When it comes to creative writing, though, some of us are passionate and excited!

Scriptwriting is an art form of writing for a television show, movie, or film.  It is the script that will be performed by actors and actresses and one in which will be translated into video media.

As a Communication major, this is a field you can pursue!

“How?” you ask?

In order to sell your script, you will need to be able to communicate with the people in power to read your work.

Watch as Michael Hauge, author or Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds, explains the process of becoming a successful scriptwriter!

There are a few key points worth discussing from the above video.

• Keep the pitch simple

• Don’t begin the pitch with a logline or title

• End the pitch with the question: “Do you have any questions about my story or would you like me to send you a copy?”

The first point will keep you from telling your entire story and will allow the listener to hear the important points, plot, and character descriptions.  Withholding some details from the receiver will spark greater interest.

Beginning a pitch with a logline or title is too abrupt.  You should begin by explaining how you came up with idea.  This will display your creativity and more importantly, your originality.  If you are to create more work in the future, you must be able to display the ability to create storylines.

Lastly, by ending the pitch with the question of “Do you have any questions about my story or would you like me to send you a copy,” you are creating a win-win situation.  You are providing the person with two options that would both benefit you.  It also shows your commitment to the project and your ability to close a deal.

Writing a script is no easy task, but we cannot underestimate the job of selling the script.  By being a Communication major, you are able to effectively state your case for why your work is superior to others and ultimately, will be able to find success in your scriptwriting.

So what are you waiting for?!

Grab a pencil, pen, or computer and begin writing!

…CommSurvivors out!

Main Author: Daniel Janis

Contributing Authors/Editors: Alison Lewis, Linsey Morse, Kevin Mandeville

What makes this ad ineffective?

Aside from the obvious difference in medium, these two ads  are very different in their ability to reach and motivate an audience to engage in a particular healthy behavior.

Choosing effective strategies to communicate health-related messages is just one of many avenues that a Health Communication scholar may decide to follow.

If you’re like us, you might be wondering what health communication is all about, and what a career in the field might look like. To learn more about this, we interviewed Bryant’s esteemed Communication professor, Dr. Chris Morse.

Dr. Chris Morse teaches a variety of Communication courses at Bryant University, including Health Communication

CommSurvivors (CS): So what exactly is Health Communication?

Chris Morse (CM): Health Communication is the study of the way that issues in the public and private sphere impact:

• what we know about health
• the health topics we talk about
• the way in which we deal with health in our society.

CS: Are there any career options for students interested in Health Communication?

CM: Like all Communication degrees, there are multiple avenues that Health Communication scholars can take. It is a very flexible field.

One option for Health Communication scholars is to work with organizations on press junkets and informational packets about health information.Some scholars have gone to private sphere companies or medical equipment companies.

You could be an in-house specialist at a hospital, working to improve doctor/patient relationships, nurse/patient relationships or doctor/nurse relationships, as another example.

Consultant specialists for companies (for-profit or non-profit) might interact with the public or the media to deliver a health-related message.

There are options, too, in governmental agencies and organizations that would ask Health Communication scholars to help design health campaigns.

More recently, hospitals and organizations have been trying to incorporate Web 2.0. Those scholars with an understanding of the process (and how to communicate about health) may be asked to use [new media, like] blogs and Facebook.

These are just broad categories; there are many jobs that fall under each of the things I mentioned. And there are always groups trying to find Health Communication scholars to help translate problems or issues to special groups. This happened recently with the Healthcare reform bill.

CS: How might an organization use new media/Web 2.0 to deliver health messages and communicate?

CM: For example, the ACS may want to create support groups or Facebook pages for those trying to live healthy lifestyles to learn and share information.

CS: Is there anything else you think our readers might like to know about Health Communication?

CS: Sure. Everybody gets into Health Communication for different reasons. But there is a basic belief that you want to help people. Whether it is by:

• Easing fears or concerns
• Showing them how to live healthier lives
• or Giving support

your idea [as a Health Communication scholar] is to help others.

I think that Health Communication is something that will become of importance as the years go on.

There are a number of organizations, as Dr. Morse mentioned, that provide opportunities for Health Communication scholars, and serve as good examples of Health Communication.

NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, offers several opportunities for employment. Job lists can also be found with the American Cancer Society’s Employment and Volunteer Opportunities page.

So if you qualify as someone who:

• Is creative
• Wants to help others
• Has an interest in interpersonal communication and/or social media
• Wants to leave a positive impact on the world

…then perhaps a career in Health Communication is for you!

Go forth, and live boldly.

Main Author: Linsey Morse

Contributing Authors/Editors: Alison Lewis, Daniel Janis, Kevin Mandeville

- Lee Lacocca

Communication. We communicate every single second of the day (93% of communication is non-verbal in the form of body language and tone). And, it takes successful communication in order to foster, build, and maintain relationships within our own individual lives. But, when you scale the situation to an actual company (especially the bigger ones), the issue of communication is magnified. It is often overlooked, but it has a serious impact and effect on a company’s culture and efficiency. 

Here is a video that highlights major statistics on just how important internal communications really is:

So, companies actually hire internal communications managers because it is a huge investment for them. By doing this, they are able to increase productivity within the workplace and create positive relationships amongst co-workers. Here are just some of the day-to-day responsibilities an internal communications manager would have, as provided by Sheryl Bird, former Assistant Vice President of Putnam Investments: 

• Manage employees responsible for communicating corporate mission and initiatives through internal publications, intranet sites, and mass emails
• Initiate and successfully transition editorial content from several employee newsletters to online environment
• Direct the design of department’s intranet site to deliver key messaging
• Host focus groups and conducted online surveys to increase the effectiveness of communications tools
• Utilize employee feedback and market research, gained senior management support to streamline communications tools and improve employee engagement and increase readership
• Partner with customer service support teams to create a communications architecture around a year-long systems conversion to increase awareness, build confidence, and boost morale. Successfully communicate all changes and impacts to various target audiences to ensure employee readiness
• Create executive-level communications for corporate-wide distribution. Collaborate with senior managers to effectively deliver key messages pertaining to outstanding quality service and employee appreciation

Holding the position of Chief Communications Officer, Senior Communications Specialist, and the like requires one to report to the very top of the company too. It is a very high position within the company and is one that you can make a durable and successful career out of. 

What is really cool about this field, though, is that you don’t only have to work within a company to be an internal communications specialist. You can be a full-time freelancer on training and development for these companies as well. Just take a look at Camille Preston, who started AIM Leadership as her company. She has been able to have a successful career freelancing in this industry, having serviced companies like Fannie Mae, Capital One, Red Cross, the US Department of Treasury, and the US Army. Yes, you can even get work from our own government! 

How can you get started in internal communications? 

• Take courses that focus on interpersonal and organizational communication. Communication classes are important, but don’t forget that many management business courses are incredibly valuable as well!
• Join professional communication chapters such as the IABC and PRSA. These organizations put on phenomenal events that allow you to learn more about the industry and network with professionals!
• Get involved in the online community. Start finding blogs on the topic and be a part of the discussion. LinkedIn is also a fantastic resource to connect with existing professionals in the field and interact with them in many of the groups

Main Author: Kevin Mandeville

Contributing Authors/Editors: Daniel Janis, Alison Lewis, Linsey Morse

A life coach isn’t just a:

• Consultant
• Motivational speaker
• Therapist
• Or friend

Rather,  a life coach is all of the above, with an overall goal of helping people make radical improvements in their lives.

How does it work? As a life coach, you will ask individuals powerful questions that are in concurrence with what is currently going on in their lives.  It is your responsibility to clear away the draining energy and clutter that keeps your client from being their best.

Okay, so now that you’re interested in being a life coach, you’re asking yourself, “Where do I begin?”

You have several options:

• Take classes that focus on interpersonal communication, conflict in relationships, public speaking, and also persuasive argumentation, as these will allow you to learn in-depth the topics your clients might seek your assistance with
• Attend a life coaching seminar to better understand the career and to get advice from current and future life coaches

When it comes to the specific area that you can coach clients in, the list is very broad. This gives you the freedom to choose the area that you are most passionate about. I have a health coach who helps me make the right choices when it comes to what I eat, how often I exercise, and holding me accountable for the decisions I make regarding my health. While he is not a personal trainer, he does make recommendations as to what workouts I can incorporate, but mostly, it is his job, as my coach, to make sure that I am making the correct decisions that will better my health and not harm it.

While health coaches are a popular choice, other areas of coaching include, but are not limited to:

• Career Guidance
• Family Issues
• Personal Finances
• Living Environment
• Relationship Issues
• Spirituality

Just keep in mind that:

• The client is the expert in his/her own life, and the coach is there to facilitate the client’s process in finding answers
• When you are officially ready to become a life coach, you must get certified. Many clients will not hire a life coach who doesn’t have credentials

For tips and information on being a life coach, enjoy the video below.

Main Author: Alison Lewis

Contributing Authors/Editors: Daniel Janis, Linsey Morse, Kevin Mandeville

Surprisingly, some people fear public speaking more than death!

For many of us, though, the idea of public speaking is appealing. You may already be an accomplished speaker, or you may just have an interest in the area and hope to enhance your writing and speaking skills.  Either way, you may wonder, can I REALLY get a career in public speaking?

YES!

To learn more about public speaking careers and opportunities, we interviewed Professor Susan Baran.

Susan Baran, lecturer at Bryant University

Professor Baran has taught public speaking at Bryant University for 10 years and has even traveled to other universities to teach the art of speaking.  She began her career in broadcasting, where she worked 16 years as a television producer, anchor, and reporter.  With majors in Communication and English, she has been able to assist Bryant students with their public speaking skills. Professor Baran is also the faculty chair of the Bryant Toastmasters.  The organization focuses on public speaking and helping students strengthen their speaking abilities.

Professor Baran successfully ran the first Public Speaking Colloquium at Bryant University this past March.  After a first round of 30 eager students displayed their public speaking skills, six finalists showed off their talent in the final round.  The response from the audience and the university has been exceptional and, as a result, as she plans to hold the event again next spring.  The Colloquium proved Bryant students have outstanding speaking and writing skills.

A question and answer session with Professor Susan Baran follows…

CommSurvivors (CS): What are the benefits of studying public speaking?

Susan Baran (SB): The answer can be broken down both in a personal and educational sense:

As a student…

• It improves the likelihood of getting hired and maintaining employment
• Employers look for good SPEAKERS and good WRITERS, and public speaking enhances both areas

As an individual

• It helps us communicate in an interpersonal context
• It teaches us to become compassionate and sensitive in our language

CS: Can public speaking become a career choice for a student with a Communication degree?

SB: Yes! Public speakers are hired for many different professions, including:

• Broadcasting
• Coaches for Politicians
• Motivational Speakers
• Speechwriters
• Spokesperson for a Corporation (i.e. introducing new products)

CS: How do you get into the field of public speaking?

SB: You have to expose yourself in class, whether it is an Introduction to Communication or Public Speaking class.

It is also about pursing the opportunity, as it will not come to you.  Students should ask interviewers about how they can apply their public speaking skills to the company they are applying for as a career.

CS: Public speaking is often a fear of most students and even adults; should this hinder their goals in becoming a public speaker?

SB: No, it should not hinder their goals as you can overcome your fears and become an effective public speaker.  It is, though, harder to pursue a career in public speaking if you have the fear of speaking to an audience.

You can at least become an asset to a company by practicing public speaking and self-improving at every chance you get.

CS: The newer generation of young adults are using video blogging (Vlogs) as a means to communicate to large audiences.  Can Vlogs create successful public speakers?

SB: Doing a video blog and speaking to a live audience are very different.  A live audience reacts differently and helps fuel passion in speakers.  Non-verbal communication is also harder to read in video form.  Being in front of a camera can help in the speaking ability, but it does not suffice for speaking in front of an audience.

CS: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

SB: Yes! I believe that Public Speaking should be a REQUIRED course at Bryant University.  Based on the results of the Public Speaking Colloquium, being able to speak and write well are crucial to the students’ ability to enter the working environment successfully.

Critical thinking is also a large part of public speaking and by teaching this course, students obtain a better understanding of how to read an audience and accommodate accordingly.

CS: Thank you Professor Baran for taking the time to talk with us today!

SB: My pleasure!

Public speaking can be a career choice for YOU if you put in the time and effort.  Remember, it is a skill, like shooting a basketball or learning a dance move.

Practice makes perfect; or at least perfection in your own mind!

If you get the chance, come to a Toastmasters meeting at Bryant University or at your respective school or workplace.  It is a great testing ground for your speaking abilities.

For more tips on public speaking:

Good luck and remember, you can be as good of a speaker as you let yourself be!

…CommSurvivors out!

Main Author: Daniel Janis

Contributing Authors/Editors: Alison Lewis, Linsey Morse, Kevin Mandeville

You’ve come to the right place.

With a 6% rise in computer and video game sales in 2007 alone (a number which, according to GrabStats.com has practically tripled since 1996), the gaming industry is primed to hire a number of skilled people, for a variety of different jobs.

Even though programmers is critical to video game development, there are a variety of other skills that the video game industry couldn’t survive without:

• Written communication
• Visual communication
• An understanding of people and motivations

Let’s take a look:

Writing the story for a video game is one of the most important pieces of the design process. For a game to be as successful as Halo, it needs a good story with expertly-written cut-scenes. That need for writing skills is where you come in, worthy Communication major!

In an article written for the Seattle PI, John Pryor, a human resource manager at GTECH, says it best:

If you can write, you can do a lot of different things. When you think about how people communicate today, so much is done over e-mail and short sound bites, but there still is a real opportunity for people who can write well.

And even the Writer’s Guild of America agrees. In 2007, the Guild announced its first award for writing in a video game.

But it’s not just writers who get all the glory.  Each of you visual communicators out there has an opportunity, too.  Just check out all of the options you have as an artist to contribute to the development and design of the next Left 4 Dead.

All of this might sound pretty good, but remember: no worthwhile career comes without the promise of hard work. As stated on Animation Arena, every video game designer must have patience, and a passion for their work. We, the Comm Survivors, would agree that you should never pursue a career that you’re not passionate about. But if you dream of one day seeing your name in the credits of the next gaming craze, there are a few steps you can take:

1. Start small | Learn to get to know the gaming industry. Play all of the video games you can—old and new alike. Volunteer to beta-test pre-production video games. This way, you’ll have practice, and you’ll find that you’re able to get your name out in the industry.
2. Find your niche | Are you a writer? 2D or 3D designer? A marketer? When you find where your strengths and passions lie, you’ll be able to prove to any company that you’re a great fit for them. Knowing what you’re good at, and confidence in what you know, are both pre-requisites for success in any job.
3. Do your research | Know where the gaming companies you want to work for are, and what they need. Note that although most design studios are located in large, urban areas like New York or California, there are smaller companies located elsewhere.
4. Write, write, write | Create. Practice your niche. Build up a portfolio that you can bring to interviews for internships or full-time jobs so that you can show companies your dedication to the career.
5. Trust yourself | You’re not necessarily going to get the first job you apply for. You might not even get the first five jobs you apply for. If gaming is your passion, apply yourself and know that if you really want this, you’re going to get it.

Go forth, and game boldly.

Main Author: Linsey Morse

Contributing Authors/Editors: Alison Lewis, Daniel Janis, Kevin Mandeville

That’s right, you heard it; you can actually get paid to tweet, digg, stumble, and the likes. You get to be social. And, you can make one successful career by doing so.

Just to prove our point, here’s a video that highlights why:

But before you embark on such a career, you must engrain this in your mind: social media is NOT a fad. Beth Dunn described it best:

“The key is to remember ALWAYS that it is NOT about the platform (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs), it’s about the fundamental shift in how we communicate that these platforms represent.”

It is never about the platform, because the platforms are constantly changing. Remember how Friendster was the leading social network back in the day until MySpace came along? Yeah, and look where they are now. (*If you don’t remember this, then that just goes to show you how fast the landscape changes within 5 years!)

Thus, it is about building a community around a brand that is transferable from platform to platform. Take a look at Brian Solis’ latest article on how just Twitter alone can be utilized in numerous ways for business. The power that these platforms bring to a brand’s online presence and equity is invaluable.

Companies, especially Fortune 100 giants, recognize the importance of this presence and are dramatically increasing their spending in social media. There are countless social media roles within these companies as well. Heck, the term VP of Social Media now exists (just ask Ed Terpening of Wells Fargo). Or, you could also become a successful freelance consultant, like Gary Vaynerchuk or Chris Brogan.

Just because social media involves interaction, does not mean it is just another day on the playground. In order to build that strong community previously mentioned, one must create an integrated marketing communications plan that synthesizes a company’s online presence. A company must create valuable content that draws and attracts users, and then fosters and builds those relationships that start impacting the overall sales. Plus, with the rapid nature of the Internet, social media is something that must be done daily (that’s right, weekends too!)

Here is just a short list of the various aspects a social media professional must be knowledgeable in:

So, you’ve read this article and want to get started in social media. How do you do it?

1. Sign up (if you haven’t already) for the main social media platforms: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. We recommend slowly getting involved one platform at a time. This way you can get a good feel for the different dynamics on each one and can use them accordingly.
2. Get out on the blogosphere. Reading what people have to say about this very exciting and dynamic environment is one of the best ways of self-education. Plus, comment on the blogs and interact with others. This will start to build your personal brand.
3. Network like crazy. Use sites like meetup.com, barcamp.org, and LinkedIn’s events section to find the latest conferences, seminars, and meet-ups in your local area revolved around social media. This is a great way to connect with and learn from experts and professionals in the field for little to no cost.
4. Attend Inbound Marketing University by HubSpot. The free series features about 15 webinars from some of the biggest thought leaders in the social media industry today. This will really jump-start your path to success using social media.
5. Intern with a company. It doesn’t matter what job site you go to right now, companies large and small alike are hungry for interns to manage their social media marketing efforts. The main reason for this is because social media is so new and such an emerging industry they don’t have any experience whatsoever. So, now is the perfect opportunity to get hands on experience (aside from your personal brand) and build your portfolio of social media campaigns.

Main Author: Kevin Mandeville

Contributing Authors/Editors: Daniel Janis, Alison Lewis, Linsey Morse