Looking For a Job? Here’s How to Boost Your Communication Skills

Boost Your Communication Skills How you communicate through your cover letter, resume and emails can be the difference between a yes or no from a potential employer. Though you may think you have the perfect skills and qualifications, do you know how to highlight the right skills?

Written Communication Skills

To prove that you have exceptional written communication skills, make sure of the following:

Have an error-free cover letter and resume. This is extremely important as first impressions are lasting impressions. A careless typo in your resume or cover letter can raise a red flag. Some employers instantly reject candidates for errors that should have been caught with a careful eye or an additional review. Proofreading is a necessary process for any document, especially during a job hunt.

Clear email communication. This is another opportunity to highlight your written communication skills. Whether you’re writing about interview requests or status updates, make sure all of your emails are error-free and concise. Avoid a casual tone.

Make sure any issues are addressed in your email in a straightforward manner (in other words, keep your reply within the confines of the issue itself) and review any email before clicking the Send button. If you’re asked a question about your past employer, avoid hostility or blame. Maintain a business tone.

Show your work samples. Pick your best short pieces. Perhaps you can share a case study summary, business book review, or a summary of key points of a professional meeting you attended.

If you don’t have writing samples, look for opportunities to create some pieces on spec (for free).

How to Improve Your Writing

Need help developing your writing skills? Here are three tips you may want to consider:

Address the needs of your readers. Review the job posting and speak with people on the inside who are familiar with the role. Make sure to note all the skills that are important and required. Add the ones that you possess in your resume and cover letter.

Write clearly. Make sure to focus on the specific details you know the employer is looking for (no need to include all of them).

Avoid using jargon and terminology that’s unique to a past employer. Use common terms and refer to the job description to know which words to use.

Proof your work. It can’t be emphasized enough. Avoid careless mistakes by checking your work. You can use online spelling and grammar check applications, but it’s always a better idea to reach out to friends and family who have a knack for spotting potential problems.

These tips can boost your communication skills and open new career opportunities — make the most of them!

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Alan Carniol

Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 80,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.