A “strong communicator” is someone who writes and speaks clearly, confidently, and is easy to understand

“Strong communication” comes up in lots of job ads as an “essential skill”. But most job ads don’t explain it. So we’re going to take a look at what it means — and how you can work out if it’s a skill you already have.

So what does it mean?

Most of the time it just means the company is looking for someone who can:

• understand what they’re being asked to do, and be understood
• interact with colleagues and customers in a polite, empathetic way.

So having good eye contact, being friendly and approachable, and listening well are all part of having “strong communication skills”.

A job ad could ask for “good,” “effective,” or “excellent” communication skills instead. But they all mean the same thing.

Here’s the secret: most people have good communication skills

Even if we don’t always use them, most of us know how to communicate well. And it’s a skill you might have practised already. 

• You might have to speak differently in certain situations, like at church or with older relatives, than you do with your friends. 
• You might have to give presentations, or read out loud, to your class. 
• You might write differently depending on whether you’re writing an essay, emailing a teacher or lecturer, or chatting online.

All of that — and anything similar — means you can communicate well.

When you apply for a job, you need to show that skill

If you’re writing a CV or filling in an application form, you can:

• Include examples of when you communicate well.
  
  
• Get someone to check your writing so it doesn’t have spelling and grammar mistakes. (Or, if you can’t get someone’s help, you could double check your writing after you’ve left it for a while, and run a spell check.)

Then, if you send off that application over email, make sure your email is also free from mistakes, as well as being polite and enthusiastic. It’s a good idea to try and respond to any replies you might get within 24 hours. 

If you get an interview, then you show your communication skills in real life

You can do things like: 

• Sit up straight, make eye contact, and speak clearly. 

• Take a deep breath and speak more slowly, if you get flustered.

• Take your time and say something like “I really want this job and I’m a little nervous, so I’m going to think for a moment before I answer each question”, if you’re a bit nervous.

• Try to avoid one-word answers. This is your chance to fully communicate with the people you might end up working with. 

• Smile and be friendly.

If you want to improve your skills, watch the people around you

We agree with this advice from indeed.com: one of the best ways to improve your communication skills is to learn from good communicators around you.

And you can try it right away. 

Pick someone who you think has all the traits of a good communicator — friendly, approachable, easy-to-understand — and watch how they communicate. They could be a teacher you think is brilliant, a relative you like talking to, or even a YouTuber or presenter you admire.

Think about why they’re good. Then ask yourself: 

• How do they make you feel valued as someone who’s listening to them? 

• How do they show they’re listening to other people? 

• How do they get their ideas across in a way everyone understands?

Once you’ve thought about how they do those things, think about whether what they do could help you communicate better. 

For example, if they make an effort to use people’s names often, could you try doing that more? If they speak slowly and carefully so everyone can follow them, could you experiment with speaking slower sometimes? 

If you’re feeling confident, you could even ask an adult you trust or a friend to do a fake job interview with you so you can practise. 

When you see “strong communication skills”, you don’t need to be worried

Instead, try to see it as a helpful tip. It tells you a bit more about what a potential employer wants to hear and see from you when you apply for a job.

Now you know what they expect from you, you can show up in the right mood, be your polite and engaging self, and really show them that you’d be the right person to work for them.