In a time where each job posting has hundreds of applicants and success as a job seeker is heavily based on how you present yourself, effective communication can make a huge difference in your career trajectory. Therefore, teaching engineering, or any science, without many opportunities for communication or leadership classes doesn’t make sense.

By: Maryland GovPics

STEM curriculum needs to include more courses in communication. Leadership is a trait that allows certain people to rise in the workforce. Without it, there’s a ceiling to one’s influence and ultimately one’s earning potential. In the company I’m interning at this summer, the highest paid and most influential individuals have correspondingly high leadership roles.

In fact, research from Southwest Texas State University suggests that “communication competence is a prerequisite for effective leadership” (Walking the Talk: The Relationship Between Leadership and Communication Competence). STSU conducted a study of 151 employees in 9 organizations, surveying communication competence of supervisors and the effectiveness of their leadership, and found a strong correlation between effective communication and effective leadership.