Professional Communication is a track course for EC students, and its purpose is seen in the name itself: communicating professionally, whether in the workplace, university, or any circle of one’s life.
It’s not important what you are thinking at the moment, it’s the message you are sending that matters; you are always sending a message. This is an imperative concept that was highlighted the most during the Professional Communication course and can easily sum up the importance of each lesson learned in class.
The course was highly versatile and touched upon important aspects of the professional work environment. An example is editing resumes until they stand out clearly among others, which can give a surprisingly very high advantage when there are hundreds of applicants. Another example is the group exercises that promoted team building in a fun way and overall improved networking among classmates. Sona Soghomanyan, an EC junior, says, “I would say that the instructor provides skills and knowledge which can be put into practice and help in the professional career.”
During the course, students learn how to look professional in videos, conduct different interviews, and be prepared for them. The students gained experience by practicing the theories during the exercises. Additionally, Dr. Brent Anders, the professor of this course, shared his experiences which made it more relatable and memorable.
Towards the end of the semester, we put a lot of focus on a final group project in which we had to pitch an idea for making Armenia better, write a proposal, and give a whole presentation with the time to beat. The best thing is that AI was encouraged to be used for the hard parts of this project and throughout the whole course! This for me was a first, as students know that using AI is strictly discouraged, but Professor Anders provided ways in which we could use AI to our advantage and understand what we need to get started or improve, without, of course, plagiarism or losing originality.
AI was an unexpected surprise during Professional Communication. It was easy to comprehend how much AI has taken over the entire world and how workfields are using it to strive ahead of the race. One example is how some interviews are conducted with an actual AI rather than a person to save time, which we also got the chance to practice. ChatGPT, an AI tool, is improving by the second as it is becoming a good source to conduct research and prepare for different things like interviews and presentations. Maneh Petrosian, an EC junior, mentions that this class was the most practical class she has ever had. “What I really liked about the course was that it was adjusted to the rapid changes in the real world, specifically with the development of AI,” she says, “the course delved into instructing us on its proper and ethical utilization, elevating the learning experience significantly.”
The assignments and tasks are distributed evenly throughout the whole semester, which allows the students to keep a good pace during the course. Certain topics like conflict resolution take a whole class to learn but are remembered through practice during other times. There was a small quiz to test our knowledge, many interactive and useful class exercises, one big group project, essential forum posts, interesting readings on the class content, and key assignments that were always given an appropriate amount of time to prepare, along with careful explanation beforehand.
True professionalism doesn’t involve being rigid or fake but rather entails sharpening our personality to such a level that sets us apart and thus showcases our originality without overpowering our actual selves. It is a very useful course that highlights the real aspects of professionalism. The EC major is quite lucky for this course, but I believe that students from all majors can take it with permission from the EC program chair. Students can learn how to be professionals as scientists, businessmen, politicians, and in any field that they are working in.
Professionalism is a lifestyle that should come naturally rather than being forced like an act; it must not be one’s whole personality but rather an improving factor that makes it better every time. Whether it was the assignments, the environment of the class, practices imitating real-life situations, or especially the last group project, this course can become one of the most important experiences AUA students could have, as it will guide them in so many varying aspects, big or small, in the future.
