Career Exploration: Corporate Communications and Investor Relations
I have spent the last six months working as a Corporate Communications Intern in the Investor Relations Department of a large global over-the-counter pharmaceutical manufacturing company. Prior to landing this position, I didn’t have a good understanding of how I could apply my education in PR and communications to the corporate world, as I had mainly only been exposed to the agency career route of PR. I want to share some insight on what I’ve learned about this career path so that you can better understand what roles are available to you and decide if it's a good fit for you!
What is Corporate Communications?
The definition of corporate communications can vary depending on the organization you are working for. In general, corporate communications is the way that a business communicates with its key stakeholders, internally and externally. This mainly includes employees, investors, executives, board members, and consumers. At some firms, public relations is a different department, which focuses on media and communication with the public.
What does someone in Corporate Communications do?
As an intern, I have gained a good perspective on what someone in a Corporate Communications Department does on a daily basis. Here are some tasks I have personally performed:
Internally:
Write short articles for employees on the internal company website on topics relating to company news.
Draft messaging for senior management leaders and C-suite team regarding quarterly financial earnings reports.
Develop messaging for employees relating to organizational changes, such as mergers and acquisitions.
Externally:
Curate content and develop a calendar for external company social media accounts, including LinkedIn and Facebook. Topics for posts include diversity and inclusion, sustainability initiatives, current events, and more.
Develop press releases focused on philanthropic donations made by the company that are sent to financial outlets with the intention of communicating to investors.
The day-to-day tasks of someone in a Corporate Communications Department also varies by organization, but these examples should give you a good foundation for understanding.
How can I start my career in Corporate Communications?
The best thing you can do to start your career in this field is to write, write, write! You should start a portfolio of pieces you have written to present at job interviews. It helps to practice writing with a professional, organizational voice, one that you would address a large group of employees with. Additionally, you should be able to write in many different voices, such as addressing internal and external audiences. Next, I recommend networking and connecting with as many people in as many organizations as you can. The more people you know and develop meaningful relationships with, the more opportunities you will have.
Here you can find some other resources to help you get started.
Ultimately, you should be open to a multitude of roles where you can use your skills. Instead of limiting yourself to only looking for prospective jobs at agencies, for example, open yourself up to the avenue of exploring a career in corporate communications! It can be an extremely rewarding and fulfilling career and will allow you to use all your PR pro skills you’ve developed in class.
About Sara
Sara Zennedijian is a senior studying Health Communication with a minor in Marketing. This is her third semester with GrandPR. She currently works as a Corporate Communications intern for Perrigo Company plc, a global company that manufactures over the counter pharmaseuticals. Sara also serves as the PR director for Health Communication Coaltion. After graduation, she hopes to continue a career in corporate communications because she enjoys working on topics such as D&I and CSR.