Professional Communication

Introduction

My name is Parker Walton and I am a senior at the University of Arizona, where I am double majoring in Criminal Justice Studies and Public Management & Policy. I am involved heavily on campus through my position as Vice President of Turning Point USA's Arizona chapter, but I will be applying the modules within this course to apply for future job opportunities, primarily with Homeland Security Investigations. I believe that these course modules will provide me with extensive amounts of knowledge that will benefit my future career endeavors. My primary goal for Build the Skill during this course is to adequately learn and incorporate professional communication skills with the people that I work with. Professional communication within a workplace is a pivotal component and driver for success and efficiency, so I am confident that this program will help me develop and enhance that skill.

Professional Communication & You

According to the self-assessment of communication styles, my primary communication type is a Driver. People who are considered to be a Driver when they are communicating in a professional setting tend to be very assertive, confident, and forceful with their words. These type of communicators are independent and straightforward because of their low emotional response to other people. Drivers are more practical, domineering, and results-oriented so sometimes they can be misinterpreted as insensitive to others. Through the time I spent learning about the different types of communication styles I would agree that I am a Driver. The majority of the Driver characteristics adequately describe how I communicate with others, including how I think during certain professional situations. I am very assertive and stern when it comes to my opinions and positions on various matters. When it comes to assessing and evaluating problems I focus on conducting my actions and thoughts in a practical and realistic manner. Drivers usually lack emotional responses, which somewhat relates to me because I remain calm and controlled during circumstances that would usually invoke strong emotional responses in other people. That is not to say that I fret away from extending my voice and opinion on issues to other individuals. The issue with Drivers being more independent people is that it can generate complexity in group settings due to us being more results-oriented. Our competitiveness and determination can portray to group members that we are arrogant or inconsiderate. Even though I am a Driver, I feel like it would benefit my professional career immensely if I enhanced my collaboration and listening skills. In sum, I enjoy that I am assertive with my thoughts and opinions on issues and I am confident in doing so, but sometimes I feel that engaging with people and hearing out their opinions is something that I lack which is a problem because in a group or team setting that can create division.

There have been many tips and strategies on building new professional relationships that have been helpful to me, but there are three that stood out the most. I believe that identifying your communication goals, listening attentively, and communicating ethically are the three most useful tips to utilize when interacting and building a professional relationship with someone new. Identifying what you want to get out of the meeting is essential in setting a blueprint for what and why you are communicating with that person. This helps you set the tone for the actual meeting and is crucial for the success of interpersonal communication. Without setting a game plan for a meeting it is difficult to fully grasp the information that is being relayed to you. Also, listening attentively during a meeting is very important because it shows that you are invested and interested in what that person has to say, which in the end demonstrates respect. Attentively listening is one of the most, if not the most, helpful techniques in communication. Actively listening is one of my flaws, so by utilizing the tips that were presented in the module such as maintaining eye contact can help me better retain information and stay active in the conversation. The final tip that was greatly helpful for me was learning how to communicate ethically. Communicating ethically helps the other party see that you are be truthful, transparent, and involved in the conversation, and offering feedback can help you do so.

Professional Communication in the Workplace

Out of the 22 techniques for communicating in a workplace, the three most helpful techniques for me were active listening, being confident in what you say, and creating a clear agenda with a clear objective. As I mentioned in the previous section, active listening is a key component in communication. This technique has helped me the most because of my lack of ability to retain information. By maintaining eye contact and relaying back to the other party what I understood from the dialogue will help me gather important information better. Another technique that has helped me the most is being confident in what I say. As a Driver I am a confident communicator, but making sure I do not undermine my own words will help me continue that confidence that I know I have. The third technique that I found most helpful is creating a clear objective and agenda. This technique relates more to a meeting setting. I tend be secluded and independent for the most part, so if I can relay a clear agenda and goals to all my other coworkers then this will help me be more team-oriented and bolster my collaboration skills.

The two great tips that I gathered from the Video Conference Meeting material are to always be on time and to plan ahead. Time management is so important in your professional life, so keeping these tips in mind will help me with my organization skills.

The steps that you should take when selecting someone and contacting someone for an informational interview are to first off do your research. Research helps you discover greater information on a company or employer so that you can decide if that type of job field is what fits you best. Of course you want to pick someone in a field of work that aligns well with your future career route. Once you find a company that peaks your interest then you should find their email or phone number. Calling is a better way to make the ask for an informational interview. If the call does not go through then leave a voicemail and send them an email presenting your interest in the company and what you want to interview them for. If they do not answer your call then sending them an email asking them to conduct this interview is crucial. If they respond and agree to an interview then ask them when they are free and how they would like to conduct the interview, whether that be in person or over the computer. The final step is to send a confirmation email or meeting invite.

The Art of Informational Interviewing

10 Informational Interview Questions

• Please tell me about your work. What are your fundamental responsibilites and duties?

• Do you more often work individually or with a team?

• Can you please describe a typical workday?

• How did you begin working in this field? What drove you to become an agent for Homeland Security Investigations and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force?

• What is the greatest characteristic that the agents within Homeland Security Investigations possess?

• What characteristics and qualifications does your job look at in people who are trying to work for the Department of Homeland Security?

• Do you have any recommendations for other people I should speak with in this work field to learn more? If so, may I use your name when reaching out to them?

• What advice do you have for someone interested in a position comparable to yours? What steps should someone take when preparing to enter this field?

• Is there anything you wished you knew before entering this field?

• Was this field of work something you always saw yourself going into? If not, what led you down the route to becoming an agent for Homeland Security Investigations and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force?

"5 Tips to Get You Started"

The most helpful tip to get me started for my informational interview was to use networking sites like LinkedIn and Handshake so that I could find employers and companies that interested me. On those sites I was able to gather large amounts of information on what that company is, how it operates, and what it operates for. The information that I obtained from different companies through Linked in and Handshake made it easier for me to generate questions that I wanted to ask when I conducted my informational interview.

What I Hope to Get Out of This Informational Interviewing Experience

The main thing that I am hopeful to gather from my informational interview with Homeland Security investigations is what steps I need to take to put myself in the best position to be a viable candidate for them in the future. I want to learn about the person that I am talking to, what their experience has been like, and how they got to the position they are at now. Also, I am looking forward to strengthening my interview skills in general. The more that I communicate with companies and employers, the more comfortable I will be in future job interviews.

Presenting Your Work Professionally

Reflect

The person that I interviewed was Adam May, the Group Supervisor of the Border Enforcement Security Task Force within Homeland Security Investigations in Tucson, Arizona. I have always been a huge supporter of law enforcement at all levels of service, which has been the main reason that I want to serve my country in both the military and law enforcement in the future. Federal law enforcement is a major dream of mine and since Mr. May is a federal agent that was the main thing that interested me about him and his profession. I have interviewed with other federal law enforcement agencies before, such as the U.S. Marshals Service, so being able to communicate with a different type of federal law enforcement agencies is truly was made me want this interview.

3 Questions Asked In the Interview:

Please tell me about your work. What are your fundamental responsibilities and duties in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)?

Mr. May stated that he was assigned to the Homeland Security Investigations’ Border Enforcement Security Task Force. This task force is tasked with eradicating and dismantling criminal organizations at a transnational level. He stated that his colleagues and him work with law enforcement at all levels to help investigate and get rid of these types of criminal organizations. His work spans not just in the United States, but also to vast countries abroad since the criminal organizations that they deal with have connections all around the world. The Border Enforcement Security Task Force works with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) and Border Patrol agents to combat illegal activities occurring at the border such as illegal exploitation of American trade, travel, finance, and immigration.

Do you more often work individually or with a team?

My interviewee stated that teamwork and collaboration is a staple for the success of their work. Collaborative efforts between local, state, and federal law enforcement is a part of their every day service. He stated that he is almost always working with other people and groups because of how widespread and large the criminal organizations that they deal with are. Mr. May stated that what is so unique about Homeland Security Investigations is that they are a conglomerate of enforcement parties put into one unit. They are the investigative sector of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and they are constantly working with other law enforcement agencies at the border. On another note, despite its large presence in the United States, the HSI has an international force that is the biggest investigative force abroad. Abroad agents also work with special members of the Department of Defense (DOD), so you can see how much of a team setting that this job asks for.

What characteristics and qualifications does your job look at in people who are trying to work for Homeland Security Investigations?

Mr. May relayed to me that the code of Homeland Security Investigations entails that when they look for viable candidates they look for dedicated and motivated individuals who are interested in taking on difficult challenges. In the hiring process they look for people who have experience with investigative work, skill in numerous languages, a profound academic background, and advanced communication and analytic skills. Homeland Security Investigations look for possible special agents who are dedicated to their craft, are in great physical shape, and also have a desire to push themselves through tough challenges that are put in front of them. Problem-solving skills are a high priority for Homeland Security Investigations when they are looking for their next hire. Having experience in criminal justice studies, foreign language, and computer sciences is a main proponent in who they hire in regards to college students.

The main thing that I specifically found challenging during my informational interview experience was be able to contact someone in this profession. This is due to the amount of individuals contacting a federal agency such as the DHS. Since Homeland Security Investigations is a part of a federal agency, many college students try to reach out to them in search for job opportunities, internships, and interviews. Although I had to wait a decent amount of time to hear back from Homeland Security Investigations and Mr. Adam May, it was well worth the wait because I learned so much from talking to him. Another challenge was making sure that I could ask all the questions that I wanted to know without taking too much time out of his busy schedule. I did get to ask all the questions that I wrote down for him, but due to time constraints I did not always get a complete answer. That is something that I will take into consideration for my future interviews because some of the questions that I wanted to know more about were the ones that were cut decently short. A third challenge throughout this experience was time management. I realized that I definitely procrastinated on some of the processes with my informational interview experience, which eventually made me feel like I may have rushed some things.

Something that I learned about this experience of interviewing someone in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is how diverse the different types of jobs that they offer. I was intrigued to learn that the HSI has eight different divisions. The divisions are listed as follows: Domestic Operations, International Operations, Investigative Programs, National Security Investigations, Global Trade Investigations, Operational Technology and Cyber, Office of Intelligence, and Mission Support. Before this interview I had no idea that Homeland Security Investigations existed, but through the interview I discovered that the HSI is one of the Department of Homeland Security's main investigative sectors. I was also pleased to hear that people with criminal justice degrees are the most suited in the hiring process for this agency because of the in-depth studies that individuals learn through college that is advantageous to becoming a DHS agent. An additional thing that I learned through my experience was that through communication you are able to learn so much more. For example, when I was talking to Mr. May about what the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) sector of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) specifically does, I learned more than I could have ever learned by just researching it on the internet. Although I did my research on the agency before I conversated with Mr. May, his firsthand experience and knowledge on HSI opened my eyes to many things that I would have never have known about. I also learned that in order to deem myself a great candidate in the eyes of huge agencies, like Homeland Security Investigations, I must set myself apart from others. Academic accomplishments are important, but they do not fully guarantee a position in this work field. Through the material and resources from this program, I can now work on strengthening my communication, problem-solving, and organization skills to help me be the best job candidate that I can be.

Upon the completion of my informational interview I sent a follow-up email with Mr. Adam May thanking him for his time, his advice, and the information that he shared with me about Homeland Security Investigations. The main thing that I have taken from this interview and will utilize in the future stages of my career will be to take more time to create questions that I want to know about the other party. I say this because I felt that I was in a race for time and some of the questions that I wanted answers to were cut down due to time.

Effectively Communicating Feedback

What do you find is easier to do: give or receive feedback on your work and why?

Receiving feedback is easier for me to do because I conduct myself as a perfectionist in everything that I do and I want to see what I can improve on and fix to be the best version of myself and produce my best work. Understanding the things that I could have done better or more effectively is very important for me and has been easier for me to do than giving feedback.

What do you find is more difficult to do: give or receive feedback and why?

I would say that giving feedback is more difficult for me to do because although you are trying to help them or their work, your words can sometimes come off in a way that is displeasing to the other individual. So when giving feedback you have to be more mindful and precise about what you actually want to inform them about.

What did you learn about giving and receiving feedback? How can you use this information in your future job or internship?

I have learned many new things regarding the subject of giving and receiving feedback. Some examples of what I have learned about giving feedback are to ask the person if they want your response and constructive assistance, to be specific and provide examples, and to be thoughtful and express that you care about what you are saying. What I have learned about receiving feedback is to listen to what they say first and recognize their perspective and insight. Also, I have learned to avoid any strong or resentful emotions to limit the combativeness towards the person. This will help the conversation stay on track and help you see their perspective so you can utilize that the best you can. From this acquired information I can show my fellow workers and bosses that I am an amiable person who accepts and encourages help and constructive criticism when I need it. Constructive criticism and feedback is a crucial component to becoming the best employee or intern possible.