Employer Images of Speech Communication Majors: A Question of Employability.

In order to understand the market climate for speech majors, the Department of Speech at the University of Houston conducted a survey to assess the marketability of speech communication graduates in the Greater Houston area. It further attempted to disclose the skills needed to increase employability. Seventy-one questionnaires, designed to focus upon some aspect of the total employment qualifications of the speech communication major, were completed and returned by fourteen different types of companies, national or international in size and extensiveness of operation. The results revealed that very few majors were hired from areas other than Business Administration and Engineering. Employers hire predominantly from areas where students are immediately qualified for a specific job. At least two observations can be made from these data: (1) speech majors will improve their employability by having courses which make them more qualified to perform a definite job; and (2) the type of job and the type of business concern should be decided upon early in each student's academic development. Speech communication majors were perceived as having high employment potential in departments or skill areas most dependent upon communication skills. (LL)