Andrew Cicierko
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place,” (George Bernard Shaw). In the business world, communication is the key aspect of making things tick. I conducted an interview with Lauren Scott, who graduated from Indiana State University, and received her masters from Ball State University, and currently works at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the Office of Admissions. In this interview with Ms. Scott we discussed her professional background, and key questions about communicating in the business world. After reading this interview you should have a better grasp about what their thoughts are and how professionals perceive Business Communication.
What is your professional history (include your timeline and roles)
“I graduated from Indiana State University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a concentration in Law Enforcement and Evidence. I completed an internship with the Clinton County Prosecutor’s Office the summer prior to attending Ball State University for Graduate School. My role at the Prosecutor’s Office included filing paperwork, sorting evidence for court, and assisting the prosecutor with other duties as assigned. I started Graduate School in the fall of 2018 studying Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education. While completing my courses I obtained an assistantship in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. I assisted the office by interacting with prospective students and their families during campus visits, traveling to recruit new students, and reviewing applications. Over the summer I completed an internship in the Office at Orientation at Ball State University where I supervised a group of 30 student leaders who encouraged incoming students to be excited about their transition to Ball State while making them feel welcomed and at home on campus. After completing orientation and my degree, I accepted a position at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as an Admissions Counselor. My responsibilities are very similar to those I had during my assistantship with the Office of Admissions at Ball State. I am currently planning my fall season travel. I will be recruiting students from western North Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland. When I am not traveling to recruit students, I spend my time in the office reviewing applications and meeting with students and their family members assisting them with the college admissions process. I also supervise a group of 50 students who are campus tour guides.”
What writing advice do you have for professional communicators?
“Always proof read and know your audience.”
What is your one pet peeve when it comes to professional writing?
“I always try to give the person the benefit of the doubt, but I do not like when emails do not look concise. I appreciate emails that are well organized, have same font throughout, and includes detailed information as needed.”
What kind of business reports do you read and/or compose regularly?
“I have not yet completed any reports in my current job. However, at the end of the year I will compose a report and present the report to my supervisors. The report will contain all of my travel information and statistical data showing how many students from my travel territory applied and enrolled to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.”
What are your writing suggestions to make those types of reports successful?
“Be accurate and include all information.”
What speaking advice do you have for professional communicators?
“Confidence. A mentor told me to always walk into a room with the assumption everyone likes you. The thought is supposed to help a person not overthink while presenting to or speaking to others and has helped me tremendously.”
Name one thing you wish you had known about business communication prior to your professional career?
“Be open to asking questions! Most people are amazing resources and do not mind taking time to help.”
After assessing the Burning Glass list of Baseline Skills (2016), which skills not in the top 5 would you move into the top 5…and why?
“Problem solving and leadership. These are two skills that are used frequently in the world of Higher Education. Many, if not most, of the staff working in Student Affairs was involved on campus during their collegiate career. Having connections is crucial to finding jobs as well as being promoted. Leadership is a great way to build skills and connections. Problem solving is also crucial in both a person’s professional and personal life.”
What team skills do you feel young professionals need the most?
“Communication, problem solving, and open-mindedness.”
Key Takeaways
After talking with Ms. Scott and analyzing her answers to the questions I presented her, I came up with a few major takeaways from this interview. The thing that stood out to me the most was her comment on confidence. When communication about business related topics she said to have confidence. A mentor once told her to walk into a room with the assumption that everyone likes you. When you do this the idea is that you will not overthink things and believe in the qualities that you have and be your best version of yourself. Another major standout from this interview was the fact that she said be open to asking questions. A lot of people are scared to ask questions during meetings, class or almost just anything. She said that people are amazing resources and normally don’t mind taking time to help another person out. If you don’t know something or need help, asking questions is the best way to figure it out. The odds are if you don’t know it, one of your peers do, so you just need to be open to asking questions and not shy away from it. Lastly, the fact that she said problem solving was one of the skills that wasn’t in the top five on the Burning Glass list but needed to be there was interesting to me. If you look at it there are many problems people face throughout their days and being able to have good problem-solving skills to help people in need out is a very valuable skillset that many people probably undervalue. In a business setting there will be many problems that you will have to work through to solve for the benefit of your company,
Biography of Expert
Ms. Lauren Scott is an Admissions Director at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She got her bachelor’s degree at Indiana State University in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a concentration in Law Enforcement and Evidence. She then went on to complete her master’s degree at Ball State University in studying Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education. Ms. Scott completed an internship with the Clinton County Prosecutor’s Office after graduation from Indiana State University, then while she was in graduate school at Ball State University, she obtained an assistantship in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. After completing all of her schooling she decided to accept a position in the Office of Admissions at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she currently is employed.
Biography of Author
My name is Andrew Cicierko and I am from Plainfield, Indiana. I am currently attending the University of Southern Indiana and am majoring in Marketing in the Romain College of Business.
