5 In-Demand Communication Skills to Highlight on Your Resume If you’re thinking of applying for a job where you’ll need communication skills, you will need to show that you can communicate effectively, and the best place to start is with your resume. Even if the job does not require you to deal with clients and the public, you will no doubt need to communicate with your colleagues and bosses. So it’s best to highlight your communication skills, prospective employers can see you as a talented, potential candidate. The following five communication skills are the ones demanded by most employers. Why Highlight Communication Skills on a Resume? Mastering the ‘soft skill’, communication, takes a lot of effort, especially if you’re not a natural. And even if you were born with the ‘gift of the gab’, you need to display other soft skill areas such as presentation, active listening – and importantly, writing– on your resume. Your potential employer can then easily see that you can work well with others and function in a team. If you want to work in advertising, marketing or sales, adding your communication skills on your resume will also help you to land a job. Other soft skills include giving or taking feedback, honesty, empathy, and motivation, but the following five are the most important attributes employers are looking for in an employee: 1. Verbal Communication If the job you want is one where you will be dealing with the public, working in customer service or dealing with clients, your speaking skills will come into play. You may also need to communicate verbally in a team management position, so you should list your mastery of public speaking and verbal communication on your resume. This will show your potential employer that you can easily share knowledge and ideas in an effective, clear and concise manner. 2. Written Communication Strong writing skills are crucial for many roles, including the obvious ones such as journalism and advertising copywriting where grammar is imperative. You might be required to write reports, send important emails, or write newsletters, which would be a challenge without writing skills. Here is your chance to show your strong communication skills in the way you write your resume. 3. Presentation Abilities If the job of your dreams includes holding meetings with the public and speaking to stakeholders, you should show on your resume that you have a strong ability to clearly and effectively present information. Try to convey on your resume, and especially if you are interviewed, that you can inspire and influence a group with your mastery of public speaking and presentation capabilities. 4. Listening Abilities If your chosen career is in social work, customer service, management or other people-oriented jobs, you will need active listening skills, so make sure you highlight these in your resume. By doing so, you will show your prospective employer that you understand the importance of active listening capabilities in the role. You will need to communicate that you are aware of the need to show an ability to understand what others are saying, and can help clients and colleagues to feel they are valued. 5. Negotiating Abilities Negotiating skills are important in most jobs. In roles such as management, law and sales, you will undoubtedly need these skills. You must highlight your mastery of negotiation on your resume so you can communicate to potential employers that you can effectively compromise, accurately assess the needs of others, and clearly state your demands. So in a nutshell, you need to show a potential employer that you can: ● Communicate clearly, whether verbally, face-to-face, or written. ● Show your potential employer in your resume that you understand how clear communication helps to quickly explain things and get the job finished faster, avoiding misunderstandings, delays, missed deadlines and loss of sales. ● Show that you realise when all is said and done that all companies and employers need a productive team that can deliver results. ● For example, the teams in many companies receive incentive rewards for strong communication skills and good work performance. If you’re a recent graduate or a student passionate about launching your brilliant career, Education Bridge Australia can help. If you’re concerned that your job applications are not being shortlisted for interviews, ask us! We’re the leading career partners of those who seek the best results from the Australian employment scene. Call us today on 0416932916, or email info@educationbridge.com.au.