Media studies: Career areas

Media graduates work in a wide range of professions, and success often depends on the motivation and determination of the graduate. If you choose to follow a media/communications career, be mindful that every career path is different. What works for one person may not work for someone else.

Statistics for media graduates demonstrate that this degree can be used to enter a broad range of occupational areas in various sectors. The skills obtained by graduates in media studies are particularly well suited to work with TV production studios, radio outlets, newspapers, PR firms and advertising agencies.

A 2012 HESA survey of 2011 graduates indicates that six months after graduation over 68% of media studies graduates were in full or part-time employment. Of these, 29% found jobs as retail, catering, waiting and bar staff, 18% were in arts, design, culture and sports professions, about 9% had gone into other clerical and secretarial occupations, and 10% were in marketing, sales, and advertising professions.

Where are the jobs?

Various employers from different sectors employ media studies graduates. These employers include:

• PR consultancies;
• communications agencies;
• marketing organisations;
• media companies;
• local government;
• the Civil Service;
• further and higher education institutions such as colleges and universities.

For insight into employment areas see:

• marketing, advertising and PR - includes roles revolving around the development, planning and promotion of products or companies;
• media and publishing - includes employment in television, film, radio and interactive media. Publishing includes roles such as editing, production, sales and marketing within books, magazines, databases and newspapers.

For further information on possibilities in other employment areas, see job sectors. 

Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do?  and your degree...what next?