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How Communication Skills and Qualities Affect Your Career
Many college students believe that the most important courses they take are those in their major. Some biology majors think, for example, that if they just take that advanced course in genetic analysis, employers will conclude that they are prepared to do more-advanced projects and therefore hire them.
Therefore, many college students are surprised to learn that what employers say they are looking for in employees are the communication skills and qualities discussed in the previous section. Surveys over the past three or four decades have shown consistently that employers want people who can communicate. Look at it this way: when employers hire a biologist, they want a person who can communicate effectively about biology. When they hire a civil engineer, they want a person who can communicate about civil engineering.
A 2012 survey by Millennial Branding, a research and management consulting firm that helps companies find and train Generation Y employees, sifted data from more than 100,000 U.S. companies. The results showed that 98 percent of those companies named communication skills as extremely important for new employees (Millennial Branding, 2012). The next two most important characteristics? Having a positive attitude (97 percent) and teamwork skills (92 percent).
Job Outlook 2013, a report produced by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, found that communication skills, teamwork skills, and problem-solving skills top the list of skills and qualities that employers seek. Their main conclusion: “. . . the ideal candidate is a good communicator who can make decisions and solve problems while working effectively in a team” (National Association, 2012, p. 31). On a 5-point scale, where 5 equals “extremely important,” here are the top ten skills and qualities, according to employers, and the scores they earned:
| SKILL OR ABILITY | SCORE |
| Ability to verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization | 4.63 |
| Ability to work in a team structure | 4.60 |
| Ability to make decisions and solve problems | 4.51 |
| Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work | 4.46 |
| Ability to obtain and process information | 4.43 |
| Ability to analyze quantitative data | 4.30 |
| Technical knowledge related to the job | 3.99 |
| Proficiency with computer software programs | 3.95 |
| Ability to create and/or edit written reports | 3.56 |
| Ability to sell or influence others | 3.55 |
Most of these skills relate back to the previous discussion about the importance of process in technical communication.
A study of more than 100 large American corporations, which together employ 8 million people, suggests that writing is a more important skill for professionals today than it ever has been (College Entrance Examination Board, 2004, pp. 3–4). Two-thirds of professionals need strong writing skills in their daily work. Fifty percent of all companies in all industries consider writing skills in making promotion decisions. And almost half of the largest U.S. companies offer or require training for professionals who cannot write well (College Entrance Examination Board, 2004, p. 4). These companies spend, on average, $900 per employee for writing training. Would a company rather not have to spend that $900? Yes.
You’re going to be producing and contributing to a lot of technical documents, not only in this course but also throughout your career. The facts of life in the working world are simple: the better you communicate, the more valuable you are. This textbook can help you learn and practice the skills that will make you a better communicator.