Job opportunities for communication managers have been increasing in recent years, but the economic recession has meant some businesses have had to cut back on staff. This means jobs for communication managers are currently harder to come by.

Communication managers with at least 10 years’ experience in public relations and a postgraduate qualification have the best chances of finding a job.

Recession means fewer communication jobs on offer in the private and public sectors

The current economic recession has slowed down job opportunities for communication managers.

• Businesses are trying to minimise costs by hiring fewer people. This has also created more competition for the communication manager positions that do arise.
• In March 2009, the Government put a cap on the hiring of public relations advisers (which includes communication managers) in the public sector.

Current slow-down in communications jobs may improve once recession ends

Though there are currently fewer job opportunities for communication managers, the overall trend in recent years has been for businesses to employ more communication managers. The number of people working in this job almost doubled between 2001 and 2006.

Number of communication managers in New Zealand (1996, 2001, 2006)

Census	Number of communication managers
1996	1,203
2001	3,096
2006	6,075
Source: Department of Labour, Jobs and Tertiary Education Indicator Tool.

The number of communication managers has been growing partly because:

• more tertiary institutes are offering communications qualifications
• a more media-savvy public expects better quality information
• more organisations are realising they need to keep the public informed about what they do, and also want to ensure the public gets the right information about their organisation.

More people getting communications qualifications beyond a Bachelor’s degree

Because competition for jobs is high, more people are doing postgraduate study to give themselves a better chance of getting a job as a communication manager.

Many major organisations in New Zealand employ in-house communication managers, such as:

• private companies
• charities
• government departments
• specialised public relations consultancies
• advertising agencies
• media outlets.

Communication managers may also be self-employed, working as freelancers and contractors for companies that require communications advice and expertise.

Communication managers can work anywhere in New Zealand. Three-quarters of communication managers in New Zealand work in either Auckland or Wellington, where most head offices are based.