaries and feature films Screenplay analyst and screenwriter
Senior editor producer CNN
Senior producer - NET Television (PBS) making science documentaries for PBS, NOVA, and The Discovery Channel Set production assistant for the TV Show Veronica Mars
Staff videographer, NBC News Talent manager / agent
Television director, WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee Television news photographer
Television photojournalist Television producer
Television producer/director at Northern Arizona University Television writer and producer
Tour manager at a production/management company in Beverly Hills, CA Video editor at a local news station in Seattle
Video producer/director/writer/ shooter/ editor for Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources Video production creating corporate training and informational videos for clients Videographer for cable televising advertising
VizRT/Chyron operator (graphics) at SportsNet New York Voice-over actor
Writer for the television show "The New Adventures of Old Christine" Writing/producing on FOX's new "Talkshow with Spike Feresten" Writer/musician
Additional Careers
Aesthetician
Cycling coach at a public university in Texas F-15E Fighter Weapons Systems Officer Fashion Stylist
Freelance Genealogist Ministry
Painter
Photo archivist for private clients Pilot
