communication skills resume

communication skills resume

The Importance of Communication Skills in Crafting an Effective Resume

1. Introduction to Communication Skills in the Job Search Process

As a direct result of the feedback from business and industry, the Texas A&M University – Texarkana faculty placed special emphasis on the development of student communication skills in the business administration departmental assessment plan. The importance of communication skills in the job search process was also discussed in all business courses, generally through direct instruction by the faculty. Growth over time was noted in the faculty assessment of communication skills, as evidenced by improved written assignments, speaking abilities, and related business communication activities. In an attempt to explain this growth, faculty began looking beyond the classroom and to the job search process itself. Since the resume, cover letter, and interview serve as the primary link between the business program and employer, focus shifted to these marketability components. The need for these marketability components to reflect well on the student and the university was deemed as an area where the influence of faculty support was greatly needed. As a first step, full faculty support was requested for the reactivation of a business advisory council.

Students majoring in business administration are required to complete a one-semester course in speech skills, which includes public speaking, job interview, and resume preparation skills. The importance of these communication skills in the job search process has been recognized. According to the College Placement Council, communication/conversational skills consistently rank as the number one attribute desired by employers. In its survey of 272 employers of new employees, the College Placement Council cited communication skills as very or extremely important by 42 percent of the respondents. In fact, basic skills, such as communication skills, rank highest in importance, more so than general business skills and/or leadership skills.

2. Key Communication Skills to Highlight on a Resume

Considering that an effective resume will give a busy hiring person a quick overview of your qualifications, limited space is given to showcase communication skills. Adjectives and adverbs (both forms of descriptive language) should be used extensively in cover letters if earnestness, authenticity, and impact are to become apparent. Out of space? On the job? Of course not. But the brusque, factual, and stiff language of the computer-generated resume is not only lifeless but directs attention away from your most marketable skills. In fact, you may have included some or all of the following key communication skills in your resume but didn’t even know it, thus wasting valuable space by not taking advantage of their added power.

Communication is the key to many things. Being able to speak and write about yourself – well, to actually like writing a cover letter and feel proud of it – is a large step toward persuading a hiring person to give you a job. You are selling something, and to sell something successfully, you have to believe in your product. The first way to project this belief is through your cover letter and resume. And I’m not kidding when I say that communication skills are necessary to foster this self-satisfaction. If you don’t have any or must pull them from deep within, then you are certainly already challenged to write a good cover letter, much less a resume worth reading.

3. Strategies for Showcasing Communication Skills through Resume Content and Formatting

In the twenty-first century, graduates are faced with a complex and difficult job market and need to be skilled in a number of areas, both discipline-specific and generic skills. In particular, communication skills are regarded as fundamental and valued attributes for business students as internationalization, globalization, diversity, and rapid advancements in technology continue to change the nature of business. Furthermore, the practical components of internships undertaken by students before they undertake their fourth-year capstone units highlight communication skills required in these disciplines. Communication skills development is embedded within the curriculum of each of the courses in these majors in stages throughout the three-year degree. A combination of simulations, self-reflection, oral and written reports, business cases, presentations, and group work are employed within and between units. However, only one unit per major, generally in the third year, has a dedicated focus on communication skills.

The evidence across qualitative and quantitative studies points to the importance and value of communication skills for both interns and graduates, and investment in the capability. This paper explores communication skills in the disciplines of marketing, management, human resource management, and tourism students through content analysis of the resume, cover letter, and selection criteria responses. Our findings highlight the importance of written communication receptiveness, expression, coherence, impact, and professional language for selection in the anticipated practical components of either an internship or graduate employment in these discipline areas. This is the first study to track the specific communication skills of business students through recruitment documents to evaluate course content, graduate capabilities, and ensure appropriate graduate attributes are being developed.

4. Case Studies and Examples of Successful Resumes with Strong Communication Skills

Mr. Mussi reveals a story about a quick-thinking student at Cal State University, Northridge, named Guri. Guri had decided at the last minute to participate in an interview for an internship position with Seidman & Seidman. However, one overall problem existed that Guri just couldn’t get around. His school’s Career Placement Office had already locked up the day’s interview schedule on the campus. By chance, Guri ran into a Seidman alumnus in the hall. The student already scheduled for that night’s interview couldn’t go. With swift thinking, Guri offered to babysit for the recruiter’s children and ultimately got the Seidman alumnus’s interview. As you might imagine, the recruiter was extremely impressed by Guri’s initiative. When Mussi learned the entire story about Guri’s effort to get in front of the interviewer, he agreed with the recruiter and scheduled the last-minute interview. Guri, Mussi explains, had presented so much business sense. “That,” Mussi says, “is the type of individual we look for here.” It was also Guri’s communication skills – and definitely not his resume alone – that persuaded Mr. Mussi to go that extra mile.

Overall, case studies and examples provide the most powerful means to illustrate the impact of strong communication skills in crafting an effective resume. Mr. Gregory Mussi, in charge of professional recruiting at Seidman & Seidman/American Express’s Los Angeles office, often presents workshops aimed at college students and accounting professionals. “We stress communication,” explains Mussi. “I let them know the realities of seeking a position. It’s not just a matter of graduating with a 4.0. More importantly, the individual must have presentation skills, along with a polished, effective resume.” When Mussi speaks, he emphasizes the impressive impact a well-written resume can have on potential employers. “We feel here at Seidman,” says Mussi confidently, “that your resume is your calling card. It’s the first impression an individual gives both on paper and in the person responsible for recruiting.”

5. Conclusion: The Impact of Effective Communication Skills on Resume Success

Job seeking is a marketplace of skills. Employees are “selling” their skills and abilities; employers are the customers. Most of your job search will consist of contacting employers. During the rest of your career, you’ll spend a considerable amount of time talking with bosses, co-workers, outsiders, and customers. All of this is talking, one of the central unifying aspects of human behavior. In a 1974 speech, Gerald Ford, the 38th U.S. President, spoke of his understanding of the nature of reality for American political candidates. “But no matter how many speeches I gave, how many flights I made or hands I shook, I lost, and the only explanation I have with respect to the campaign is that my opponent had better communications people…What I learned from that experience,” he commented, “was that while likeness of issues and good intentions are important, successful communications and leadership are more important.” In 1929, Charles Schwab, then the President of U.S. Steel Corporation, was asked by an official of the Bethlehem Steel Company to comment on the importance of the ability to communicate. His only answer was to give the man a check for $25,000 in exchange for one hour of the man’s time in speaking on the topic. Effective communication skills aren’t magic or all that simple. But successful communication does begin with a profound appreciation of and respect for both clear words and intriguing language. Regardless of the style that you select or whatever system you follow, your documents will always be judged by both their content and attention to writing style. The clarity of the language, the organization of information, the correct use of words and grammar, the correct use of composition and design, and the correct choice of media for the channel are the important factors that help your employability documents communicate a favorable message. With so many talented people throughout the world competing for the same jobs, it is absolutely vital that your communication strategy recognize the distinct purposes and investment of time, effort, and resources to produce successful front-line documents in case you face a challenged candidate. Because good communication skills are the most important tie-breaker criteria an employer uses to measure the effectiveness of your employability documents.

A resume and cover letter are your most important sales agents. They are a reflection of both your written and oral communication skills and work hard to get you interviews. To maximize their effectiveness, you must create documents that persuade employers to call you and you must take great care to make certain the contents are accurate, clearly expressed, and free of any errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation. One additional note: Learn from the limitations and inadequacies of using the resume and cover letter alone. Proactive job seekers also enlist the assistance of human resources professionals, job-finding strategies, advocates in the employment process, information specialists, an internship or co-op experience, and promising references. Good communication skills go a long way toward making the job search process more successful.