To me, communication involves a lot about talking as well as listening. That is why, I feel that a person with good interpersonal skills normally have good communication skills as well. Or is it vice versa?
Anyway, having effective communication skills to me is important because of several reasons.
Firstly, I am in my second year and will be graduating soon. Looking at the course syllabus, I saw that it covers resumes and application letters. Having a well-written resume is important as this is the first thing that an employer looks at, which means this will be the first barrier of getting a job. A resume actually reflects a lot about a job-seeker. If a resume is disorganised, messy, with a lot of grammatical errors and a lack of essential personal information the employer may think, "Hmm, this person is probably a careless, messy and absent-minded person." And there goes your chances of getting the job. Thus, I feel that a well-written resume is the first step of securing a job, which will help me when I try to get a job after graduation.
Secondly, job interviews are crucial in getting a job. This will be the second and/or last barrier of getting a job. And this is the hardest barrier for me! I am normally nervous during interviews and will not perform at my best. In fact, I went to two job interviews during the school holidays, looking for a temp job. Due to my lack of confidence and interview skills, I was not chosen. This experience helps me realise that having a good resume is not enough! No matter how much achievements you put in your resume, if you cannot speak well, employers will not think well of you. To them, a poor speaker will probably have poor interpersonal skills, which means that he or she will probably have a hard time working in a team.
Lastly, communication skills are important in our daily lives. All of us have to communicate with other people. The question is, "How good are we at getting our message across to others?" Having good communication skills will helps to prevent misunderstandings and conflicts. This is important not only in school but also in workplace as well. This is because in school, we do a lot of group presentations and projects which requires a lot of communication. In workplace too, having a good team dynamics and relationships will enable working life to be a happier and stress-free one. A person who loves her job will do well in her job.
