While the additional placement process offers candidates a new preference opportunity, it also becomes important which areas will provide broader career options in the future business world. The communication sector, encompassing many fields such as digital media, social media, content production, corporate communication, advertising, public relations, television, and journalism, is also transforming with artificial intelligence and digitalization.
A Haber Reporter Hasan Zahid Ezim, SZC Tv Reporter Dilara Şahin, and Didem Düz Uluat, a graduate who achieved significant success as a content producer in digital media, all graduates of Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, shared their experiences with candidates evaluating the communication field.
“I entered the profession in my first year”
Hasan Zahid Ezim, A Haber Reporter and night news anchor, a 2021 graduate of Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, Department of New Media and Journalism, stated that his university education played an important role in shaping his career, saying, “Communication education does not offer the same opportunities and experience at every university. I started working at the agency within my school from my first year of university. The guidance of my professors and the professionals in the university's corporate communication unit gave me both confidence and allowed me to get to know the profession while I was still a student.”
Stating that he did not only receive theoretical education at the university, Ezim said, “I had the opportunity to experience many different areas of the profession, from behind the camera to the control room, from news writing to on-screen presence. Today, I am seeing the full benefits of the experiences I gained in those years in both reporting and anchoring.”
The ability to choose correct information stands out in the age of artificial intelligence
Ezim, stating that digitalization and artificial intelligence are transforming the communication sector, pointed out that no matter how much technology develops, humans remain at the center of communication.
Ezim said, “One of the most important features that can distinguish communication graduates from other fields is the ability to find correct information, analyze it, and convey it to the other party with appropriate language. Accessing information is now much easier. The real issue is to question whether the information is correct and to be able to select what is truly important from hundreds of pieces of information.”
“If I had to choose again today, I would still choose communication”
Ezim, stating that he loves his profession, said that if he were to choose university again, he would still choose the field of communication.
Ezim, saying, “Doing the job I dreamed of as a child today is very precious to me,” used the expressions, “Journalism requires an intense pace, sacrifice, continuous self-development, and a serious responsibility. However, despite all these, if I were to choose again, I would still choose the field of communication.”
Communication is no longer just journalism and television
Ezim emphasized that career opportunities in communication have expanded compared to the past, saying, “When communication is mentioned, one should not only think of television, journalism, or anchoring. Today, it is possible to pursue careers in many different fields such as digital media, social media, corporate communication, advertising, public relations, content production, and brand communication, in addition to television and journalism.”
Ezim, advising young people to gain as much experience as possible during their student years, said, “The diploma is the starting point. It is very important for them to do internships, to work at the school's television, radio, agency, or newspaper. University years are a very valuable period for making mistakes.”
Ezim also added that alongside foreign language, diction, written and oral expression, artificial intelligence literacy has become important for communication students.
“University actually taught me to listen first”
Dilara Şahin, Sözcü Tv Reporter and a 2024 graduate of Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, Radio, Television and Cinema Department, stated that communication education first taught her to listen, understand people, and ask the right questions, saying, “University actually taught me to listen first. Communication is not just about talking; it's about understanding the person in front of you, realizing what they are trying to say, and being able to ask the right questions. Today, I use these most frequently in the field.”
Şahin, drawing attention to the importance of the human element in journalism, said, “Sometimes you are in a courthouse corridor, sometimes at a crime scene, sometimes in front of someone having a very difficult day. At that moment, you must remember that you are not only a journalist but also a human being. The university gave me the foundation of the profession, but my real learning process continued in the field. I am still learning something new every day.”
“We will use technology, but without losing our human side”
Şahin emphasized that in the age of digitalization and artificial intelligence, the ability to understand people retains its importance alongside technological competencies, saying, “Technology is changing very fast, and we all need to keep up with it. But I believe that the ability to understand people will never lose its value. Artificial intelligence can give you information, write text, analyze data. But realizing the hesitation in the voice of the person in front of you, a mother's pain, what a victim struggles to express, or a truly important detail in a news story is something else.”
Şahin, stating that the greatest strength of communication graduates is the ability to empathize, ask the right questions, and convey information with appropriate language, used the expressions, “We will use technology, but without losing our human side.”
“The most important investment is the investment a person makes in themselves”
Şahin, calling on young people to accumulate as much experience as possible during their university years, said, “Do internships, go to news centers, learn to use a camera, try editing, write, read, meet people. My motto before starting the profession was 'I will be a studio all by myself'. I developed myself in the fields of camerawork, editing assistance, editing, and reporting.”
Şahin emphasized that good Turkish, foreign language, general culture, legal knowledge, and mastery of technology are very valuable, and that character and reliability come before these. Şahin said, “Because especially in journalism, people actually trust you when they give you information. Protecting that trust is perhaps the most valuable thing you can have.”
“I started preparing for professional life before graduation”
Didem Düz Uluat, a 2021 graduate of Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, New Media and Communication department, working in the digital media field, also stated that entering a real work environment during her university years made a significant contribution to her career.
Uluat explained that she started volunteering in the corporate communication unit in her first year of university, saying, “Even before my university was over, in fact, in my first year, I started gaining very serious knowledge and equipment about the sector. Working at the university, producing things, and being in a real work environment prepared me incredibly for professional life. I started learning many things I would learn after graduation before I even graduated.”
Uluat, stating that one of the most important skills she gained during her university years was entrepreneurial courage, used the expressions, “To learn something, you need to take action without hesitation, produce, and believe in yourself. I believe I laid the foundation of my professional self-confidence at the university.”
“Communication is not just talking, it's understanding people”
Uluat, drawing attention to the fact that listening, observing, and understanding people are at the core of communication, explained that the question “We study communication, but do we really communicate? Do we know the names of the people we see every day, do we really know them?” greatly affected her during her student years.
Uluat said, “You can learn theory and the profession, but learning to truly see and understand the person in front of you is something entirely different. This is one of the biggest gains the university provided me.”
“Even getting AI to do something is a communication process”
Uluat, stating that artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly intertwined with the communication sector, said, “Even getting AI to do something is actually a communication process. You write a prompt, explain what you want, and provide the right guidance.”
Uluat explained that during her student years, she used to transcribe interview recordings by listening to them one by one, whereas today the same work can be done quickly through artificial intelligence, stating that technology makes the communicator's job more efficient.
“I would still choose Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication”
Uluat, stating that her decision would not change if she had to choose university again today, said, “Communication has become an integral part of me. If I were to choose university again today, I would not only choose the field of communication but also Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication again.”
Uluat, stating that communication education provides not only professional skills but also an ethical perspective, said, “They taught us not only how to do our job but also what kind of person and what kind of professional we should be in business life.”
Instead of “What job will I do if I study communication?”, ask “In which area can I develop myself?”
Uluat stated that faculties of communication should no longer be evaluated solely through journalism, television, or anchoring, and drew attention to the expansion of working areas with digitalization.
Uluat said, “There are many different career opportunities in corporate communication departments, social media teams, agencies, content production, behind the camera, in control room and production teams, video editing, and digital media.”
Uluat, calling on young people to change their perspectives, used the expressions, “‘Instead of limiting yourselves to a single profession by asking 'What job will I do if I study communication?', you need to think 'In which areas can I develop myself with my communication education?'. Because communication is truly a very broad field.”
“The diploma is not the end of the road, but the beginning”
Uluat advised communication students to evaluate the practical opportunities offered by the university, saying, “Go to corporate communication units, media centers, student projects. Say, ‘I want to work, learn, and develop myself here.’ Volunteer if necessary.”
Uluat, stating that the student period is important for experimenting, making mistakes, and exploring different fields, concluded her words as follows:
“Communicate with people, get to know them, listen, observe, produce, and be as involved as possible in the work. The more you invest in yourself, the more equipped you will be as a graduate. The greatest meaning of university is not just to study a department, but to discover yourself and prepare professionally for the future.”
“Different experiences shaped my career journey”
Ebranur Özdemir, a 2024 graduate of Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, Radio, Television and Cinema Department and New Media and Communication Department, working in the Media PR Unit of the Üsküdar University Corporate Communications Department, stated that she started working in corporate communication from the first day she stepped into the university. Özdemir; “For me, communication education was never just about the information learned in the classroom. From the first day I started university, I was involved in many areas of communication. I worked as a TV Program, director, and control room assistant; then I gained experience in program editing. At the same time, by working in our university's Media PR Unit, I got to know the functioning of corporate communication closely. Although these different areas seemed independent of each other, they actually allowed me to understand and bring together different parts of the communication profession. I had the opportunity to see the practical application of the theoretical knowledge I learned at university very early on in my professional life.”
One of the most important skills I acquired is the ability to communicate correctly with different people for the same goal
Özdemir, stating that her current work in media relations is directly linked to these past experiences, said, “Currently, I am involved in various processes from media planning to preparing press releases, from media relations to agenda tracking and crisis management. The television and editorial experiences I gained in the past allow me to look at the relationship between media and institutions from a broader perspective today. One of the most important skills communication education provided me was the ability to communicate correctly with different people and for different purposes, on the path to the same goal. I see the traces of communication education in all the work I do, from preparing a news text to conducting an interview, from accurately conveying an academician's opinion to building relationships with media members.”
“Today’s communicator must be able to read the changing agenda”
Özdemir, drawing attention to how digitalization and artificial intelligence are rapidly changing working methods in the communication sector, said that communication graduates should not limit themselves only to the traditional tools of the profession. Özdemir said, “There is no guarantee that information you learn today in the field of communication will appear in the same way a few years later. Therefore, I believe that one of the most important characteristics of a communicator is to be able to stay current. Today's communicator must be able to read the changing agenda. Following new media trends, recognizing digital tools, understanding how artificial intelligence is integrated into communication processes, and being able to interpret changing media habits are now part of the profession.”
A communicator must be a professional who can develop strategies…
Özdemir, stating that her experience in media relations shows that a communicator should not only be a content producer but also a professional who develops strategies, said, “When managing an institution's communication, you need to consider not only what to say but also when to say it, which channel it will resonate with, and how it will be positioned on the agenda. Media planning, agenda setting, crisis management, and protecting the institution's reputation are therefore not processes that can be considered separately.”
“I would choose communication again…”
Özdemir, stating that she is currently continuing her education in the Üsküdar University Institute of Social Sciences New Media and Journalism Master's Program and would choose the field of communication again if she were to make a university choice today, expressed that communication education provided her with not only a profession but also the ability to adapt to different working areas. Özdemir; “If I were to choose university again today, I would still choose the field of communication because what communication education gave me was not just acquiring knowledge of a specific profession. I learned to work with different people, understand different perspectives, research, write, produce, and continuously develop myself. Moreover, the knowledge you gain in the field of communication does not stay at a single point in your career; it can be transferred to different areas, from media relations to corporate communication, from content production to digital media, and even to your personal life.”
Özdemir emphasized that individuals considering a career in communication should not evaluate the department solely through traditional professions, saying, “When you graduate from communication, there isn't just one career path in front of you. The important thing is to discover which area you are interested in during your university years and start developing yourself in that area.”
“Staying current is now a professional necessity rather than a career choice”
Özdemir, stating that alongside a university diploma, the habit of continuous learning should be developed for a successful career, especially in the field of communication, said that professional development does not end with graduation. Özdemir said, “One of the biggest investments a communication student can make in themselves is to keep their curiosity alive. It is necessary to follow the agenda, examine the news language of different media organizations, follow industry professionals, try new communication tools, and be able to critically evaluate the work they produce. Today, as required by my profession, I constantly follow the media agenda, communication trends, and digital transformation. Because we are not in the same communication environment today with the methods we used a few years ago.”
Özdemir used the expressions, “A diploma provides you with a starting point, but what differentiates you in the communication sector is what you add on top of that education. Research habits, the ability to read the agenda, strategic thinking, the ability to work with different disciplines, and adapting to change are as important as technical skills. Communication is a constantly transforming field. Therefore, someone choosing this profession must be ready to continuously renew themselves. Staying current is now a professional necessity rather than a career choice.”
