Throughout the course of this unit we have had the opportunity to not only learn how to improve our communication skills, but also to gain an understanding of why it is important to possess these skills in a professional environment. Two areas that I found to be especially applicable to my future career are writing for understanding and oral presentations.
My intended career path is financial planning. Financial planners are required to produce lengthy and complicated documents for clients, such as a Statement of Advice. It is extremely important that clients are able to understand what these documents intend to say and that miscommunication is avoided. The skill of writing for understanding is invaluable in this case, as such large decisions are made by clients on the basis of advice provided in writing.
Oral presentation skills are also valuable to possess in the business world, and oral presentations may be given under a range of circumstances. As public speaking is an acquired skill (Cenere, 2015), the opportunity to form an understanding of what creates an engaging oral presentation provided a strong basis upon which to build experience. Aspects of public speaking and oral presentations such as voice techniques allow the presenter to engage with their audience and as discussed by Julian Treasure in his TED talk (2014), the voice is a tool.
Implementing strategies and knowledge learned throughout COMM11003 will benefit me greatly throughout the remainder of my studies and into my professional career.
References
Cenere, P., Gill, R., Lawson, C., & Lewis, M. (2015). Communication Skills for Business Professionals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
TED, (2014, June 27). How to speak so that people want to listen: Julian Treasure [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIho2S0ZahI
Alyssa's Communication Blog 