Oral Communication Toolkit

Employers' comments

"We actually give a test. I say to them '[Imagine that] I know nothing at all about risk. Here is a scenario. Explain to me firstly the process that you would use to analyse the risks in this situation and how you would communicate those risks to me.' That is certainly daunting and it is not something that a lot of people working in our industry could do easily, but it sorts the wheat from the chaff very quickly. I look for the people who will lead up to the whiteboard, because the easiest way to explain is to draw it out."

(Employer of Griffith Criminology and Criminal Justice Graduates, 2001)

"[During the interview] I get them to describe their thesis project. I say to them, 'Here is a whiteboard; here is a pen. Tell me what you did.' I then ask them some hard questions to see how they go with a bit of stress."

(Employer of Griffith Microelectronic Engineering Graduates, 2001)

Graduates' comments

"Too much focus [at university] was placed on formal presentations, whereas the majority of oral communication used in employment is round-table discussion."

(Environmental Engineering Graduate, 2002)

"My oral communication skills needed development [when I started work], as I found that even though I was highly skilled or suited for promotion, I needed to promote myself at interviews to gain the positions. It is usually the person best able to promote themselves at interviews who gets the job."

(Marketing Graduate, 2003)

"In our Industrial Affiliates Program we had to give two short talks about our thesis project and I found that they were excellent for improving oral communication - just the way you present yourself and your topic. Like, the first one for me was a disaster, but the second one was fine. More of those would be good."

(Griffith Graduate, 2001)

"[We did] 'walk throughs' - that was where you got up in front of your class each week in groups of two or three and you would have to communicate what you were doing and how far you'd got with your project, what problems you had encountered, whether you would survive and even hopefully help somebody else. So at the same time as we were reporting on our prac work, we were also developing our presentation skills."

(Griffith Graduate 2003)

"Although I hate public speaking, the only way to get over the fear is to do it often. I don't think we were required to do enough oral presentations."

(Griffith Graduate, 2002)

"We needed more practice in different modes of communication."

(Griffith Graduate, 2002)

Students' comments

"In four out of my five courses this semester I have to do a formal oral presentation, so I certainly have the opportunity to develop my oral presentation skills, which is great, because I've never found that sort of thing easy."

(Griffith student, 2004)

"Gaining good oral communication skills as a student allows me to enjoy activities both inside and outside my academic work."

(Griffith student, 2004)

"Good oral communication skills aid students in finding new information sources, and expressing ideas and opinions for feedback and clarification ."

(Griffith student, 2004)

Research shows

"In study after study, communication skills emerge as one of the most important, if not the most important quality that employers require of graduates. Possessing good communication skills is often seen by employers as an indicator of potential success."

Harvey, L. (1999). New Realities: The Relationship between Higher Education and Employment. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 24 October, 2006
http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/ese/relatedpubs/New%20Realities.pdf

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