2_GutierrezA

Dear Professor Kim,

As a communications major, I understand how critical verbal and nonverbal skills are. In this letter I would like to discuss my strengths and weaknesses that I currently obtain within business communications. I understand that by strengthening my weaknesses, I could possibly compete in the business world and have a greater chance at obtaining a successful career. Therefore, I hope to strengthen the areas in which I am weak in and fine-tune the areas in which I feel confident with. Having attended college for the last three years and working for the Los Angeles Unified School District, my business communication skills have certainly improved. My verbal communication skills have improved substantially considering the amount of practice I have had. Presenting presentations in college and at work have given me the ability to practice my speaking skills in front of my peers and coworkers. Some of the areas within public speaking that I have improved in would be becoming less anxious and nervous when asked to speak in front of an audience. I have also enhanced my posture, use of open space, and appropriate tone and volume; all of which are very critical when presenting. I also believe I have bettered my workplace etiquette. From wearing the appropriate work attire, answering the phone professionally, to greeting members of the “team” that don’t typically reside within the building. All of which are necessary when working in a professional setting. Many of these skills I was taught in school, however I have been able to improve them by practicing them within the workplace. Nevertheless, I do believe these are some of my greater communication skills that I have adapted and practiced while working. Being a full-time college student and a part-time employee, there are still areas in communication that I have yet to practice in the professional business world. As I mentioned before many of my communication skills have been enhanced, however, I continue to struggle with business writing. I find it quite difficult to articulate my thoughts in a business appropriate manner. One of the reasons I find such difficulty is due to my vocabulary. It is usually seen that business is conducted with an advanced level vocabulary, some of which I have never had to use. Therefore when asked to write professional or business letters I find myself repeating the same words or using the incorrect word in the wrong context. However, vocabulary isn’t the only writing skill I struggle with; I also have difficulty with parallelism. I don’t believe I was ever taught about parallelisms and how crucial they are when writing a business letter. Resulting, my writing has never had “balanced wording.” Therefore, my writing skills have always been a struggle of mine. I hope to improve these writing skills due to the high demand of nonverbal skills being sought after in the business world. And lastly, as I mentioned before my verbal skills have improved dramatically, especially my public speaking skills. However, there is one small aspect that I have yet to perfect and that would be my speed. When presenting information, conducting a meeting, or presenting a presentation I speak faster than I normally would. I believe I have this issue because I don’t want to present uncertainly or unpreparedness to my audience. In result, I deliver information at a rapid pace, which is both difficult for peers to follow and unprofessional in the workplace. I believe with a little more guidance I could enhance my speaking and my written communication skills. As we all have come to learn communication is vital in today’s world. Whether it is verbal communications or nonverbal, they are all necessary in the work force. Nonetheless, business communication skills are even more essential if planning to work in the professional business world. There isn’t a day when such skills aren’t used; as a result improving the skills that lack expertise will only enhance my ability to compete in the real world. Therefore, with the remaining weeks left in the quarter I hope to grasp as many concepts, ideas, and ideas you will be offering my peers and I. I do believe we can all still better our skills and have a real chance in competing in today’s business market. Sincerely your student, Arlene Gutierrez