Wow! My very first blogpost! I have always wanted
to start a blog and just express my every thought to the outside world. Come to
think of it, I think it is rather exhilarating to know that there are readers
out there reading your blog post that you will never meet in real life. The
fact that they are taking some time off to read whatever stuff you post online kind
of makes you feel powerful in some strange sort of way. Anyway, back to serious matters, effective communication! Everyone already knows how important
communication is in everyday life. Whether it is discussing with your friends
about the latest happenings or giving a presentation to a class audience for a
group project, communication forms the basis in which information can be passed
on from one person to another. To possess effective communication skills is
therefore essential for an individual as there will always be interactions with
other individuals throughout a person’s life.
Personally, I find effective communication skills important
because I find it difficult to express my point across on some occasions. For
instance, I may have a particular idea in my head but I find it hard to present
the idea to another person in a concise and coherent manner. Hence, I’d loathe
presentations, where I have to stand in front of an audience and give a short discussion
of the topic at hand. This abhorrence for public speaking comes from the fear
that I will feel nervous prior to or during some point in the presentation
itself, causing myself to present the information to my audience in a very
incomprehensible and often confusing manner. Therefore, I hope that through
this module, I would be able to gain the skills required to give a presentation
to an audience with confidence and in a professional manner.
Another reason why communication skills are important to me
it’s because as a future graduate who is entering the workforce, having good
communication skills will serve me well in many areas of work. Work involves
many aspects in which communication is crucial. For instance, in an interview
setting, being able to sell your unique selling points like what Dr Radhika
Jaidev mentioned, could mean the difference between getting the job that you
desire or facing rejection for the job. Thus, being able to communicate across
your strengths to your potential employer is vital for job interviews. Job interview is just one example of the many
aspects of work that requires effective communication skills. Other areas of
the workplace that require communication includes, engaging with clients,
interacting with co-workers and communication with superiors.
Besides the importance of communication in professional
applications, effective communication is also important to me in a cultural
context. As Singapore is a multiracial and multi-religious society, comprising
of different age generation, being able to communicate with different facets of
Singapore’s society will help me foster relationships with people of different
backgrounds. In a foreign country where
I may not speak the native language, communication with the locals through non-verbal
means like eye contact, hand gestures and being animated may help me get
directions around unfamiliar territory.
All in all, acquiring effective communication skills will
only serve to benefit me in many areas of my life. Communication is utilized in
almost all aspects of daily life; I think no one can deny the importance
of it unless that person lives under a rock his entire life and do not interact
with anyone which clearly is quite an impossible scenario.
