College-level communication composition and career development

Communications

One of the major components to one's life is the ability to communicate effectively with one's peers, friends, colleagues and family. Learning how to accomplish this feat is oftentimes a life-long venture, and oftentimes is a completely failed effort for some individuals. I, a humble IT student, have experienced travails and travesties regarding my attempts to communicate effectively, but have learned throughout this course the methods and manners for accomplishing my communication goals. As a soon-to-be graduate it is especially important to continue to seek improvement in my communicating skills as essentially they will either make or break my career.

A recent study points out the importance of preparation for students who are looking to improve their communications. The study showed that both a safe environment and preparation are necessary to "allow the learner to experiment with new ways of communicating and to be open to seeing new connections" (Arnold, 2011, p. 74). This class has been useful to my efforts to learning those new ways of communicating and has taught me to be open to new connections. Taking the next step in implementing those skills that I have learned is something that I happily anticipate.

Some of those new communication skills are not just verbal in context; I have also garnered improved written and non-verbal skills. Many experts have discovered the importance of non-verbal skills and one 2010 study found that "the ability to interpret non-verbal information, including facial expressions and gestures, to determine someone's state of mind is a very important skill" (Matsumoto, Shibata, Seiji, Mori, Shioe, 2010, p. 299). If the study's statement is true, then it can be said that learning to present non-verbal skills in a positive manner would likely be just as important.

Whether the participant is attempting to discern non-verbal communications, or is attempting to present them, makes little difference, both are equally important skills, and skills such as these are developed through concentration and consistent effort. At least, that is what has helped me throughout this course of study.

Perhaps most of all, I have learned the skill of using the written word to communicate effectively. Such skills are evident when one takes a look at my earlier writings as compared to the current communications. Using these skills at written prose will bode me well in my future as an employee in the IT field. Achieving a degree in the IT field is an accomplishment in itself, using that degree to provide for my personal well-being as well as for my family will entail an effective communication of what I have learned. A study by Fallon and Katz determined that "the acquisition of written language skills (ie, all skills pertaining to reading and writing, including phonological awareness, decoding, word recognition, reading fluency, reading comprehension, spelling, and expository writing) is integral to academic success and ultimately determines the higher education and/or vocational opportunities that will be available to an individual" (Fallon, Katz, 2011, p. 4). This is true not only of the student entering higher education, it is also true of the student who has completed his or her studies and is now seeking to establish a career or career path. Learning to write meant that I was not only learning how to compose sentences, paragraphs and papers in a readable manner, but that I was also learning the correct method for presenting myself and my story using the written word.