By Communication Consultant Ross Bell (Management Consulting, ’23)
While practicing your elevator pitch before this month’s job fair, you may have wondered what other communication skills are important to master before starting your first job. According to experts, there are five key communication skills that are must-haves before beginning your first job.
1. Writing
Writing clearly and effectively is one of the most important skills to possess in the workplace. Business writing is not solely about strong word choice and being grammatically correct– it’s about conveying your message concisely and accurately. Success in writing emails and company-wide memos is contingent upon your ability to get your message across as efficiently as possible.
2. Choosing the best method of communication
In addition to possessing strong written communication skills, it is also paramount that you understand the different forms of business communication. Formal phone calls should be prefaced with an agenda that is sent via email at least 24 hours in advance. Emails provide a written record with exact dates and times for all conversations, which is important when there are lots of intricate details that can be easily forgotten in a face-to-face meeting.
3. Giving presentations
Because you will often be called upon to contribute during meetings, you should hone your presentation skills. According to Visme, effective presentations are only 7% based on the content of your presentation. In other words, your presentation is almost exclusively driven by your delivery. Effective delivery includes an appropriate PowerPoint presentation that minimizes the amount of words on each slide and uses an attention-grabbing theme. Having a successful presentation is also contingent upon your body language, such as eye contact and using your hands effectively while presenting.
4. Giving and receiving feedback
While difficult, providing and receiving feedback are essential to possess in any professional setting. One of the strongest advocates for workplace feedback is Professor Adam Grant. In his book Think Again, Grant reveals one commonality of extremely successful scientists and business people–they are more focused on being correct over the long term at the expense of being wrong in the short term. Don’t be concerned about the short term if your intention is being more accurate over time. This begins with soliciting feedback from your colleagues and leveraging all alternatives before making decisions. Providing feedback to coworkers–and especially those above you–can be challenging. It is important to preface your feedback by acknowledging the strongest aspects of their work and then suggest changes with valuable data as support. Giving and receiving feedback is only one of the many important communication skills that you should develop before starting your first job.
5. Listening
Not all communication stems from speaking; having superior listening skills is also a necessity in any organization. One strategy that many experts recommend is active listening, including repeating important information back to the speaker, asking questions, providing your thoughts during your conversation, and being physically present. Nodding your head, making eye contact and ensuring your body language suggests interest are excellent ways to show your listeners that you are engaged.
Even though there are countless communication skills that you should develop before you begin your first job, experts consider the above to be the most important. Thankfully, all of these communications skills can be mastered with practice! The best practice includes positive and helpful feedback from others, and you can get that kind of response from the Communication Consultants at RCBC. Make an appointment! You don’t even need to have an assignment to work on.
Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.
Works Cited:
Active Listening – Communication Skills Training from MindTools.com
Top 10 Communication Skills (For Your Life & Career) (novoresume.com)
10 Communication Skills for Career Success | Indeed.com