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.
Don't be discouraged if you have this fear, as it can be removed with proper training like public speaking workshops, helping you pursue your dream career.
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.
