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If you consider yourself a people person with great interpersonal skills, it makes sense to get the most out of them in your day-to-day work. The ability to speak clearly, listen closely, use written communication effectively and have good body language is highly sought after in lots of careers.
In the UK, we experienced one of the highest job-to-job moving rates recorded this century in the second quarter of 2022, with 3% of people moving from one job to another. It’s never too late to consider a new career path, even if it means retraining entirely.
Public relations (PR)
PR is all about building and maintaining relationships and representing a particular brand, which means great interpersonal skills come in especially handy. Strong communication is key. It’s needed in a verbal sense when writing press releases, as well as when you’re liaising with press outlets over the phone or face to face. Managing reputations on behalf of other brands requires exceptional social skills, especially if a public disaster comes to light!
Teaching
Regardless of whether you’re based in primary or secondary education, teaching requires strong interpersonal skills. You’ll not only command a classroom and lead multiple lessons a day, but you’ll also be expected to observe the welfare of your students.
It can be a very fulfilling job for those who enjoy interacting with others, to the extent that many choose a complete career change and go into teaching later in life. Being a role model for young people makes showcasing your interpersonal skills important.
Sales
It’s common knowledge that any successful salesperson has great communication skills. Speaking frequently to potential clients on the phone or in person is a daily occurrence for them.
However, the very best in the industry will be just as good at listening and understanding their clients’ wants and needs as they are talking. This allows them to cater their services to suit whatever it is they require. Interpersonal skills are also important for building trust with a prospective client.
Talking therapy (e.g. counselling)
Some apply their interpersonal skills in a talking therapy role. The premise of the job involves speaking to a client or patient in a confidential setting while helping them work through any mental health or life struggles. Niches range from helping couples to supporting those going through bereavement. If you go private with your services, you may need to consider talking therapy insurance.
Customer service
Customer service representatives are experts when dealing with people under tricky circumstances. Whether dealing with the customer face-to-face or over the phone, a lot of time is spent helping them with queries on behalf of the company you work for, so interpersonal skills are important for balancing priorities. Either way, engaging in a calm, professional manner is a skill that is hugely important in these roles.
