The Most Important Business Skills You Will Learn in School

Understanding business is one of the most valuable and versatile skillsets you can have. Business skills are needed in just about every workplace and industry today. Often considered “soft skills,” business skills enable you to understand both consumer and organizational behavior, and further use that knowledge to reach your company’s goals. Skills include, but are by no means limited to, management, communication, and marketing.

Now you may be wondering, which skills will set you up for the greatest success? Which are the most important business skills, and which can you only gain in business school? If you are considering a career in business administration, and wish to build a skillset for success, you are in the right place. Below, we walk through the 5 most desired and important business skills for aspiring professionals.

1. Communication Skills
2. Analytical Skills
3. Ethics and Awareness
4. Management and Leadership
5. Technical Skills in the Functional Areas of Business

Five Essential Business Skills

1. Communication Skills

Surveys show that, when applying for jobs, strong communication skills can truly set you apart. In fact, 4 of the top 5 business skills that employers are seeking today, fall under the communication bucket: oral communication, listening skills, written communication, and presentation skills are all strongly desired in business candidates.

It’s no wonder why. Business professionals need to communicate with a variety of audiences, including (but not limited to) executives, consumers, and colleagues. They need to communicate in a variety of situations, as well. In your future business career, you may need to pitch a new product or campaign. You may need to present quarterly performance to your boss. Or, you may be your own boss, and need to communicate effectively with the team you’ve built. In addition, you may find yourself connecting with customers, teaching them about your business or helping them resolve an issue. Or, networking with potential business partners about an opportunity.

In any of the above circumstances, good communication skills – and tailoring your talk to your audience – can play a major role in your success as a business professional. At a career-focused business school like Goodwin University, you will learn how to communicate clearly and concisely – verbally, in writing, and in presentation – with a variety of groups.

2. Analytical Skills

Analytical skills are also among the most valuable business skills you can possess. In the business arena, you must be able to analyze situations quickly and effectively, whether it be a math problem or a problem between co-workers. Sometimes you will need to make decisions under pressure, or see an issue from different perspectives, and that is where quick-wit and strong analysis skills come into play. Hand-in-hand with analytical skills comes:

• Critical thinking skills
• Problem-solving
• Strategic decision making
• Sound judgement
• Ability to think on your feet
• Ability to think outside-the-box
• Open-mindedness

Qualitative and quantitative analysis are key skills that employers are seeking in business degree graduates. At Goodwin, we ensure students leave with the ability to acquire, analyze, and synthesize data for sound and strategic business decisions. In addition, students develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that prepare them for leadership positions.

3. Ethics and Awareness

Ethics are a critical part of any industry and organization. They are what will keep the wheels of your business turning, what will keep employees staying, and will allow you maintain a positive reputation within the community. As an aspiring business professional, you need to be able to view situations without bias. You need to be trustworthy enough to maintain ethical practices in your work, whether you are handling financials or confidential information. In addition, you need to respect a diversity of consumers and colleagues, and treat all equally. By doing this, you will help create long-lasting positive effects for your company.

At Goodwin, ethical business practices and decision-making are core to our curriculum. Business administration degree students leave with a great multicultural awareness and the ability to endorse ethical behaviors, promote corporate social responsibility, and engage in social enterprise. They are encouraged to construct a business practice informed by ethics and social responsibility.

4. Management and Leadership

Even if you are just entering the business world now, you will someday want to work your way up the corporate ladder. You may have dreams of managing a team or department. Perhaps you have goals to own your own company someday. In any case, management and leadership skills are what will help you get there. Leadership skills in business will allow you to effectively motivate others and inspire change.

In the right business school, you will learn how to manage and coordinate people, as well as business processes and resources. You will also learn how to lead a team or business to success through your various skillsets. At Goodwin, graduates can develop both leadership and teamwork skills, and can assess a variety of management practices that work in a growing, multicultural work environment.

5. Technical Skills Needed to Run a Business

Of course, to be a great businessperson, technical business skills are of utmost importance. You must know the inner workings of a business, and all the factors that make it function well. In addition to having a basic understanding of the functional areas of business (such as marketing and finance), you should also have a sound understanding of the technology and strategies used within each. In business school, you will develop the most important technical skills that will prepare you for your future career. This includes coursework in:

• Business strategy
• Marketing
• Accounting and finance
• Human resources
• Technology and equipment
• General business operations

At Goodwin University, the business classes are completely career-focused (i.e. designed with your future in mind). We focus on the skills that employers are looking for today, and connect with employers throughout the state of Connecticut to help keep our curriculums and students up to date.  Our courses are taught by experienced business leaders, and cover engaging topics such as:

• Business Law and Ethics
• Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Management or Nonprofit Management
• E-Business
• Targeted Marketing and Social Media
• Strategic Planning

And more. To learn about some of our favorited business classes at Goodwin, read this article.

To learn how Goodwin can help you develop valuable and versatile business skills, please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly. We are here to help you on the path towards a successful business degree and career. We stand by you even after graduation day. Our Career Services team will help you find and land your dream job. To get started, contact us at 800-889-3282 or request more information online.