Oral & Written Communication

“Communication is power. Those who have mastered its effective use can change their own experience of them. All behavior and feelings find their original roots in some form of communication.” 

      Tony Robbins

What is Oral & Written Communication?

Communication is the clear and effective exchange of information, ideas, facts and opinions. It can take many forms like speaking, writing and even body language.

WCSU Opportunities to Grow your Communication Skills

Compassion Competency

How can I demonstrate my communication skills to a potential employer?

The most straightforward method would simply be to talk to potential employers through email or in-person. Sending professionally written follow-up emails after interviews could potentially make you stand out from the competition. There are many ways to demonstrate this competency and the Career Success Center can you help find ways that can best suit you personally.

Sample Activity 

Example

You articulate your thoughts and ideas clearly through speaking, writing and body language to supervisors, coworkers and clients.

"As a Career Associate at Texas Career Engagement during shelter-in-place policies, I adapted to the heavy focus put on Zoom meetings, Slack messaging, emails and task delegation and the decreased face-to-face interaction that was normal to the office."

You have experience speaking to and engaging people, whether it is in small groups or large presentations and employ active listening, persuasion, and influencing skills.

“I have served as a panelist in various conversations surrounding mental health and development programs for underrepresented communities. During these panelist conversations, I make an effort to practice skills such as active listening, eye contact, appropriate body language and overall attentiveness. This allows me to comprehend better what message is being relayed so that I can communicate effectively."

You have experience writing and editing a variety of business communications such as emails, letters, messages, brief announcements, or complex technical reports.

"As the publicity head for one of my organizations, I was in charge of communicating information from my organization to my audience. This took place in multiple forms such as curated social media posts, newsletters, and announcements. When doing this, I kept in mind that while I am writing on behalf of a brand, I am also communicating with another individual."

You communicate in a clear and organized manner so that others can effectively understand.

“As a public speaker the message I send needs to be understood by everyone listening and to reach that end I spend hours practicing my written speeches and adjusting my volume, tone and body language."

You ask appropriate questions for specific information from supervisors, specialists, and others and promptly inform relevant others when needing guidance with assigned tasks.

"Before becoming a team lead I had to learn a lot of new skills on the job. Asking specific and well thought-out questions allowed me to learn them in no time. I also had the support of my seniors who would help me out when I was having some difficulty with a specific assignment or task."