One of the best ways to land a job is to show great communication skills to your prospective employers. Why? First, good communication skills are important to almost all jobs. You need to communicate clearly. Second, many employers look at the job search process to see examples of how well you communicate.
If you felt your communication skills were less than stellar when you began your job search, don’t worry. You can keep working on them with these 4 methods.
Write a cover letter telling them why you want the job.
Many folks send out cover letters that are one-size-fits-all – meaning that every employer gets essentially the same standard letter.
But the cover letters that stand out are the ones that showed a specific reason or two why you really want to work with this company, in this position. It could be a personal reason, like your grandfather worked there or you’re moving nearby. Or it could be a job-related reason, like the ability to develop your skills.
Write a resume letting them know you can do the job.
What’s on a resume can be a little too boilerplate. Resumes need to be tailored to specific job postings. Always. You need to highlight key qualifications and requirements in every job posting. Then, tailor your resume to emphasize what a given company is looking for.
Let’s say that one posting, for Company A, mentions “punctuality” among its required qualifications, but Company B. Being on time is highly important to Company A. Perhaps they are having trouble finding punctual employees.
If you won an award for always being on time at a past employer, do you sit on those laurels? No! For that particular employer, you add that award as an achievement.
Practice answers to standard interview questions.
It’s not uncommon to be nervous during interviews. If you’re stressed, you may be giving nervous, halting answers.
There’s a communications solution! Practice your answers to common interview questions before the interview. Some common interview questions are:
- Why do you want this job?
- Tell me about yourself.
- What’s your greatest strength?
- What’s your greatest weakness?
The best answers to these always tell the interview why you could do the job. “Tell me about yourself” is not an invitation to go into your love of hiking or music. The answer needs to be something to do with the job at hand.
Hint: never answer with an actual weakness. The best answer is something that once was a weakness but has since fixed in a way that will heighten your capacity to do the job.
Send a thank-you e-mail.
Communicating through e-mail is common in companies. You want to let them know that you can write a clear, grammatically well-done e-mail. The best way to show that? Write an e-mail after the interview thanking them for their time and reiterating that you feel you have excellent qualifications for the job.
Looking for a New Job?
At Expert Staffing, we match talented people with jobs that allow them to grow, develop and thrive. To learn more about potentially great positions in your field, contact us today.
