Achievement and Proof Statements

As a future applicant you need to become aware of the expectations of recruiters when applying for a certain position. Similar to anticipating what questions the interviewer will ask, you have the responsibility to determine what specific communication skills are necessary for a position and how the employer will assess those skills.

Research validates the fact that both oral and written communication skills are important regardless of organization size. However, while requiring communication skills, the prospective employers' description of those skills is often limited to general phrasing without indicating specific skills, as for example: “the candidate should possess good and excellent communication skills”.

Writing ability is assessed when reading the resume and cover letter. Additionally, oral communication skills are evaluated in telephone discussions as well as in formal job interviews. The formal interview is also used to assess your presentation and nonverbal skills.

Altogether, before applying for a potential job, think about the expectations of an employer regarding the communication skills needed by that position and use them whenever possible, to convince your would-be-employer/interviewer about your communication qualifications.

Do not forget about how nonverbal cues influence your verbal messages. Also, keep in mind that the aspect of assessing communication skills also involves examining the applicant’s use of communication technology. Most often than not, the company evaluates a manager’s choice of communication mediums to determine if the most appropriate channel was selected for specific messages.

1. For finding out which communication competencies are required by the positions of accountant, sales representative, manager, IT specialist or marketing specialist, rank in order of importance the oral and written business communication skills listed in the left hand column of the following table. Use a set of 1 to 5 stars to categorise the skills.

Business communication skills Positions

Oral verbal and nonverbal communication skills used for: Accountant Sales rep Manager IT specialist Marketing

specialist

following instructions

listening skills *****

conversational skills

giving feedback

communicating with the public

meeting skills

presentation skills

handling customer complaints

conflict resolution skills

negotiation skills

taking customer orders

teaching/instructing skills

interviewing skills

Written communication skills used for producing: Accountant Sales rep Manager IT specialist Marketing

specialist

letters of request

project summary letters

client engagement letters

memos

e-mails

status reports

business plans

final project reports

2. Comment on your findings. If you want, complete them with information included in the job descriptions coming in the next section. Which position requires more communication skills?

3. Get organized in groups of three to five learners. State who plays which role, who is going to apply for which job, and who is assessing the written application (if the candidates choose to write a letter of application) or the oral performance of the interviewees.

Instructions for the applicants

No matter how skilled you may be, those skills will not lead to a job if potential employers do not know that you have them. So, the best thing is to provide concrete, detailed support to demonstrate the skills you posses. If you declare certain achievements, you must prove what you assert. What you have to do is identify your skills and articulate them in proof statements that are supported by detailed examples. Such achievement statements can be used in application letters as well as in interviews.