When students plan their schedules, communication classes can be easy to overlook. They’re often treated as optional, especially when the focus is on technical training, certifications, or finishing a degree. But talk to the people who hire, manage, and develop employees across industries, and the message is consistent: communication skills are what make everything else you learn work for you.
“We’re starting to see more students who want to be competitive job seekers choose communication classes for their electives,” says Carole Redden, a Communication professor at Scottsdale Community College. “Our classes are designed to help learners gain these vital skills, preparing students to excel in their future careers.”
Julie Williams, who works closely with students and adult learners in her role at Bank of America, sees the value of polished communication skills firsthand during the hiring process. Technical skills often look similar on paper, especially for early-career candidates.
“Candidates who stand out are those who can clearly articulate their experience, describe how they’ve navigated challenges, and explain how their skills translate to the role they’re pursuing,” Williams said.
Communicating experience doesn’t just matter in interviews. It shows up in resumes, online profiles, and everyday professional interactions. Williams notes that many capable candidates struggle not because they lack skills, but because they don’t know how to showcase them.
Matt Berndt, Head of Job Search Academy at Indeed, has spent decades helping people navigate their careers and echoes Williams’s point.
“The only person who can make you – and what you do – understandable to another person is you,” Berndt said.
Employers can’t see what you’re thinking. They only know what you communicate. “I don’t care what degree you’re pursuing,” Berndt said. “You’ve got to be able to explain what you did, why you did it, and why it made sense, all in a language that other people understand.”
This becomes especially clear in interviews, where preparation, or lack of it, can make a major difference. “If qualifications are completely equal, they cannot say one of you is better or worse based on what they see on paper,” Berndt said. “It’s entirely going to be based upon your interaction with them, how well you represent your qualifications, and how you tell the story of your experience.”
In healthcare, the stakes for communication are even higher. At HonorHealth, Brand Director Kara Greene sees how communication affects not only careers, but patient experiences and trust. Employees who communicate well tend to navigate conflict more effectively, solve problems more efficiently, and represent their organization in a positive way.
“At the end of the day, leadership is about communication: setting clear direction, inspiring trust, navigating change, and aligning other people around a shared goal,” says Greene. “Those who communicate clearly and authentically are more likely to influence others and be seen as leaders, regardless of title. Over time, your communication skills will help open doors because organizations need people who can connect ideas to action.”
Berndt agrees, and he emphasizes that effective communication always starts with audience awareness.
“Before you communicate, you have to stop and ask: who am I talking to, and what matters to them?” he said.
That shift, from focusing on what you want to say to thinking about what your audience needs to hear, is at the heart of effective communication. It’s also a skill that takes practice. Writing for different audiences, speaking in front of others, and learning how to adjust your message are not things most people master by accident.
For students at Scottsdale Community College, the takeaway is simple. Communication classes are vital, and the college is responding with a new Communication Competence in the Workplace Academic Certificate.
Berndt’s advice to students deciding whether a communication class is worth their time is straightforward.
“Take the communication class,” he said. “It can only help you.”
Learn more about the Communication classes and degree programs at Scottsdale Community College.