Career Outlook Report 1

Being Social: The hopes and dreams of Anuraag

Seshadri
A Career Outlook Report

Career Outlook Report

Digital Media Industry Overview

Digital media is the content created on the Internet that is accessible on any digital
device. Blogs, wikis, video games, and social media are a few examples of digital media.
Digital media provides platforms to people who are visually creative and have a flair for
words. Industries across film and television, radio, mobile, video games, publishing, and
advertising are associated with digital media in creating and delivering content.
Any piece of content on the Internet does not fall under the umbrella of digital media.
The core purpose of digital media is to facilitate interactivity and group forming. A
newspaper on a tablet enables a reader to interact with it, whereas group forming is
when you can form online groups with people who share interest on a common topic.
Social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are examples of digital
media because it allows users to interact with content and create groups.
The digital media industry is worth $22 billion dollars in Canada, with more than 1,600
digital media producers in the market. 63% of Canadians are connected to social media
while 77% of Canadians watch videos online. Toronto-based startup companies like
BitStrips, InGamer, Nulayer have successfully used digital media to create content that
serves their direct consumers and other businesses.

Title

Salary (Annual Income in CAD)

Career Outlook Report 3

Communications Coordinator

$42,000

Communications Specialist

$53,796

Marketing Communications Manager

$61,947

Marketing Communications Director

$70,153

Senior Marketing Manager

$87,291

The rise of the Internet has seen a growth in creative jobs that look for candidates with
good writing skills. With a lot of businesses adopting social media platforms, there is a
growing need for strategists and content creators who can help them create their online
presence. Writers and graphic designers are part of a companys communications team
that creates online campaigns bridging the gap between a brand and the customer.
Digital media has redefined marketing; with social media, blogs, and e-mail marketing,
you dont have to go door-to-door selling a product, you bring customers right to your
virtual doorstep.

Pay Scale
The annual income of professionals in the digital media industry is as follows:

Education
Digital media jobs require a firm knowledge of communications and the social media
technologies that are widely used. During the course of a communications degree, you
learn about writing for various mediums, working on Adobe Suite, visual design and
presentation skills, and marketing using social media tools. There are various
undergraduate and graduate degree programs that are offered in Canada which prepare
you for a career in digital marketing. The graduates in the digital media industry are
widely from:

B.A. Communications Degree

B.A. Digital Media Studies
Bachelors degree in Public Relations
B.A Advertising/Marketing
Bachelors degree in Business Management
B.A English Literature

These programs offer students a diverse array of courses to hone skills in writing,
editing, publishing, media, consumer behavior, corporate social responsibility, and
integrated marketing.

Hierarchy

Communications Coordinator
An entry-level worker in the digital media industry begins as a communications
coordinator. Their responsibilities include:

Designing content for print and Web, that includes brochures and
newsletters

Writing and distributing press releases

Providing communications support

Researching and developing content for social media and blog

Developing presentations and implementing campaign strategies

Communications Specialist
A communications specialist has 3-4 years of experience in the digital media industry.
Some of their responsibilities are similar to that of a communications coordinator,
other duties include:

Developing and executing internal communications program

Assisting in communications from the CEO or other higher authorities

Maintaining communication with the corporate site to ensure relevant

and effective communication across the organization

Maintaining relationships with external clients and ensuring programs

and partnership as planned

Skills

Some of the core skills required for a job in digital media are:

Writing and editing skills

Knowledge of social media platforms
Proficiency with MS office tools
Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator
Research skills
Video editing
Knowledge of Google Analytics and other social media analytic tools

All in a days work

Ian Sibransingh, National Promotions Intern
Meet Ian, a graduate of Centennials postgrad
program in Childrens Media. Ian works at
Entertainment One, an international entertainment
company that specializes in acquisition and
distribution of film and television content.
As part of the National Promotions team, Ians job
involves researching for brands to partner movies
with, coming up with clever call-to-actions and
writing copy for social. While this helps Ian explore a
fun and creative side of his work, his other duties
involve more detailed and clear communication.
Ian writes proposals that help secure promotion
partners for upcoming films. In his writing, Ian
highlights the importance for brands to partner up
with upcoming blockbusters and the profits it could
generate. Ian says, The research keeps us on our
toes so we can see not only what brands are out
there but what our competitors are doing.
So the next time you find the logo of your favourite
cereal brand invaded by the Minions from
Despicable Me, you might have Ian to thank for it.

To sum up
In 2014, companies spent an average of 25% of their total marketing budgets on
digital. With the growing role of digital media, the number is expected to jump up to
75% in the next five years. As the world grows increasingly online, companies have
realized that there is a huge market to cater to in the virtual space. Communication,
social media strategies, and visual content become all the more essential for
companies that want to grab attention. Thanks to their growing role on the Internet,
writers today are known under various designations, such as content strategists,
communications coordinators, digital media specialists etc. A writers job is no longer
about writing and editing copy, but it also involves designing content, forming
communication strategies, and creating and measuring social media campaigns.
I joined Centennial Colleges professional writing program hoping to polish my writing
skills, while I did get the chance to improve my writing, the course has also taught me
the importance of designing and presenting content. The six months that I spent in the
program helped me figure out a career path that I wanted to follow. With my interests in
writing and social media, it only seemed natural that I decided for a career in the
vibrant world of digital media.

References:
1.

Job Description of a Communications Specialist. (2016). Study.com.

Retrieved from
http://study.com/articles/Job_Description_of_a_Communications_Specialist.ht
ml

2.

Communications Specialist Salary (Canada). (2016). PayScale.com.

Retrieved from
http://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Communications_Specialist/Salary

3.

Communications Specialist: Job Description. (2016). Freshgigs.ca.

Retrieved from https://www.freshgigs.ca/blog/communications-specialist-jobdescription/

4.

Marwen Communications Coordinator. (2016) (1st ed., p. 2). Retrieved

from
https://marwen.org/content/applications/Marwen_Communications_Coordinat
or.pdf

5.

Industry Quick Facts. Retrieved from http://www.cmf-fmc.ca/aboutcmf/industry-research/industry-quick-facts/

6.

2015 Media & Entertainment Industry Outlook Interview with Gerald

Belson. (2015). Deloitte. Retrieved from
http://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/technology-media-andtelecommunications/articles/2015-media-and-entertainment-outlook.html

7.

A LinkedIn chat with Ian Sibransingh, National Promotions Intern,

Entertainment One