No single skill is cited more often by employers as being important than the ability to communicate effectively in oral and written form. Effective communication involves the ability to write and speak clearly, persuasively, and coherently about yourself, your ideas, and your research.

Many surveys ranking job-related skills indicate that communications skills are considered most important among organizations, government agencies, and other employers of liberal arts graduates. "The ability to communicate-to make sense of and present clearly what appears to others as information chaos across many disciplines-is critical, say business leaders, if one is to advance in a career" (Hersh, 1997). Graduating with great grades or experiences will mean little in your job search if you cannot communicate them to potential employers.

As a liberal arts student, you have been asked to read extensively, draw conclusions from the material, and share your perspectives with others. You may not have always been successful, but the practice has allowed you to enhance your skills. Employers are searching for individuals who can read lengthy reports, listen to many opinions, draw conclusions, and effectively communicate the results.

As a liberal arts student, you are particularly well-suited for listening, synthesizing, and communicating. Why? Because you are constantly challenged to express, in both oral and written form, your reasoning behind solving a problem or making sense of an issue. Have you ever considered how many papers you have written, presentations you have given, or class discussions in which you have participated where you were challenged to evaluate your arguments and construct new hypotheses or solutions? Because the liberal arts deal extensively with making sense of the human condition, it has been extremely important for you to communicate effectively with others.

Only you can know how effective your communication skills have become as a result of majoring in the liberal arts. However, many employers will expect you to be an effective communicator as a student of the liberal arts. Most employers have been told that this is a strength of liberal arts graduates and many have experienced it firsthand. Liberal arts students have been found to be above average in communication skills in relation to other degrees, so you are already well on your way.

Source: Indiana University (www.indiana.edu/~career/students/apply/selling_liberal_arts.pdf)