Now that you have been admitted to the College of Business, you'll be putting all your basic communication skills to work in business applications.  Nearly all of your business courses will include written, team or oral assignments, and you are expected to develop professional communication skills as you complete them.  In addition to work in the classroom, business majors are expected to become involved in the activities sponsored by the CBA's student organizations and participate in co-ops, internships and service projects that will acquaint you with the business environment.  

Some students come to UNI with excellent communication skills and easily learn to apply them in business contexts.  Other students must use all the resources at UNI to develop their professional communication skills.  The key is to target those skills and abilities that are expected in the business world and make sure that you develop them.

Written Communication

Most of your classes will require you to write research reports and case studies.  A few courses will require typical business documents, such as memos, proposals, business plans or analytical reports.  It is important that you begin to see how the basic writing elements of coherent paragraphs and proper grammar are used to document relevant information for business purposes.  If you find that your basic writing skills are not up to speed, make an appointment with the University Writing Center.  If you are unfamiliar with the proper formats on a business memo or report, check out the requirements on the Business Communication Program website or at the Rod Library.

Oral Communication

Many business courses will require an oral presentation, often as the final step in a team assignment.  You are expected to incorporate presentation basics--organization, persuasive appeals, use of evidence, delivery skills--into a business presentation.  In many courses, you will be required to dress professionally, to use PowerPoint slides, or to facilitate a class discussion of your material.  Some instructors will provide training in these skills, others will expect you to refer to the Business Communication Program website or Information Technology Services. 

Electronic Communication

Electronic communication technologies are rapidly changing in both the academic environment and the business world.  Typically, your courses will rely extensively on the traditional  face-to-face communication of the classroom and office hours.  Many faculty also use web pages, electronic chat rooms, email distribution lists and document sharing as well.  You are expected to stay up to date on whatever technical capabilities are available and used by your professors and classmates.  At a very minimum, this means you should use your email in a professional manner, understand electronic file management protocols, and understand enough about web editors to create or update a simple web page.  Some of these skills are taught in your introduction to information systems course, but most students develop their skills by creating websites, sharing documents in group projects, or using email or chat to talk to their friends.  You can learn many skills in the Information Technology Services course, and this is the year you should further develop your skills by volunteering to be a webmaster for a student organization or setting up an intranet for your employer.

Team Communication

You'll be assigned to more team projects than you'll ever dreamed possible, and every one of them represents an opportunity to develop your team communication skills.  You are building on the basics of meetings--agendas, minutes, brainstorming, open communication--to learn and practice more sophisticated skills of team facilitation.  Your professor might require that you submit project documentation or team performance ratings, participate in virtual meetings, or write explanations of your team dynamics.  In general, you will be expected to function productively as a self-managed team. These are not skills that develop automatically, and you will undoubtedly experience some frustration until you learn the many facets of team communication.  Take full advantage of the Business Communication Program website, the course pack How to Be a Team, which is available from faculty services, and the many, many books at Rod Library.

Interpersonal Communication

Everyone you meet at UNI offers another chance to develop your interpersonal communication skills.  Take advantage of every event, every party, every mixer, and every class to meet as many people as you can.  Even more important, find opportunities to sit down and talk to people.  Ideally, you'll discover that you disagree about something, and that is the best opportunity of all to practice your interpersonal communication skills.  You need to develop skills in listening, conflict resolution, and empathy to be a great communicator in the workplace, which means getting out of your comfort zone and having real conversations with total strangers.  If you are finding it difficult to get along with others, take advantage of UNI's Counseling Center workshops, but most students just need to make an effort to go to the meetings, mixers, and events held by the various student organizations on campus.  Don't get in a rut of partying with your freshman buddies, going home every weekend, and working a dead-end job just to keep your car full of gas so you can get to that dead-end job.  Your junior year is the last chance you really have to develop the relationships you'll need to build a career search.  Take full advantage of it!

Leadership Communication

Many students leave their "resume building" leadership positions to the senior year, not realizing that employers are looking for real skills, not merely an organization officer's title.  As you get involved in heading up a student organization's events or programs, you'll be learning the hard skills goal setting, delegation, follow-up, correction and motivation.  These are not skills that are easily learned out of a book.  The courses you take in organizational management, organizational behavior, leadership or communication will offer you many insights, but there is no substitute for actual experience.  Volunteer to coordinate an event, organize a party, or publicize your organization's activities.  Take on an extra responsibility at work. Ask for guidance from a mentor, whether that's a faculty person, a senior who holds office in the organization, or a colleague at work.  Practice the leadership skills that will eventually qualify you to be a leader in the business environment.