The Importance of Communicating Well - Part 2

Many job listings include a requirement that job applicants have "good Communication Skills", but it's often very difficult to know what actually makes a good communicator or what a company is actually looking for in potential employees.

A general consensus is that Communication Skills include presenting, public speaking and good writing skills.  Listening, explaining, negotiating and persuasion are also important, as well as non-verbal components.

But  being a good communicator eventually comes down to only 2 things...

Good Communicators:

1. effectively pass along their message to others and
2. understand what others are trying to tell them.

As a job applicant, that means you have to convince the interviewer that you are not only an intelligent and eager worker, but also that you listen well and will get along with the people working for their organization.

A recent survey of 104 Silicon Valley companies hiring at career fairs indicated that they were specifically looking for the applicants with better interviewing skills, better interpersonal communication skills and better public speaking skills than the average graduate.

 To convey your message that you are an ideal candidate, you have to be prepared with why you are the perfect fit for their job. Employers want to hear about the factors in your past that make you a good prospect, but they also want to know that you've done your research and know where you would fit in their specific organization. And they don't want to hear a lengthy monologue either. In the words of one of the employers who responded to my survey, The business world is all about communicating, so take time to do it clearly, concisely, and correctly. 

Above all, it is very important to realize that communicating is a 2-way process and that means engaging the interviewer in questions about the organization. Besides convincing the interviewer that you are interested in their company beyond the size of your paycheck, this give you a chance to show the employer that you will ask them for clarifications on later projects when needed.

Communication specialist Kathy Maixner advises, " Make no assumption that asking for something makes you look foolish or stupid. Good communicators ask a lot of questions and then take action toward goals that will benefit both themselves and others."

To show in an interview that you are a good communicator, it's essential to demonstrate that you not only know how to get your message (that you're the perfect fit for the job) across, but also that you know when to listen. Since your employer knows that you will not be working in a vacuum at the job they're trying to fill, it's understandable that they believe good communication skills are vital.

Comments

[absent.canadian]

Amen to your earlier commenter who mentioned bubble gum. That's my biggest pet peeve; anyone caught chewing gum in the workplace should be vaporized. Immediately.

[Pauline]

Chewing gum. This is my own pet peeve. That and eating while on the phone. I detest calling up somebody in business and hear them continue to chew while I am trying to conduct business with them. And, those young women who chew gum like they were still in school. Spit it out! Sometimes I almost feel like saying, "I'll call your company back later when you've finished eating."

[Charles]

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[Charles]

Thanks so much for your important work. Your blog is thoroughly rewarding.