Tuition reimbursement implementation and outcomes

Business Communication

It is a fact that many careers today require mental rather than physical labor. The key to progress, according to Murphy (2011), is therefore effective communication in terms of knowledge, ideas, and proposals. The more effective the communication, the better the opportunities to collaborate with others, obtain funding, or gain a good public image. It will therefore be highly useful to employ persons who have made it their goal to study business communication skills. These persons can then specialize in the most effective ways to liaise with clients, partners, and internally with employers, employees, and teams.

Individuals with highly effective communication skills are also most likely to advance in their careers. According to Murphy (2011), 60-90% of the work day for professionals in management positions consists of communication in some way, whether this be speaking, writing, or listening. These skills are all addressed by business communication degrees.

A person with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Communication can expect a number of work opportunities to open up. One of these is communications manager. The communication manager will use his or her skills to gain the support of groups and individuals to promote the success of the organization. Specifically, this could mean that the person arranges media events or open houses to communicate information regarding the company's service, products, or employment opportunities (Education-Portal, 2011).

Employing such a person at our workplace will be of benefit to the company in several ways. More effective communication will occur to the public in terms of the products and services we offer. This will make good sense in terms of business providing more people with knowledge about the products and services we offer. In our internal relationships, the communications manager can help us organize the team spirit and camaraderie employees need to function at their best within the organization. This will mean that we can gain a competitive edge, as employees will be happy to support our work and its underlying philosophy.

Another job opportunity for a Business Communications graduate is public relations specialist. This means that the individual works as a liaison between the organization and its clients. Public relations specialists ensure that a company's relationship with its customer base and the public it serves remains positive and profitable. This can be done by means of press releases or other communications distribution.

For our company, a public relations officer can help us to establish good communications with our customers. The skills of such a person could also be very useful in terms of dispute resolution and crisis management. The image of the company in the public eye is vital, especially during difficult times. A public relations officer could provide a platform for promoting a positive image in this regard.

A third possible profession for business communications students is that of technical writer (Education-Portal, 2011). These writers provide materials such as instruction manuals, pamphlets, directions, catalogs and promotional releases. The advantage of employing such persons is that they can communicate technical information in such a way that laypersons can understand it.

For our company, this skill would be useful both for our personnel and customers. For our personnel, instruction manuals and documents can help to streamline work and make it easier to learn for new employees. For customers, such manuals can help to make the use and/or construction of the products they purchase easier.

The above are three different ways in which employing Business Communications students can promote the functionality and profitability of our business. Today's businesses rely heavily upon communication, especially as a large amount of global business is conducted electronically. Excellence in communication skills is therefore a vitally important component of successful companies today. The more people with communication skills we therefore employ, the better for our relationships with customers and business partners, and by association the better our profitability.

Advertising managers are also commonly derived from a student base with business communication degrees (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011). Advertising and promotional campaigns are vital to a company's success. These professionals can work at agencies and firms specifically focused upon creating advertising campaigns for clients, or in media firms that sell advertising space or time.

In our firm, an advertising department can be a valuable addition to the business we conduct. By having a separate department focused upon promotional and advertising campaigns, the rest of the company can focus on other important areas of the business, including research and development and public relations. This will increase the quality of our advertising campaigns and hence increase the company's profitability.

Marketing managers in turn work with advertising and promotion managers to help promote an organization's products and services. If we elect not to create a separate advertising department, we could alternatively appoint a marketing manager, who can communicate with external advertising agencies and their managers to create optimal advertising for our firm. These managers can also help us with strategies such as identifying potential markets for our products and develop pricing strategies to help us promote our products and services.

Communication skills are vital for both advertising and promotion managers, as many of the materials involve written communication by means of direct mail, inserts in news papers, product endorsements, and so on. It is therefore in the best interest of the company to promote positions that require business communication skills.

In terms of earning potential, sales managers can make up to $346,900, Marketing managers up to 175,600, and Public relations managers 56,700.