General description of my job: As the Sea Grant Program Communicator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), I am responsible for managing the entire Sea Grant Communications program. Generally, this means translating the results of marine and oceanographic research for a variety of audiences, including educators, students, members of the general public, scientists, and policy and decision-makers. I also coordinate the program’s education and outreach efforts, write and/or edit all program publications, supervise program support staff, volunteers, and interns, and oversee budget planning and management.

What kind of education is required for my job?: The "official" job description for my position states the following educational requirements: "Undergraduate degree in journalism, English, communications or related field with 3 - 5 years experience in science or technical writing, editing, publication production and/or public relations or Master's degree with 2 plus years of related experience required. Coursework in oceanography or natural/environment sciences and computer familiarity (Macintosh) preferred. Demonstrated organizational, interpersonal and team skills required, along with a proven ability to digest, summarize and package scientific information in various forms for diverse audience groups"

I have a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications. When I started the position in 1991, I had 4 years’ experience in science and technical writing, editing, and publication production. I have taken courses toward a Master’s degree. I have worked on a Macintosh computer for 12 years, and software programs I use most often are Word and PageMaker. I have also taken a number of management courses.

Average Income: The average income for someone in my position (there are 29 Sea Grant Programs throughout the country and they are located in each of the coastal and Great Lakes states; California and Massachusetts each have 2 programs), ranges from $35,000 to $70,000 and depends on geographic location, years of experience, educational background, and level of responsibility within the program. However, the majority of Sea Grant Communicators’ salary ranges is between $38,000 and $46,000, and my current salary falls right in the middle of that range.

What kind of companies hire me for my job?: The job that I have described, a Sea Grant Communicator, is fairly specialized. As I mentioned, there are 29 Sea Grant programs around the country, so, technically, there are 29 of us doing this type of job. However, some programs have additional communications staff and some programs have communicators who do more than one type of job. For example, our Sea Grant program is small, so in addition to my communications duties, I also handle the program’s fiscal, or budget, responsibilities.

Other types of jobs that I would be qualified for, outside of Sea Grant, would be:

Science writer
Environmental or Science Educator
Public Relations Director for an environmental or science-based company
Communications Director for an environmental or science-based company

Other types of companies that I could work for, outside of Sea Grant, would be:

Newspaper
Science-related media, including periodicals, radio or television
Public Relations firm that has science-related or environmental-based clients
Environmental or Scientific Consulting Firm
Nonprofit organization with a scientific or environmental focus

What are some of my specific duties?: On a day-to-day basis, my job can vary quite a bit, which I find exciting and fun. I would have to say that, most days, I can go home having learned something new and that also makes it exciting and keeps me from getting bored. I am definitely not the type of person that could do the same thing, day in and day out. A summary of day-to-day types of my responsibilities is:

• writes, edits, schedules and oversees production and distribution of Sea Grant communications for a diverse audience, including news releases, newsletters, brochures, reports and feature articles;
• assists in organizing and promoting public lecture series, workshops and seminars;
• designs displays and exhibits relating to or based on marine research, concepts or information that appeal to diverse audiences with broad ranging interests;
• interfaces with other WHOI departments to represent and promote Sea Grant's programs and objectives;
• facilitates relations with other Sea Grant programs, especially communication staff, and represents WHOI Sea Grant at various local, regional and national events and meetings;
• develops and oversees coordinated response to requests for information related to Sea Grant activities and works closely with other WHOI offices or departments in support of cohesive image;
• generates ideas and marketing strategies for informational and educational materials and outreach vehicles;
• maintains on-going contact with WHOI scientific and technical staff, local and regional coastal outreach organizations, policy makers and general public to ensure Sea Grant visibility and utilization;
• oversees daily administrative and management needs of the office
  

What kind of entry level training is there?: As with many communications fields, the entry-level jobs tend to be administrative or support-based. In other words, the "gopher" jobs: an assistant to an editor or writer, an assistant to the public relations director, etc. However, the skills that one can develop in those jobs is important. The entry-level jobs tend to be a good place to hone good writing and editing skills because you are constantly exposed to high quality examples. I was the communications assistant for a year before being promoted to the communications director. That year really helped prepare me for the higher level job because I was familiar with the program, the duties of both the support staff and the communications director, and the way the program interacted with groups within WHOI, within the Sea Grant network, and within our region.

Other things one could do to prepare for a job in communications is to write for school or community publications, or volunteer to write or edit newsletters for community organizations (churches, schools, scout troops, business or professional organizations, etc.). Also, take classes that require or teach public speaking. Learn word processing and graphics software programs.

Lastly, some advice if you are interested in the field of communications: this is a field in which it is easy to combine your interests or hobbies with a job. If you have strong writing skills, pick a field or topic that interests you (for example, marine science) and search for volunteer opportunities at museums, aquaria, research organizations, or local colleges. If you happen to like photography or videography, consider your other interest areas and combine them to make a career that best suits you. The best photographers, for example, are good at what they do because they are genuinely interested in their subjects, whether it’s children or dolphins or historical buildings. Choose a career because it captures your interests, not because the money is good or because it may be "prestigious." After all, you’ll be doing it for the rest of your life; you may as well enjoy it!