Communications advisor (Communicatieadviseur)
Information on this skill...
A communication advisor is a communication expert who specializes in advising companies, institutions and governments on their communication. This communication may concern internal or external communication. In short, we can best describe the work of a communication consultant as advising companies on how best to communicate and when to communicate. Professional communication is not easy and should be left to a communication advisor. Especially if difficult or difficult messages need to be communicated, a good communication advisor can help enormously. A communication advisor is therefore specialized in helping organizations with their communication. Think of helping to draw up policy plans that concern the organization, editing texts and helping to prepare press conferences. Communication is a broad field and does not only relate to oral communication. Depending on the type of communication, it may also be that a communication advisor will draw up a communication strategy to improve communication. The profession of communication consultant should also be seen as fairly general, because communication consultants can work in various ways and levels. The larger organizations usually have multiple communication staff. Depending on the communication advisor, a communication advisor can also hold other roles within the organization. Consider, for example, the profession of press officer that also has to do with communication. In addition, in some cases a communication advisor can be regarded as a media trainer. An experienced communication consultant can therefore also help inexperienced employees learn to communicate.
A communication advisor is therefore responsible in a broad way for the internal and external communication of organizations. Good communication is a discipline that should not be underestimated. Communicating in the right way can prevent many problems and/or ambiguities. Think, for example, of investigative journalists, who can ask very specific questions. It is up to the communication advisor to give the right answers, which cannot be interpreted in a wrong or other way to avoid problems. When organizations receive questions from the press, it is often the communication advisor who acts as press officer from the organization. Acting as a press officer is not an easy task, which requires an experienced communication officer. Within larger organizations, a communication advisor can also work under the HR manager. In that case, for example, I am responsible for communicating in a clear way about the personnel policy.
VARIOUS ACTIVITIES COMMUNICATION ADVISOR
As described earlier, communication must be seen more broadly than just oral communication. For example, a communication advisor may also be involved in drawing up new policy plans, writing texts, editing texts or drafting legal letters. A communication advisor is therefore also involved in editing texts within organizations. For example, it may be that an editorial or communication employee has written a certain text that can be misinterpreted by other people. It is up to the communication advisor to adjust this text in such a way that possible problems are prevented. A communication advisor will usually look at difficult or difficult texts before the texts are released by the organization. In addition, a communication advisor may be involved in the development of a new corporate identity.
WORKING AS A COMMUNICATION CONSULTANT
As a communication advisor, you are an important advisor with regard to the prevention of reputational damage and reputational damage. A good communication consultant generally has a lot of experience in organizing and managing communication within different types of companies. Communication generally relates to various forms of communication, such as strategic communication, internal communication, external communication, media education and internet communication. Drawing up the communication policy within organizations is also part of the communication profession. Consider, for example, guidelines on how employees should communicate internally and externally and what data employees may email or take with them to their home address. In most cases, a communication advisor will assist several employees with regard to the communication. Think, for example, of compliance employees, content managers, web editors, secretaries and executive secretaries. Obviously, this can differ per organization, because organizations can have to deal with different employees and services.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING
Communication and marketing are two different disciplines, which cannot simply be compared with each other. Communication and marketing do have a lot in common with each other. In practice, a communication consultant can also regularly have to deal with marketing depending on the type of organization. In that case, a communication advisor is also responsible for conducting market research, for example. The important difference between marketing and communication is that marketing relates to the development of products and services including determining the price of products and services. Communication is more about conveying the right message to be able to sell products and services in the best way. A communication consultant can achieve this, for example, by engaging good copywriters or by having advertising videos made.
WHAT DOES A COMMUNICATION ADVISOR DO:
- Drafting press releases
- Possibly acting as a press officer
- Drawing up communication policy
- Reviewing and editing texts
- Conducting market research
- Advising employees
- Writing texts
WHAT DOES A COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME A COMMUNICATION ADVISOR
There are various training opportunities for the profession of communication consultant, such as the Hbo-education communication or the Hbo-education journalism. If you want to work as a communication consultant for international companies, it may be best to follow the Hbo programme International Business and Languages. An average hbo education will usually take four years. Within this profession, it is important to know exactly where you want to work after your education, because that can affect your field of study. If you want to work abroad or for international companies, for example, it is important that you also master foreign languages. But also within the Netherlands there can be differences between working for companies or governments, such as whether or not you have international relations. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an independent communication consultant.
COMPANIES WHERE A COMMUNICATION ADVISOR CAN WORK
A communication consultant can work for various companies, institutions and governments. This generally concerns the large organizations, which have a lot to do with communication. Think, for example, of factories, retailers, hoteliers, the police, ministries, municipalities, water boards and marketing companies. As a communication consultant, you work in the communication department, which usually has different functions, depending on the type of organization. It is conceivable that an experienced good communication consultant also works as a consultant or as an entrepreneur. If a communication advisor specifically assists an influential person, the term spin doctor may also apply. A spin doctor is a communication expert who assists influential people. In some cases, a communication advisor can also be regarded as a public relations employee.
COMPETENCES COMMUNICATION ADVISOR
The competencies of a communication advisor cannot simply be clearly indicated, because a communication advisor can be responsible for communication in various ways. For example, assisting an influential person involves activities other than drafting press releases. In general, we can say that a communication consultant must have a lot of knowledge of the media industry. In addition, a communication advisor must have a strong personality, because communication is not easy in some cases. Think, for example, of bringing out less good news. Analytical skills can also be regarded as an important competence, because separating the side issues from the main bags is important. Generally important words are learning ability, vision, inspiration, strategy, collaboration, planning, performing, organizing, flexibility, networking, empathy, negotiation, vigilance, quality control and stress resistance.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A COMMUNICATION ADVISOR
The labour market perspective as a communication advisor is generally good if you have the right training. The business community and governments make extensive use of communication consultants in different ways. The communication profession does not consist of one profession, because in most cases a communication department employs different professionals who are responsible for internal and external communication in different ways. The career opportunities as a communication advisor must be seen in being allowed to work as a press officer. A position as a department manager can also be seen as growing within your career.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY COMMUNICATION ADVISOR
There are no specific employment conditions for this profession, because you can work for various companies. It is true that you will usually work for the larger companies and governments, which have usually arranged their employment conditions well. The salary as a communication consultant will be highly dependent on your responsibility within the organization. In general, a novice communication consultant will earn between 2500 and 3500 euros gross per month, depending on age, education and responsibilities. An experienced communication consultant, who will regularly appear on television, for example, usually earns a lot more.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
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