Communication: It’s Giving Clarity (and Connection)
Let’s talk communication — the NACE career readiness competency that keeps teams clicking, ideas flowing, and misunderstandings to a minimum. Communication isn’t just what you say; it’s how you say it, how you listen, and how you adapt your message so it lands with your audience. When student employees grow in this area, they’re not just learning how to “talk better” — they’re building confidence, empathy, and professionalism they’ll carry into any future role.
Supervisors, here’s why it matters: helping students strengthen this skill builds smoother workflows, fewer “Wait, what?” moments, and stronger team trust. You get clearer communication; they get long-term career gainz.
Here’s how to help your team level up this competency:
-
Model full-spectrum communication. Demonstrate how to use verbal, written, and non-verbal cues effectively — from body language in meetings to clarity in emails.
- Practice active listening (for real). Encourage students to paraphrase, ask follow-up questions, and check for understanding before running with instructions.
- Promote inclusive communication. Highlight how tone, phrasing, and style may need to shift for different audiences, cultural backgrounds, or learning preferences.
-
Name and praise the moments. When a student crafts a clear update, navigates a tricky convo, or seeks guidance early instead of going rogue — call it out! That reflection reinforces growth.
When students learn to communicate with clarity and empathy, everybody wins — the message lands, the work flows, and your team moves in sync.
Crafted with clarity (and a dash of chaos) by Mark Pasadilla, Associate Director of Career & Employer Engagement
|
|
|
We've had some great monthly Gather{Rounds} so far this fall! More are lined up for the rest of the year — first Thursdays @ 11 a.m.
These gatherings are part training, part roundtable discussion, and part supervisor support group. We tackle a different topic each month. Next up:
|
You'll find us in the Misner Room of Collins Memorial Library (LIBR 127). Bring your questions, your advice, and your stories — we'll bring the snacks. We look forward to gathering with you!
|
|
|
I have a student employee who was originally planning to study abroad for the spring semester, but has decided not to. Can they continue their current job into the spring? If a student was set up in a fall-only position due to their plans to study abroad during Spring 2026, then we are currently working to recruit eligible students and fill your spring vacancy with a new student. If those plans change, you (the supervisor or hiring manager) can check in with CES right away about extending your student employee's job duration through Spring 2026.
I'm going to be interviewing and hiring a new student for a spring job. Are there resources to help me develop interview questions?
Yes, feel free to check out our recommended interview strategies. When you are preparing interview questions, it's helpful to focus on the most essential parts of the job and the minimum qualifications listed on the job description. Then, develop an interview strategy that will directly assess a student's aptitude for required skills, job-related abilities, and their level of knowledge. In some cases, that interview strategy may include a specific skills test or a "practical interview" element, such as a data analysis activity or a Canva skills "test".
These kinds of practical skills test are OK to include in the interview, and the assessment activity should be a simulation, developed for the interview. Keep in mind that you should not ask a student in an interview to perform actual work that will be used by your department for the position (i.e. you cannot ask an interviewee to do the job for a hour, as a trial run).
If you have additional questions about interviewing, reach out to us--CES is here for you! You can also find other resources to support orienting and training new student staff under the Prepare section of our Supervisor Resource page.
|
|
|
Grab a moment, wherever you can find it, to say hi and check in with your student staff members.
Ask your student staff: What careers are intriguing or interesting you right now?
BENEFIT: You may identify connections between their future interests and the work they are doing with you — AND the student feels noticed when you show you care about their interests or plans.
Follow up: Think about anyone you know who is working in a similar career field or doing something similar to the interests of the student (if you can't think of anyone you know, CES can help identify alumni). Offer to connect the student with the person you know, so the student can set up a conversation. Check out our guide about Informational Interviews and invite your student staff to use it to prepare for the conversation.
BENEFIT: You are helping the student expand their professional network AND equipping them with the powerful tool of Informational Interviewing.
|
|
|
The education of our students is a shared enterprise
and we are so grateful for the role you play in educating and mentoring
the students you work with in their on-campus employment.
You are part of a community of supervisors that, every year, is creating
educational employment experiences for half of the students on campus.
AND, by the time they graduate, over 80% of students have had the opportunity
to learn from this community in at least one on-campus employment experience
during their time at Puget Sound.
Thanks for being part of something awesome.
|
|
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
University of Puget Sound 1500 N. Warner St. #1081 | Tacoma, None 98416-1081 US
|
|
|
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
| |
|
|
