Study and Work: The Role of Communication in my Life

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I'm a lifelong learner. I'm 30 and I've already completed three university degrees. The first was in business, and the second was in communications. The last degree, which I finished in 2014, was a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Alberta.  For both my business and communications degrees, not surprisingly, communication played a huge role. I needed to read and write in order to learn the class material. And I needed to speak effectively in order to successfully complete group assignments.

Communication also plays an important role in my work. For example, I have to write proposals in response to requests for consulting services (i.e. respond to RFPs). If I don't do a do a good job, then my company doesn't get the contract. And then I don't have any work to do! I also need strong communication skills when writing reports for our clients. If I don't do a good job writing the report, then they may not understand our recommendations. Which is kind of the point of hiring a consultant in the first place!

Finally communication plays a role in my life in general.

I'm fully aware of it's importance because I was dyslexic and illiterate until I was ten. And it's amazing how much your ability to connect with others is limited if you can't use the same communication channels. When I was little, this meant that I had a hard time bonding with my peers because I couldn't talk excitedly about "our" favourite books. I had no favourite books, I couldn't read.

For all these reasons, it's important to take communication seriously. It allows us to learn, work and connect with others. It shaped my childhood, and it continues to shape my personal and professional life on a daily basis.