Communication Skills Are Valuable Assets

Which communication skills are most valued in today's workplace?

Why are these skills so important to employers?

Without good communication skills you could easily miss out on job opportunities and being promoted to better positions within your company. The three most important communication skills are written, oral, and technological. No matter what type of job you are seeking, employers are looking for people who possess these three basic skills. In the following paragraphs we will look at these skills in more depth.

Written communication has to do with being able to communicate what you need, but not with spoken words, you need to communicate your message through the written word. When writing a report you need to make sure that you are clear on the topic and accurate in your information. Having poor writing skills may prevent you from getting the point across to your audience, which in turn could cause the company you work for to suffer.

Oral communication is a little different than written communication. In order to effectively communicate through the spoken word you need to have an understanding of who you are talking to, for example you would not talk to a child the same as you would talk to your boss. You need to choose your words according to the audience, use appropriate words that the listener can understand. Speak in a clear voice and try to pull your audience into the conversation, and always maintain eye contact with them. Nancy Martin-Young, an English Instructor at Wake Technical Community College, says that "Oral communication skills are the most prized by employers" (1996). Being able to communicate through speaking takes time and practice, but this is one skill that will be a great asset to you no matter what your career may be.

The last skill that I feel is a very valuable asset to have is technological communication. "Employees must be able to use modern technology to communicate" (Martin-Young, 1996). In today's world computers are everywhere you go, so in order to get a good job and get promoted in that job you will need to be computer literate. Most employers want their employees to be able to send and receive emails, read and understand business documents, and have a basic understanding of Microsoft Office programs. Whatever your job may be, you are sure to encounter some type of computer system, and if you know how to operate that system the better off you will do at your job.

These are a few skills that are most valuable to today's employers. "If you are good at communicating there is a good chance that you will quickly advance in your career. On the other hand, if you are bad at communicating then it will be difficult for you to move higher in your career" (L). These skills are important to

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