Internal communications isn’t always a planned career path. 44’s Olivia Rochford, Editorial Assistant, shares how university helped build the foundations for her career in IC.
If you’re a recent grad staring at job listings thinking, “I didn’t study comms, so how am I meant to get into internal comms?”, you’re not alone.
I studied History. I didn’t even know what internal communications was while I was at university.
So why is IC a field that worked for me? It’s because university trained me in the exact skills internal comms runs on: thinking critically, adapting your message to different people, and owning your time.
Confidence to challenge
At uni, you’re constantly encouraged to think independently and challenge what you’re reading or learning. The same principles apply to internal comms.
This really struck me in my final year, when I was assigned a brilliant dissertation tutor who was a highly regarded expert on my topic.
It’s safe to say I was not very prepared heading into our first meeting, but once I was over the nerves, I learnt a huge amount from his guidance – even if I didn’t follow every suggestion to the letter.
Instead, it became an early lesson in trusting my own judgement and ideas. In IC, especially, that instinct can be the difference between a campaign that truly resonates with its audience and one that only lands with senior leaders.
I touched on this in my last blog post after a recent site visit changed my thinking entirely. We had to challenge our original approach, justify a new direction to leaders, and explain why it mattered.
They took the time to listen and understand – and the campaign was stronger for it. Those foundations and confidence were built at uni, and I still rely on them now.
Adapting your style
Seminars at uni are often a bit of a mixed bag. I had some groups full of passionate, opinionated people where two hours of conversation flew by. Others were… stilted to say the least – including the time I was the only person who showed up two weeks running.
At the time, those quieter sessions felt frustrating. But looking back, they taught me something far more valuable than the chatty ones. I learnt that good communication doesn’t just look like everyone being energised and passionate.
Often, it looks like quiet awareness – and engaging people who might otherwise not have taken an interest.
In IC, we’re constantly adapting to suit different audience needs, and being able to communicate with people who care about what you’re saying and want to know more, while also reaching people who, frankly, are much less bothered, is one of the most useful skills you can have.
Taking ownership of your time
Time management is key in any role, but especially in an agency, where you’re often balancing tight deadlines.
And ironically, considering my degree covered a mere nine hours of teaching per week, most of my time management skills came from my time at uni.
Learning how to hold yourself accountable to plans and timings you set out for yourself – whether that’s writing an essay or seeing friends – sets you up to do the same in working life.
It’s how you prioritise, helping keep yourself and your projects on track, making sure you’re delivering exactly what you need to, when you need to, to get the best results.
Uni didn’t give me an exact route into internal comms – but it gave me the core skills I needed to thrive once I started. The confidence to challenge, the ability to adapt how I communicate, and the discipline to manage my time are all skills I rely on daily.
So, if you’re in a similar position and are drawn to work that’s people-focused, creative and genuinely impactful – why not consider a role in internal comms?
