For people who are already great listeners, the idea that being a great listener is a skill seems crazy. After all, isn’t it something that just comes naturally? Well, apparently not. According to the latest data, people who are able to understand, interpret and then respond appropriately to other people are a minority. There just aren’t that many people out there who can do it. And that’s great news for those who want their own career in a listening profession. Just like any other skill that’s rare, it pays well.
Translators
Google might be getting better at translating text, especially after an update to the way its software works last year, but there are still situations in which computers are no match for people. One of those situations is in settings like the United Nations, where translators have to act as mediators between warring factions. As a translator, the pressure is on you to not only translate the words being said but also the tone to adequately convey meaning.
Good translators can find work in all kinds of professional settings. Companies that deal internationally are constantly on the lookout for people with the ability to communicate with others in their regional language. Do you have that ability?
School Counsellor
The happiness statistics coming out of schools are truly shocking these days. The data suggest that more than half of school age children experience bullying at some point and more than a third suffer from mental health issues.
This means that there is high demand for school counselors. Counselors need training before they’re accepted for any permanent role, but you can now get a master degree in school counseling online, meaning that you don’t even have to give up work. Counselors can expect to get children referred to them on a regular basis by teachers, teaching assistants and parents. Counselors have to deal with a wide range of issues, from mental health conditions to anxiety about exams and bullying.
Any Managerial Role
Most people have managers. But why are they there? What is their function? In the most basic sense, managers are there to facilitate work. They’re paid to deal with the stress and conflict involved in getting regular workers to do their jobs. The way they deal with people is through communication (some better than others). Part of being a great manager, therefore, is also being a great listener. You need to have a certain empathy for what other people are going through, even if you don’t fully sympathise with all of their demands. For example, a colleague might want a flexible working pattern to pick their kids up from school – and you might understand this – but you also know that it will result in lost productivity and unhappy customers. Your job as a manager, therefore, is to help colleagues understand why they can’t always have everything they want.
Managers also need to be able to delegate responsibility and help direct people towards the most productive tasks. That requires regularly listening to employee feedback and staying abreast of the latest developments in the company.
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