Communication skills are listed as one of the
top requirements for many career paths. Being able to effectively speak to
clients, coworkers, and bosses can make businesses more efficient and
profitable. For those thinking about using their skills to better themselves,
these are five great career fields that require an applicant to be a great
communicator.
Education
By nature, teaching is a job that requires lots
of communication. Apart from making sure that a teacher can effectively
instruct a class, a teacher must communicate with parents and other faculty.
Becoming a teacher requires good communication skills in addition to skills in
organization, empathy, and content knowledge.
If a teacher is not able to
communicate effectively, the results of their students may be disappointing.
There are many great teaching credential programs available right now for those
interested in pursuing a career in education. It’s one of the best ways to put
your great communications skills to good use.
Law
Lawyers and paralegals also need to have
bolstered communication skills. To form arguments in court, lawyers spend time
making sure that an idea can be followed logically. Then they must prove that
idea to a judge or jury. Public speaking is listed as a major fear of many
Americans, but being able to communicate in this way is necessary to be an
effective lawyer.
Most lawyers fresh out of law school find employment through
existing law firms where they work with paralegals and support
staff. For this reason, leadership and communication are two necessary
attributes to be an attorney.
Mental Health
Counselors, psychiatrists, and psychologists
spend most of their time talking to patients which makes communication
extremely important to their careers. Not only must a counselor be able to
diagnose a patient and communicate with them, but they must also have knowledge
of how to convey their own ideas to provide support and revelations to their
clients.
Mental health workers need to use their skills to communicate with
other professionals to share ideas and adapt their practice to the latest
information. Like teaching, mental health workers also need to be skilled in
their area of study and have a strong desire to help those in need.
Finance
While it may initially seem like an odd choice,
a job in finance relies on good communication. Accountants, financial advisors,
and others in this field need to be able to communicate with clients and
regulatory bodies. Financial advisors, in particular, need knowledge of stocks,
bonds, and funds but also need to be able to make clients feel safe and happy
with the decisions they make.
Accountants may be stereotyped as quiet and
anti-social, but their jobs require them to communicate with each other,
administrators, and clients as well. Being a worker that can communicate
clearly can lead to a prosperous career in this field.
Medicine
Lastly, the medical field is a great choice for
those who have enhanced communication skills. Doctors and nurses are often rated on their "bedside manner" which is
mainly focused on how well a professional can communicate. Translating
confusing medical jargon into language that a patient can understand is a skill
every doctor needs.
Doctors work in collaboration with lots of other
professionals on a daily basis, and effective communication can sometimes be a
matter of life or death. Doctors cannot only rely on their knowledge of
medicine only, but they also need to be great communicators as well.
So, whether it is education, law, or medicine,
communication skills are vital to many fields. If you speak with clarity and
brevity, one of these areas may lead to an engaging and promising career.
