It is no secret that it takes a special sort of person to become a speech-language pathologist. But when you are vying for the best SLP career opportunities or looking to advance in the field, there are certain traits and skills that all top speech-language pathologists share.

What Traits Do Top SLPs Share?

Teachability

Not only should you be able to teach as an SLP, but you should also be able to learn and be taught along the way. Being willing to learn new skills, activities, and keep up with your credentials is all essential for being a top-tier SLP.

Strong Communication Skills

Because so much of the job depends on being able to effectively relay instructions, movements and sounds, being an effective communicator is crucial. Being successful as an SLP largely depends on strong communication skills, both verbally and visibly.

Sensitivity

Because this career can require working with children and people of all kinds of ages and abilities, it’s important to be sensitive and compassionate within your work. Being sensitive to your students or patients can make all the difference in their treatments and their outcomes.

Analytical Skills

Knowing how and when to do certain exercises and skills, adapting care plans, writing IEPs in a school setting, and changing strategies on the fly are all important factors in the daily life of an SLP. If you have strong analytical skills, making these changes and creating strong plans for next steps will come more easily and make you more successful in this career.

Enjoys Working With Others

While it may seem obvious, one of the most basic – and most crucial – skills for any speech-language pathologist is enjoying working with other people. If you enjoy helping people develop speech and language skills, and enjoy working with other professionals in the speech discipline, you will be set up for success in your career.

Ready to Improve Your SLP Career?

If you are looking to find a new speech-language pathology job opportunity, Spotter Staffing can help! We place top SLPs into amazing schools in Illinois and Texas. Click this link to view our current open SLP jobs, or contact us today with any questions you have.