Internal Comms Jobs in 2024: How to Land Your Dream Job

By some measures, the internal communications field is a growing role inside companies, with opportunities spanning from tech giants to local businesses. If you're eyeing a career in this dynamic field, 2024 could be your year. But with great opportunity comes great competition. Here's how to navigate the internal comms job market and secure your dream role.

Understanding the Landscape

Before diving into job applications, it's crucial to understand why internal comms is so hot right now. 

Companies are grappling with remote work, economic uncertainty, and rapid change. A PwC survey found that 45% of CEOs believe their company won't be viable in ten years without significant transformation. This has put internal communicators in the spotlight, with 72% reporting their function has been elevated to a more critical position in the past year, according to a Contact Monkey survey.

On top of it all, return-to-office mandates and other factors continue to stress the relationship between employer and employee. According to an Axios survey, 49% of unaligned employees plan to leave their jobs in the next two years. 

What does this mean for you? Opportunity. But also competition.

Know Where to Look

The internal comms job market is diverse and expansive. An examination of 750+ internal communications jobs in the US, UK, and Canada reveals a wide range of companies hiring internal communicators:

• Big companies continue to invest in internal comms. For example, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and JP Morgan Chase published 30 internal comms job openings between May and August of 2024.
• About 525 other companies published internal communications job openings during that time, including a mix of large multinational corporations, mid-sized companies, and some smaller or regional organizations.

Cast a wide net, but be strategic. Don't just apply to big names – sometimes the best opportunities lie in unexpected places.

Decoding Job Descriptions

Finding an internal comms job that matches your skills and interest means looking closely at job descriptions. For one thing, many "internal communications" roles do not even have those words in the title or description, using words like “employee engagement” or simply the catch-all “corporate communications.”  

Another thing to know is that internal comms jobs can be vastly different from one job to the next. You might find:

• Editorial roles focused on crafting intranet content and emails
• Strategic positions advising C-suite executives
• Technology focused roles centered on maintaining and enhancing a company intranet or employee portal
• Event-focused jobs centered on town halls and team meetings
• Field and frontline communications roles ensuring "deskless" workers stay informed about job priorities, safety information, and productivity enhancements
• Or…a mix of all of the above.

The key? Look beyond the job title. Dive deep into the description and align it with your skills and career goals. If you're a wordsmith, aim for content-heavy roles. If you're strategic, look for positions that interface with leadership.

Standing Out in a Crowded Field

The job market is more competitive than ever. Workday's 2024 Global Workforce Report shows job applications grew 4x faster than job requisitions last year:

• 19 million job requisitions (+9% YoY)
• 173 million job applications (+31% YoY)

What are some ways your resume can stand out from the crowd? Here are three areas:

Master the ATS Game: Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes. By one count, there are more than 60 different types of ATS software. To get past this digital gatekeeper, experts say you should:

• Use ATS-friendly formats (DOC, DOCX, PDF)
• Include relevant keywords from the job description in your resume or in a section called “skills”
• Keep formatting simple and use standard fonts, half- or one-inch margins, and basic formatting for section headers (e.g., bold or all caps)
• Do not use “fancy” layouts with multiple columns, colors, graphics, or photos
• You do not need to keep everything on one page, especially if it causes you to do things that could potentially cause an issue with ATS readers (e.g., using small fonts and margins)
  
  

Showcase Business Impact: Don't just list responsibilities of comms-focused metrics like open rates and page views. Show how your work moved the needle for the business. For example, instead of "Managed company newsletter," try "Increased newsletter engagement by 30%, directly supporting our employee retention initiative. Some other ways to spotlight your impact are:

• Provide context for your metrics. If you increased engagement rates, by how much? How did this compare to previous campaigns?
• Connect your communications efforts to specific business goals. For instance, if you ran a campaign about company values, explain why this was important to the organization at that time and how it contributed to the company's overall strategy.
• If you organized a town hall series, describe how it improved employee engagement, how this was measured, and why it mattered to leadership.
• For any metrics you cite, clarify if the number was significantly higher than usual and by what margin.
  
  

Follow a format, such as the STAR method or the xyz formula, to make your resume bullet points as strong as possible.  

Remember, hiring managers are looking for communicators who can drive business results, not just create content. By clearly articulating how your work impacted the organization's bottom line, you'll demonstrate your strategic value and stand out from other applicants.

Tailor Your Application: One-size-fits-all doesn't work, especially when it comes to ATS systems. Customize your resume for each role, highlighting the most relevant experiences and using keywords from the job description. This approach not only helps you pass the ATS filters but also shows the hiring manager that you've done your homework and are genuinely interested in the specific role.

When tailoring your application:

• Analyze the job description and company website for key terms and phrases
• Incorporate these terms naturally throughout your resume and cover letter
• Adjust your professional summary or objective statement to align with the specific role
• Highlight experiences and achievements that directly relate to the job requirements

Remember, while it's important to optimize for ATS, your resume will ultimately be read by a human. Strike a balance between keyword optimization and readability.

By following these strategies, you'll not only increase your chances of getting past the ATS but also present yourself as a strategic, results-oriented communicator who can add real value to an organization.

The Road to Your Dream Job

The need for effective internal communicators has never been greater. With the right approach, you can find a role that not only advances your career but also allows you to make a real difference in an organization. Your dream job is out there – go get it!