Community Engagement Specialists: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of community engagement specialists about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for community engagement specialists to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of community engagement specialists expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for community engagement specialists.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Community Engagement Specialists?
Do community engagement specialists need a degree? What kind of experience do community engagement specialists typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for community engagement specialists to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Community Engagement Specialists
Jobs Postings for Community Engagement Specialists By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 64,033 (51%)
- No Education Listed: 31,172 (25%)
- Master's degree: 19,028 (15%)
- High School or GED: 7,945 (6%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 3,136 (3%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of community engagement specialists. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 51% of positions. In 25% of job listings no education level was listed and in 15% of postings a master's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Community Engagement Specialists
Jobs Postings for Community Engagement Specialists By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 5,060 (7%)
- 2-3 Years: 18,713 (27%)
- 4-6 Years: 24,290 (36%)
- 7-9 Years: 10,840 (16%)
- 10+ Years: 9,171 (13%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for community engagement specialists. In 36% of job postings for Community Engagement Specialists, employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience. In 27% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 7-9 years of experience was sought in 16% of job postings for community engagement specialists.
What Kind of Degree Do Community Engagement Specialists Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for community engagement specialists, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 22 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective community engagement specialists, and in 2023 a total of 134,928 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective community engagement specialists.
Top Degree Programs for Community Engagement Specialists
Top 5 Degree Programs for Community Engagement Specialists (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric. | 33,262 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 29,623 |
| Organizational Leadership. | 15,298 |
| Communication, General. | 11,220 |
| Mass Communication/Media Studies. | 9,221 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric. | 33,262 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 29,623 |
| Organizational Leadership. | 15,298 |
| Communication, General. | 11,220 |
| Mass Communication/Media Studies. | 9,221 |
| Public Relations/Image Management. | 4,513 |
| Project Management. | 4,299 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. | 4,139 |
| Public Health Education and Promotion. | 4,086 |
| Communication and Media Studies, Other. | 2,831 |
| Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management. | 2,481 |
| Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling. | 2,374 |
| Communication Management and Strategic Communications. | 2,031 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other. | 1,994 |
| Music Management. | 1,986 |
| Organizational Communication, General. | 1,835 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other. | 1,470 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General. | 1,026 |
| Meeting and Event Planning. | 759 |
| Health Communication. | 416 |
| Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management. | 61 |
| Business/Corporate Communications, Other. | 3 |
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- Months To Complete: 16
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What Skills Do Community Engagement Specialists Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by community engagement specialists to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for community engagement specialists, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Community Engagement Specialists
Based on 103,873 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Community Engagement Specialists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | 46,183 | 44% |
| Public Relations | 25,556 | 25% |
| Project Management | 24,314 | 23% |
| Social Media | 20,080 | 19% |
| Journalism | 14,044 | 14% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Community Engagement Specialists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 77,000 | 74% |
| Leadership | 40,134 | 39% |
| Management | 39,956 | 38% |
| Writing | 37,806 | 36% |
| Planning | 27,363 | 26% |
Based on 103,873 job postings related to community engagement specialists, marketing was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 44% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for public relations, project management, social media, journalism and media relations were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for community engagement specialists, followed by leadership, management, writing, planning and detail oriented.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | 46,183 | 44% |
| Public Relations | 25,556 | 25% |
| Project Management | 24,314 | 23% |
| Social Media | 20,080 | 19% |
| Journalism | 14,044 | 14% |
| Media Relations | 12,425 | 12% |
| Press Releases | 12,386 | 12% |
| Newsletters | 12,172 | 12% |
| Internal Communications | 10,837 | 10% |
| Fundraising | 10,487 | 10% |
| Strategic Communication | 10,099 | 10% |
| Marketing Communications | 9,792 | 9% |
| Content Creation | 9,357 | 9% |
| Customer Relationship Management | 8,667 | 8% |
| Corporate Communications | 7,981 | 8% |
| Communication Strategies | 7,256 | 7% |
| Branding | 6,773 | 7% |
| Sales Prospecting | 6,710 | 6% |
| Thought Leadership | 6,432 | 6% |
| Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | 6,426 | 6% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 77,000 | 74% |
| Leadership | 40,134 | 39% |
| Management | 39,956 | 38% |
| Writing | 37,806 | 36% |
| Planning | 27,363 | 26% |
| Detail Oriented | 22,766 | 22% |
| Presentations | 22,705 | 22% |
| Research | 21,866 | 21% |
| Operations | 21,620 | 21% |
| Coordinating | 18,357 | 18% |
| Customer Service | 17,686 | 17% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 15,917 | 15% |
| Problem Solving | 15,902 | 15% |
| Microsoft Office | 15,634 | 15% |
| Sales | 15,345 | 15% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 14,993 | 14% |
| Editing | 14,409 | 14% |
| Innovation | 14,093 | 14% |
| Self-Motivation | 13,840 | 13% |
| Organizational Skills | 13,574 | 13% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about community engagement specialists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for community engagement specialists.
What do community engagement specialists do?
How much do community engagement specialists make?
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