Working as a communication manager or similar role typically involves more of a focus on the day-to-day deliverable — but what if you're wanting to guide your organization toward bigger-picture goals and objectives? It could be time to pursue a director-level role. In order to make the transition to this type of leadership position, however, you'll need to be prepared to shift your thinking from tactical to strategic.
How to Land a Director-Level Role in Strategic Communication
Those who have gained experience in tactical leadership and are ready to pivot into a more strategic communications director role might be wondering where to begin. First, it's important to get a grasp of what a director of strategic communications does and what the work entails.
What Does a Communications Director Do?
Communications directors are responsible for planning and executing an organization's overall strategy for shaping both public image and internal messaging — including all communication with the media, employees, and the general public.
While no two communications director roles look exactly alike, common responsibilities may include:
- Managing and overseeing public relations (PR) teams, content teams, and other communication professionals.
- Maintaining relationships with the media, community leaders, and other key stakeholders.
- Establishing guidelines for internal communication between leadership and employees.
Transitioning Into a Director Role in Communications
What does the typical career path to communications director look like? For many, it all comes down to gaining the right level of education and experience, building essential skills, and establishing a strong professional network.
Laying the Foundation (Education and Experience)
Regarding how to transition into director-level roles, a combination of formal education and practical experience lays the foundation of success.
Educational Requirements
These days, many employers hiring strategic communication directors are seeking candidates with a highly specialized education.
Foundational Knowledge in Communications, Journalism, or PR
Ideally, a candidate for a director of strategic communication position will hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in journalism, public relations, communications, or a related field.
Do You Need a Master’s Degree to Become a Communications Director?
While a bachelor’s degree is often the first step toward strategic communication work, a more advanced degree at the graduate level may be preferred by some employers. Specifically, a master's in strategic communication can help professionals build the delegation, leadership, critical thinking, and related skills necessary to guide organizational communication strategy.
The Progressive Career Path (5 to 10+ Years)
If you've seen a job posting for a strategic communication director role, you may have also noticed that many employers are looking for candidates with a minimum of five to 10 years of experience. If you're not quite there, plan to acquire that practical experience so you are eventually better poised to transition into a director role.
Entry/Mid-Level Roles
Building foundational experience through entry- and mid-level roles in communication is a logical first step for aspiring directors of communication. Some examples of such positions where you can learn skills to develop valuable include:
- Public relations specialist
- Social media specialist
- Communication assistant
- Marketing coordinator
Management Roles
Over time and with enough experience, you may be able to work your way into jobs that present the opportunity to hone your leadership skills — which will be critical in a director of strategic communication role. Examples of relevant management roles to pursue include:
- Public relations manager
- Media relations manager
- Social media manager
- Communications manager
Progression From Management to Director
During your time in management roles, you'll be able to develop your strategic mindset while learning how to effectively manage teams and handle a wide range of communication challenges. You may be able to sharpen other key leadership skills, too, such as budget management, project leadership, and delegation.
The Need for "Full-Stack" Experience
When aiming to pursue a role as critical and complex as director of strategic communications, it's not enough to have a few years of either communication experience or leadership experience. In order to thrive as a strategic communication director, you will ideally possess skill sets on both sides of the coin. With a full-stack experience in both communication and leadership, you'll have the versatility and holistic understanding that organizations are looking for in a leader.
Skills Every Strategic Communication Director Needs
What does it take to thrive as a strategic communication director? Professionals in this line of work benefit from a number of technical and “softer” skills that enable them to effectively lead communication teams and enhance overall brand presence.
Strategic Mastery (The "Hard" Skills)
On the technical side, strategic communication directors need sharp strategic planning skills, analytical knowledge, and digital fluency.
Strategic Planning
What sets strategic communication directors apart from other leadership roles is the imperative to think strategically rather than tactically. With a knack for implementing strategic plans and integrated communication strategies, professionals can carefully align organizational communication approaches with long-term business goals while adapting to constantly evolving media landscapes.
Data Storytelling and Analytics
In a director of strategic communication role, it's not enough to simply understand the copious amounts of data being collected. Along with strong data analytics skills, these strategic leaders must be able to effectively combine data with visuals and a compelling narrative to tell stories that drive action, both with stakeholders and team members.
It’s crucial to be comfortable leveraging various types of data (and then adjust messaging accordingly) in areas like:
- Insights from social listening
- Website metrics
- Key performance indicators (KPIs) that prove return on investment (ROI)
Digital Fluency
Of course, strategic communication leaders also need to be masters of their domain when it comes to the various types of new media, digital platforms, and tools used in organizational communication today. This includes strong digital fluency in working with platforms such as:
- Data analytics software
- Content and customer relationship management platforms (CMSs and CRMs)
- Internal communication/collaboration tools
- Organizational intranets
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
Key Soft Skills for Communication Directors
In addition to technical skills, aspiring strategic communication directors should have the following soft skills:
Inspirational Leadership
In a strategic director role, strong and competent leadership skills are a must. Beyond that, however, the best strategic communication directors are inspirational leaders able to motivate, energize, and truly inspire others to strive toward their visions. These are people who lead by example, help team members find their own sense of purpose, and make sure everyone’s voice is heard.
Advising Senior Leaders
Aside from the ability to lead and inspire teams, strategic communication directors also serve as a sort of liaison between communication teams and senior leaders. More specifically, they must be able to share relevant information about campaign planning, digital strategy, and business goals with senior leaders in a way that's easy to understand.
Political Acumen and Discretion
Another core skill for strategic communication directors is that of political acumen, especially when working with potentially sensitive or otherwise confidential information. These leaders may need to navigate the power dynamics and unspoken rules of an organization to thoughtfully craft communication strategies while overseeing teams and aligning messaging with goals.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Although they may be masters of their domain, directors of strategic communication must communicate effectively and work collaboratively with other interdisciplinary teams to achieve organizational goals. In doing so, leaders may be better able to leverage diverse perspectives, strengthen communication strategies, and maximize efficiency among cross-functional team members.
Crisis Management and Reputation Building
A central piece of a strategic communication director's job is knowing how to react in times of crisis — preserving the reputation of the organization at all costs.
Keep a Cool Head
When reputational crises arise, it can be easy to lose your cool and let stress take over. However, strategic communication leaders will know how to keep a level head, even during times of extreme crisis. Staying calm and collected, they can do their part to inspire confidence and trust among members of the public, organizational teams, and other stakeholders.
Proactive vs. Reactive
Strategic communication directors should also know how to strike a balance between proactive and reactive approaches. As a proactive measure, for example, leaders should always have contingency plans in place for handling a wide range of crisis scenarios. This way, they can fall back on these strategies and be better prepared if they do occur.
Likewise, leaders should react to crises by being as transparent as possible with the public — ensuring that all messaging the organization puts out is clear and consistent.
Reputation Risk Mitigation
Even a seemingly small crisis can have serious impacts on an organization's overall reputation, which is why strategic communication directors must act swiftly to preserve reputation at all times. This includes implementing proactive strategies (e.g., building relationships with stakeholders and assessing likely reputational risks) and reactive ones, like implementing crisis plans and responding quickly in the event of a crisis.
Strategic Moves to Accelerate Advancement
If the level of responsibility that accompanies a strategic communication director role appeals to you, consider some practical steps you can start taking now to accelerate your career advancement.
Develop a Measurable Portfolio
A strong professional portfolio can go a long way in demonstrating to potential employers how you can lead communication teams with confidence. In addition to a more "traditional" resume, build a comprehensive portfolio that showcases examples of your best work from current or past roles — making specific connections to how your ability to think and lead strategically has worked to the organization's benefit.
Build a Powerful Network
Advancing into strategic leadership roles is often just as much about who you know as what you know, so don't overlook the power of a robust professional network. Connect with other leaders and communication specialists not just in person but also on platforms like LinkedIn. You might even consider seeking out a mentor to impart insightful career guidance as you make this transition.
Seek Out Leadership Opportunities
Knowing the ins and outs of strategic communication is one thing, but effective communication directors are able to lead and inspire as well. The best way to build these valuable leadership skills is to gain real-world experience in roles such as communications manager or PR manager.
Commit to Continuous Learning
Strategic communication leaders are never done learning; as the industry changes and evolves, so must they. With this in mind, those interested in a role as a strategic communication director will want to remain committed to a lifetime of learning and professional development. This may mean pursuing additional degrees and/or certificates while staying up to date with the latest digital tools and trends.
How a Master’s in Strategic Communication Prepares You for Director-Level Roles
A broad variety of professional competencies are behind the ability to serve as a strategic communication director for an organization of any size. By knowing how to transition into director-level roles with a focus on strategic, long-term thinking, you can be better prepared to seize the opportunities and meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Looking to advance your education to develop communication skills and prepare for leadership positions? Be sure to check out the University of Minnesota's Professional Master of Arts (MA) in Strategic Communication. Consisting of 30 credits and designed to be completed in two years, this flexible graduate degree program includes coursework in relevant topics such as strategic planning, brand building, team collaboration, crisis leadership, cultural competency, and much more. As a student, you'll also gain plenty of practical experience through real-world case studies, client projects, and a capstone project.
Get in touch to learn more about our Professional MA in Strategic Communication today. Ready to take the next step? Apply now!
