3 Areas Where Your Communication Skills Matter the Most

3 Areas Where Your Communication Skills Matter the Most One story I tell in my workshops is about how a former customer of mine improved communications between two warring departments. He told me that these groups were almost literally at war with each other and just couldnt play well together.He further explained that he would call members of the groups together and make them talk to each other.I also observed their body language and facial expressions, he said. If I noticed hostility, Id mention it and tell them I could see their hostility. Did I make them kiss and make up? No. But it almost got to that point.This story illustrates how communication is crucial in a work environment. Its also crucial while youre in school and during your job search. Basically, youre always on.If you havent given thought to your communications, you should consider the following three areas where its essential to your success.At SchoolUniversity is the beginning of the rest of your life, as the clich goes. Therefore, its important that you strengthen your verbal and written communication skills. And you dont have to major in communications to do this.Your Verbal CommunicationsTake advantage of any opportunities you have to present in front of a group. As scary as it may seem, you will be better prepared for the workforce. Try to ignore your fear and think aboutthis as a challenge instead.Youre not only communicating with your mouth, though youre also communicating with your body language, facial expressions, and voice intonation. The more animated you are (within reason) the better your message will come across. Some believe that effective communications is at least 90 percent or more physical presentation.Your Written CommunicationsWhen you write expository papers for your classes, put your best effort forth. Be concise, butinformative. The working world prefers when ideas presented in writing are as brief as possible.This includes emails, propo sals, marketing literature, whitepapers, etc. I remember a marketing manager saying to me, Brevity is the key to success. She was right.Youll learn that when you leave college and enter your job search, your success will depend on your marketing campaign. This will include your written and verbal communications. Dont focus on only one form of communication. Practice it all.During the Job SearchNetworking will be a valuable activity duringyour job search, and itrequires excellent communication skills. Its through networking that you canpenetrate the hidden job market, which is a topic in itself. Your goal is to become known to the people who matter.Important forms of communication include your ability to articulate your talents and your goals. Its also important to listen to the people with whom youre networking.Listening is a key component of communications. Ive been to networking events where I felt like a sounding board. Dont do that to others.Once your networking has leuchtdiode you to the decision makers of organizations, its time to put your written communication skills to use. Write resumes (plural) that speak to the needs of employers. Create a strong online presence with your LinkedIn profile.The interview will arrive after youve put your efforts into networking and writing strong marketing documents. Its at the interview that youll have to shine via youranswers to the tough questions. Youll have to come across as confident and affable. Youll have to demonstrate your verbal communication skills.Dont forget aboutbody language and facial expressions. Appear relaxed but not too relaxed to the point where youre slumping in your chairsmile when appropriate and maintain eye contact to show youre interested.At WorkCongratulations, you landed a job Now,your communication skills will help you in performing well and progressing through the ranks. Your colleagues and supervisors will expect you to be articulate and clear when presenting ideas.Company meetings ar e a great example of how important it is to present clear ideas. Lets say you have to report on the social marketing campaign youre working on. The group of 20people in front of you including the director of the organization want to know the specifics of the project.To your credit, youve come prepared. You walk to the center of the room (dont sit) to deliver your PowerPoint presentation. You flick through each slide, talking about how youll employ Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to promote the organization.Your body language demonstrates confidence, the tone of your voice is upbeat, you smile, and you communicate effectively with your hands. You notice that the director is smiling and nodding while youre talking.Bringing It All TogetherCommunication constantly ranks high on employers lists of essential skills. Its no secret why, given these three areas where communication matters.How youre graded in school relies on how well you present your projects and how well you write your pa pers. Your success in the job search depends on your ability to network, write your marketing literature, and acethe interview. Finally, your communication skills will come in handy when you areactually in the workforce, doingyour job.Bob McIntosh, CPRW, is a career trainer who leads more than 15 job search workshops at an urban career center.