Communication skills
One of the most popular soft skills required of recruiters in job advertisements: communication skills.
According to Watzlawick, an Austrian-American communication scientist, it is said: "You can't communicate!" This results in the need for every social being to be able to communicate. But what do communication skills include?
Articulation and concrete formulationsPay attention to clear articulation in your language (but should not appear staged!) And try to be as brief as possible and specifically formulate your request.
Typical examples of poor articulation are delayed sounds like “uh”, “uh”, or “hmm”. You should also avoid filler words such as “somehow”, “stop” or “maybe” in your linguistic usage.
Adjust language levelNow we are already on the subject of language :
The right choice of words determines good communication. If you are in a conversation with professionals and experts, you should use appropriate language. If you don't understand something, Write my essay you can always ask. When talking to laypeople, you should avoid or explain technical terms as much as possible and express yourself as simply as possible.
Show attentionWhen you listen, show your counterpart that you are actively paying attention, for example by nodding, making eye contact, and asking questions. Try not to interrupt the speaker while doing this.
To make sure that you understand everything correctly, you can briefly summarize what was said in your own words before going into the content.
clothingContinue to pay attention to appropriate clothing. If you are unsure what to wear, refer to other employees. When in doubt, being dressed a little better than the average is never wrong and you won't stand out negatively.
Application: convince with communication skillsSoft skills are becoming more and more important in applications and, after the hard skills and professional skills have been checked, ultimately decide on hiring or rejection.
Before you report on your strengths and soft skills in an application, you should better deal with the topic:
- Start with a self-analysis: What are your strengths and positive qualities? How would your friends and colleagues praise you and what previous successes can be explained by your characteristics?
- Compare your characteristics with the job advertisement and find out which are relevant characteristics for the position you are applying for? (Requirements, industry, and activity)
- Only mention relevant skills and qualities in your application.
The best way to show your communication skills in your application is to prove it: Do my essay Have you already worked in communication jobs or did an internship?
The following activities testify to your communicative side:
- Hobbies and honorary positions
- Position as head boy
- Participation in AStA
- Engagement in youth groups, for example as a group leader
- Board member in an association
In this way, you leave the first impression and on the other hand, you can assess whether an application is worthwhile.
You can also enclose appropriate certificates on training courses that certify your communication skills with your résumé.
Convince in the interviewThe same applies here: Remain authentic.
Communication skills and strengths also do not mean that you are trying to outdo the speaking share of the interlocutors under all circumstances.
Relax and make eye contact during the conversation. Listen carefully - this will help you answer questions and build a meaningful conversation.
The following questions can come from the HR manager to test your communication skills:
- Do you prefer to discuss topics via email, phone, or in-person? Why?
- Are there any tools that you have already used for communication in other companies and what is your experience with them?
- How would you deal with a conflict situation in your team?
- How would you behave if you did not understand a task from your manager correctly or if the information was unclear?
- If you had to deliver results to a customer - for example, a quarterly report or the most recent social media report - how would you do that?
- How would you react to a discount request from a customer who had already agreed to the prices?
- Tell us about a situation where you had to convey bad news. How did you deal with it?
- Briefly introduce yourself in 3 sentences.
Classic tasks include role-plays, short presentations on a specific topic, or collaborative work on a case study with other applicants.
Train and improve communication skillsAre you a communication professional? Top.
But even if you sometimes still have problems with individual situations or just want to improve, it helps to practice. Communication skills can be learned.
Communication training tips:
- Learn new terms and find synonyms for your vocabulary to develop a more varied language.
- Become aware of your language and your appearance. Practice in front of the mirror.
- Listening: The quality of the dialogue depends largely on how well the interlocutors listen to each other. If you have listened carefully and asked the right questions, you can also score points with a low proportion of the speech and a calm, reserved manner. Because that is what defines communication skills.
- Give presentations and lectures at work or university and try not to avoid them. By asking your colleagues and professors for feedback on your presentation, you will discover the potential for improvement that you would not have noticed yourself.
- Set yourself small and achievable goals: for example, if you plan to express your opinion more strongly in the next four weeks after the time has elapsed you can check how it worked and what you can do better.
Are you currently still studying? Many universities and colleges offer courses on soft skills. Sometimes so-called key qualifications are even required to obtain the degree.
It is best to find out more on the website of your institution or ask in the study office.
You can also inquire about further training opportunities at the company or, for example, ask the HR department whether coaching can be offered.