While the state of finding employment as a teacher remains bleak, a new study reveals that the job market for journalism and communications grads is improving.

Most students entering a journalism or communications school know what they're getting into as well as what to expect following graduation. Months or longer could be spent filling out job applications and going to interviews to land that coveted full-time position. Today, the time in-between is often spent hopping from internship to internship, all the while making some sort of income waiting tables or folding merchandise.

The University of Georgia's Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Graduates found that in 2012 around 65 per cent of students graduating with a degree in journalism or mass communications were able to find full-time work six to eight months following their graduation.

These statistics have been steadily increasing since 2009 when only 47 per cent of graduates found work within that time frame.

Though it's no surprise that recent journalism graduates have a higher unemployment rate than the average labour force as they are young and fresh out of school, the survey found that in the past four years they've actually had more luck in the job market than the labour force of 20ÔÇô24-year-olds. In 2012, the unemployment rate for journalism grads was almost 11 per cent while the 20ÔÇô24-year-old labour force had a rate of just over 13 per cent.

Freelance anyone?

Doing freelance work for various publications is a good way to earn some extra cash outside of a regular paying job and also allows recent grads to get published at times when they may not hold an ideal position in their desired career path.

Currently, there are almost a quarter of undergraduate recipients doing freelance work in addition to holding a full-time job. Almost half of those who only hold a part-time job also state they do freelance work on the side.

Let's talk dough

Students deciding on entering the field of journalism and mass communications generally acknowledge they won't be earning anywhere close to a six-figure salary, except in some rare cases (if you're really, really, good).

The average salary for graduates with a journalism or communications bachelor's degree holding a full-time job has increased $2,000 (from $30,000 to $32,000) between 2010 and 2012.

Graduates with a master's degree are making considerably more than those with their bachelor's, with average earnings of $40,000 in 2012.

This career path still has a ways to go in order to get back on track to its pre-recession state, but progress is continuing to be made as opportunities open up in new fields in and around the media industry.

Jamie Bertolini is the web editor intern for jobpostings.ca and contributor for Jobpostings Magazine. In her spare time, this media studies and journalism graduate enjoys puttering around her vegetable garden, swimming and scuba-diving the frigid lakes of Ontario, and walking her family pug. Check her out on Twitter @jcbertolini.