Thinking of a Career in Internal Communication?

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This afternoon, a mail winged in from an advertising copywriting professional on his interest in internal communication.

 

Below are my responses to his questions. I am interested in your thoughts too.

 

 

Þ     What are the requisites for a career in internal communication?

 

Usually companies in India do not really select based on any specific requirements when it comes to internal communications – the reason being – this is a nascent subject in this part of the globe and there aren’t too many people in the industry who can truly work in this domain. That said, they expect the person to be coming in from a communications background – be it in advertising, public relations, direct marketing, journalism among others. You also need to have a good grasp of English, have excellent writing skills, leadership abilities, spot opportunities for communication, a dash of enthusiasm, lots of creative ideas and passion to take up what comes your way.

You will be asked to interface with internal clients and leadership and that requires you to be on your feet, juggling multiple responsibilities, crafting messages, understanding your audiences, planning, designing, communicating and measuring what you send out.

Today internal communication offers a wide spectrum of opportunities such as new media, crisis management, event planning and community building which at times overlap and even exceed the ambit of public relations. Internal communication is best understood by learning theory, concepts in communication, organizational behavior, communication planning and measurement.

 

 

Þ     Which are the major companies that hire people in this regard?

 

Most MNCs have a dedicated team which manage internal communication but there is a great deal of awareness among Indian organizations today as well when it comes to this critical domain. Usually, the corporate communication or the marketing & communication team will have individuals who manage internal communication as a separate portfolio or as part of their extended scope. Smaller organizations expect you to do more than just internal communication while larger ones will have you sufficiently occupied managing only internal communication!

 

Þ     And how do I approach companies?

 

Most of these jobs are never advertised. They are mainly through referrals and therefore it makes it tougher to get to know of these opportunities. My recommendation to you will be to read up and learn as much as you can about the subject. Then, look up and enroll on blogs and online business community networks which promote or talk of internal communication to get more insight into trends and recent developments.