SOFT SKILLS – THE TRAMPOLINE TO PROPEL YOU HIGHER
Communication IS KEY
What you say is as important as how you say it
A critical skill is a skill you need in order to do a specific task; a soft skill is what will set you apart from everyone else who can do the job as well as you can. Regardless of where you end up in life and what career you decide on, communication skills will remain key to your success, writes Jamaine Krige.
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he real benefit of doing a short course or qualification in journalism or communication, regardless of where you see yourself in 10 years, is that by the time you’re done, you should be able to communicate clearly and effectively – a must in any job and every workplace, says Dr Sandra Roberts. Sandra is the academic head of fraycollege, which provides communications training that focuses on writing, speaking and presenting, social media, and audiovisual communication skills like making videos. In short, she says, this is everything you need to get your message out there in a clear and confident way. These skills, she says, are crucial in every industry and sector, regardless of your job title or role. “Communication skills are desperately needed in the current world of work, or what we call the ‘knowledge economy’. It is not only about the product we sell, but also what is said about it that matters!”
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It’s not enough for a company just to produce a product, they also need someone who can write or speak about that product in a number of different ways, and on a number of different platforms. Communication between the different people building the product is also important for the production process. “Even something as simple as a stapler comes with writing and instructions that tell you it is a good product and how to use it safely and correctly.” She says every person at every company, and even entrepreneurs, must be able to communicate what they do, why they’re doing it and why others should care.
if you can’t write clearly and if you can’t speak clearly.” Communication is about much more than just speaking and writing properly and having a good vocabulary. It must also be targeted, effective and tailored to the specific context of the situation. “It’s about choosing the right medium. So, if everyone in your organisation uses email or WhatsApp to communicate, that’s fine. You, however, need to use the correct tone of language and at least be able to punctuate correctly so that your message comes across clearly and you are understood. When it comes to verbal communication, your job might not entail public speaking or large presentations,
Targeted, effective and tailored Karen Gray, a training and learning consultant, is the CEO of Gray Training. She agrees that communication skills – or rather communication skill sets – are important for the workplace of the future. “These skill sets are obviously the bedrock of everything, because you won’t get far
TH E U LT I M AT E C A R E ER GU ID E SPRING 2 0 2 1
Everything you need to get your message out there in a clear and effective way
