In today's society students need to begin developing employment skills when they are in high school. They should focus on:
- Communication
- Organization
- Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
- Technology
- Multi-Language
- Leadership
Many of these characteristics can be gained through successful completion of University of Nebraska High School courses.
In this article, we will focus on communication skills.
In the world of work, employees must know how to write clearly and concisely in a variety of formats, so colleagues and leaders can comprehend and understand.
Higher level competencies in terms of teaching and providing instruction through the written word are important, but so are the basics of proper punctuation, word choice and grammar. All of this gives an impression of who you are and whether or not your ideas are to be respected.
Obviously, another form of communication is speaking. Learn to speak succinctly and with eloquence, so you are interesting to listen to.
To learn both of these skills, start by reading it is the key to communication and an essential part of living a productive life professionally, socially and academically. Along with the UNHS reading assignments, students are encouraged to read materials of interest such as magazines, books and newspapers.
You should also practice writing in formal and informal ways. Your UNHS courses will give you formal practice, but informal methods could include keeping a journal of thoughts, stories, ideas or even new vocabulary. To take your skills to another level, participate in contests, discussions, debates and presentations. You may consider forensics and debate teams and newspaper or book clubs available at your local school or within your community
Remember, strong verbal and written communications skills go beyond school success to give you an edge in the working world.