Today's 3 Must-Have Business Skills Build a Foundation in Business Writing, Data Analysis and Project Management
Today's 3 Must-Have Business Skills Build a Foundation in Business Writing, Data Analysis and Project Management

In the business world, your success depends on the particular skills that you bring to the table. Maybe yours could use a refresh?

Some skills are tried-and-true and remain the same over time. Others require you to have your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the business world today.

Read on to find out what skills you can upgrade to help you stand out in the modern workplace — and the courses we offer at UW Professional & Continuing Education to make sure you remain on the cutting edge.

1. Business Writing

As technologies come and go, one evergreen skill remains very important: writing. Business professionals need to be competent across myriad forms of communication: emails, proposals, presentations, social media and more.

Being able to write cleanly, persuasively and with flair is a key skill in any organizational role. And the UW’s Business Writing: Reports, Proposals & Documents course is built to help you hone your writing chops, with a special emphasis on long-form writing.

In this course, you'll learn how to write effective documents that are clear and concise. You'll explore different kinds of business writing and focus on the importance of structure and of putting your audience at the center.

Drawing on reader science, you’ll learn how to make your documents intuitive and readable without simplifying your ideas or losing pertinent details. The course supplies you with plenty of practice writing different types of documents and incorporating feedback from your instructor and peers.

  • Format: Online With Real-Time Meetings
  • Duration: 7 weeks

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 2. Data Analysis

Business today is inescapably data driven. As the voluminous data piles up, businesses of all shapes and sizes need employees who can harness and analyze the numbers.

Now more than ever, understanding how to analyze data is a vital skill for just about any profession. According to LinkedIn, data analytics ranks sixth among the most in-demand business skills of 2024 — higher than frequently touted skills such as teamwork or problem-solving.

If you want to make sure you’re up to date on the latest data-analysis tools and trends, the UW’s Foundations of Data Analysis course is a great option.

In the 10-week class, you'll learn how to understand, analyze and present data. The course starts with a broad overview of the data analysis process and then develops your abilities with each of the fundamental data analysis skills. 

You’ll learn to acquire and clean data using SQL and Excel and analyze data using key statistical concepts. And you’ll discover how to choose the best visualization for your data and practice designing effective visualizations using Tableau.

You can take this course on its own or use it as a springboard for the more advanced Certificate in Data Analytics: Techniques for Decision Making or Certificate in Data Visualization

  • Next Start: October 2023
  • Format: Online With Real-Time Meetings or Online, Group-Paced
  • Duration: 10 weeks

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3. Project Management

Project management is one of the most versatile skills in the business world, and a solid understanding of the practice can reap huge career dividends. Training in project management helps you gain effective teamwork skills, including collaboration, communication and dealing with conflict — all vital tools you can bring to any business.

The  UW’s Foundations of Project Management course will help you add this essential discipline to your repertoire. You’ll start with the basics of business vocabulary and the different aspects of working in a professional environment. From there, you’ll learn the importance of project management and how it fits into business practice.

The course covers best practices for balancing priorities and making decisions within business constraints. Finally, you’ll get practice reviewing business cases and data to draw conclusions and create actionable plans.

You can take the course on its own, or you can use it to prepare for the UW Certificate in Project Management.

  • Format: Online With Real-Time Meetings
  • Duration: 4 weeks

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Keep Learning

For more courses and certificates for business professionals, check out the Business & Leadership section of our site.


For more career tips and industry trends, visit the News & Features section of our website, and subscribe to our email list. To learn more about UW Professional & Continuing Education certificates, specializations, degrees and courses, explore your options or contact us.



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