There are many critical technical and applicable skills out there that you will see listed in every job/internship description. While you prepare to discuss and tailor your relevant experiences through application materials, avoid taking your transferrable skills for granted. Two essential transferrable skills that employers look for on your resume are communication and organization. These two skills go a long way in showing employers that you are career-ready. Remember, the way you organize your thoughts to communicate and the way we communicate our organized thoughts help demonstrate our competency in various areas. So, let’s dive a little further into how we can help you take those two skills to the next level here at Pitt Business.
Beginning with organization, this can look different for many areas of your academic and professional journeys, but what is important is that you stay organized to accommodate your comfortability and confidence best. Everyone has their way of staying organized – a few common examples shared by students are Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, planners (either virtual or paper), Trello.com, sticky notes, calendars (physical and electronic), and more! These are merely resources available for you to choose which works for you. Keeping these items in mind, here are some tips to stay organized:
- Take notes during meetings/class
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions for clarification
- Maintain consistency and commitment to staying organized
- Develop and maintain routines where you see fit
- Stay focused on one task/project at a time
- Setting deadlines can help you stay on track!
Taking all these tips into account can only enhance your communication style. When our information is organized and understood, it permits room for more ideas and demonstrates our competency in different areas. When we think of communicating with others, it’s great to be prepared and informed on the areas discussed with others in settings like meetings, events, planning, etc.
As a college student, you will have plenty of opportunities to communicate with many peers, staff/faculty members, recruiters from companies, employers, and student organization colleagues. Communication styles may look different for each of these individuals, but we must take these few things into account:
- Demonstrate active listening
- Be thoughtful of what you say
- Speak clearly
- Stay mindful of your body language
- Be receptive to what others share with you
- Observe others who are good at public speaking – how are they doing this?
Communication is not just verbally executed; we have non-verbal cues and, especially in college, heavily-utilize e-mail and instant messaging. It is important to always demonstrate professional communication. What does professional communication look like?
- Greet your reader appropriately
- Be polite
- Avoid misspellings, slang, and format errors
- Stay concise and on-topic
- Thank them for their time
Overall, staying organized and communicating effectively is integral to your academic and professional success, especially when networking. Networking is essential to your career development and provides you with feedback, advice, and growth opportunities. Be sure to take advantage of the resources offered here at the College of Business Administration; utilizing the Career Development Office and getting involved on campus can take your competency and confidence to the next level!
