Communication skills for your CV

Communication skills are vital in the workplace, so employers want to see them in your CV.

But which are the most in-demand communication skills?

And how do you express them in your CV?

I’ve included a list of 29 valuable communication skills here, and given you an example of how you can include each one in your own CV, to become more attractive to employers.

 

 

The key communication skills needed for your CV can be broken down into the following categories:

  • Writing skills, e.g. copywriting and reporting
  • Verbal skills, e.g. interviewing and sales
  • In-person skills, e.g. networking and presenting
  • Listening skills, e.g. feedback and analysis

 

 

Written communication skills for CV

 

Copywriting

The art of writing compelling copy for websites, adverts, books, menus etc is a vital tool for businesses to communicate with their customers, so adding any copywriting experience to your CV will be beneficial.

E.g.

“Writing copy for website sales pages, post leaflets and all company merchandise”

 

 

Email

Email is an essential tool in the modern workplace, so the ability to communicate via email is a must-have skill for most roles.

E.g.

“Sending regular email newsletters to managers and stakeholders”

 

 

Report writing

Senior management rely on accurate reports to make important decisions – if you have any report writing experience, you should demonstrate it on your CV.

E.g.

“Creating and distributing reports on production levels for senior management team”

 

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Preparing proposals

Many businesses and public sector organisations rely on well written bids or proposals to secure clients and work, so bid writing is a sought-after talent.

E.g.

“Preparing bids for multiple projects and submitting to clients, with a 75% success rate”

 

 

CV structure

 

 

Article writing

Content is crucial for businesses who are hoping to build their brand and strengthen their online presence. As such, blog and article writing is an important skill to have on your CV.

E.g.

“Researching and creating engaging articles for the company blog”

 

 

Headline writing

In today’s society we’re used to consuming a lot of information, quickly, which means headlines must be short and snappy in order to attract attention, making headline writing an impressive skill.

 

E.g.

“Carefully crafting strong and eye-catching headlines for all written content”

 

 

Creating official documents

From appraisals to legal contracts and everything in between, being able to produce official documentation is a desirable skill in many roles.

E.g.

“Creating professionally formatted, accurate contracts for every client”

 

 

Editing written work

Editing is a vital skill for making sure any content your team creates is correct, concise and conveys the right message. This desirable skills proves to employers you have good attention to detail.

E.g.

“Proofreading and editing all work to produce strong and grammatically correct copy”

 

 

 

 

Proficiency in Microsoft Office

Many businesses use the Microsoft Office suite and require you to use at least one of these programmes regularly, so it’s a good skill to add to your CV.

E.g.

“Proficient in Microsoft Office suite, including Excel and PowerPoint”

 

 

Coding

Digital skills are becoming increasingly in demand, so if you’ve got coding skills these can really help to make your CV stand out from other applicants.

E.g.

“Using code to update the company website and improve functionality”

 

 

Technical drawing

Technical drawing is a very effective way of communicating ideas visually, so highlighting this skill on your CV can boost your chances.

E.g.

“Communicating ideas to the team through technical drawings”

 

 

Verbal communication skills for CV

 

Customer service

Whether you’re talking over the phone or in person, customer service is an important transferable skill that you can apply to a number of roles.

E.g.

“Dealing with customers on a daily basis, addressing their problems or queries”

 

 

Sales

There’s an element of sales in many roles and these skills prove that you’re target driven and able to communicate effectively with clients. So be sure to include this on your CV and quantify your results where possible.

E.g.

“Increased my client base by 25% in one year, ensuring that I exceeded my annual target by 45%”

 

 

Relationship building

Be it with your co-workers or customers, almost every role out there will require you to build relationships in order to do your job effectively, so demonstrate this skill on your application.

E.g.

“Meeting with clients to discuss their needs and ensure they’re getting the most from our service”

 

 

Negotiation

Negotiation skills are about working together to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. As such, employers value this skill on your CV.

E.g.

“Negotiating with vendors to secure the best prices, cutting costs by 35% annually”

 

 

Persuasion

Persuasion is a desirable skill in any role as it means you can communicate your point of view effectively and talk others round to your way of thinking.

E.g.

“Putting forward a strong case to my managers which led to changing suppliers and saving money”

 

 

Call handling

Many roles will require you to use the telephone in one way or another, so it’s a good idea to demonstrate that you’re confident on the phone.

E.g.

“Politely assisting callers with any queries they had, trying to solve issues as quickly as possible”

 

 

In-person communication skills for CV

 

Delivering presentations

Giving a presentation requires confident vocal skills and clear and concise communication. This makes it a very desirable skill to have on your CV.

E.g.

“Delivering informative presentations at the weekly management meetings”

 

 

Public speaking

Public speaking can make even the most successful professional feel nervous, but employers value those who can confidently communicate their message to others.

E.g.

“Hosting seminars at industry events to share the latest trends with industry peers”

 

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Networking

Networking is a key skill throughout your career, as such employers want to know that you’ll be able to utilise and grow your network during your time with their company.

E.g.

“Joining discussions and connecting with industry peers both online and in person”

 

 

Interviewing

There are a number of reasons you may have to interview someone and it shows employers that you’re a confident and effective communicator if this skill is listed on your CV.

E.g.

“Interviewing local celebrities for my personal podcast”

 

 

Mediation

Having the patience and skill to mediate a situation proves that you’re an effective listener and able to calmly help reach an amicable agreement. Making this an impressive skill for your CV.

E.g.

“Stepping in to resolve disputes when colleagues are unable to reach a decision on monthly rotas”

 

 

Social skills

Social skills are needed for interacting and communicating with others, both colleagues and customers. So be sure to include this teamwork skill on your CV.

E.g.

“Taking part in weekly team meetings, sharing and reviewing new ideas with one another”

 

 

Coaching

Being a coach or mentor to others, whether in the workplace or in your private life is a very desirable skill that employers look out for.

E.g.

“Training and overseeing new members of the team during their induction”

 

 

Motivation

Both self-motivation and motivating others is important for morale, so many employers will look for this skill in a potential new hire.

E.g.

“Sending positive and inspirational emails to those in the team, especially when they’ve had an exceptional month”

 

 

Listening communication skills for CV

 

Gathering requirements

In order to achieve the best results you must be able to gather a list of all the requirements before beginning a project. Including this on your CV proves you’re proactive and organised.

E.g.

“Ensuring detailed plans were signed off by clients before beginning each project”

 

 

Gathering feedback

Feedback helps us to improve… Which is something that is crucial for businesses. As such, employers like to see this skill on your application.

E.g.

“Creating and circulating online surveys to clients in order to gather their feedback”

 

 

Following instructions

In order to follow instructions you need to be a good listener, something every employer wants in their team, so add this to your CV.

E.g.

“Taking detailed notes and following all instructions to achieve the desired results”

 

 

Analysis

Analysis is the ability to read data and spot trends and anomalies – it’s essential for improving performance. Therefore, it’s a good idea to include this under your skill section.

E.g.

“Using Google Analytics to track customer journeys and spot areas that need to be improved”

 

Listing communication skills on your CV

Communication skills are so important for every role, so you need to include them on your CV.

But more than this, you also need to demonstrate how you’ve applied these skills in the past.

Use our list above to help you choose the most applicable communication skills for you.

Your most in-demand skills should be highlighted in your profile (or personal statement) as well as your role descriptions, to show recruiters how you can apply them in the workplace.

If you’re still unsure, check out some of our CV samples for more inspiration.

Good luck with the job search!