The current economic downturn has packed a devastating whollop in the media business. Reduced corporate revenues result in rapidly shrinking advertising budgets, forcing media giants to tighten their belts and trim their staffs. If you’re involved in the media businesses, this can be a very unsettling time. However, even if your current job situation stable, there are some options you can be considering.

Media professionals – whether you are a journalist, a time/space sales broker, researcher or technical crew – have surprisingly transferable skills. After all, good writers are needed in EVERY profession, not just the media industry.

Newspapers, magazines, and broadcast media may be experiencing tough times, but like the old saying goes, when one door shuts, another one opens…so get ready! Below are some great career options for communications majors and good writers. Explore your options!

• Grant Writer – Foundations, charitable organizations and other not-for-profits are feeling the economic pinch. Philanthropists with deep pockets are increasingly harder to come by, so competition for grant money is keen. If you’re a writer who know how to tell a good story and you have a nose for research, this could be a great area to explore. Check out websites like idealist.org that specialize in connecting people in the philanthropic world.
• Public Relations – For hard-core journalists, this may seem like doing the devils work, but you need a job and you’ve got skills that can be easily transferred to the public relations arena. And there is more to PR work that writing press releases for celebrities. Contact a professional organization to get a broad overview of the possibilities and potential in this still solid field.
• Private Investigator – Criminal justice is a job that will never go out of style because, let’s face it, there will always be criminals! What, where, when and who are words to live by in media and investigation.