English Communication Skills: Key to successful interviews

 

“Communication works for those who work at it.” - John Powell

The term Communication comes from the Latin term communicare, which means to share. Communication can be defined as a reciprocation of ideas, insights and information through a variety of mediums which include verbal speech, body language, written documentation, and behavior. The art of appropriate communication plays a vital role on personal and professional fronts. Looking at the professional front, excellent communication skills (spoken and written) help the person achieve laurels and reach the zenith of success. Owing to globalization, English communication skills have gained precedence, and organizations expect their employees to possess excellent spoken and written communication skills.

Communication skills have become a dire need for almost every kind of job around the world. Employers can easily determine an interviewee’s candidature by using particular interview questions pertaining to various contexts and styles. The potential employee status of an interviewee is determined primarily through their ability to communicate as it helps the employers judge the effectiveness of the new potential employee and their overall impact at their workplace. Communication skills questions during interviews aid employers in assessing the level of language comprehension, verbal and non-verbal expressions, and responsiveness during critical situations. There are certain traits of communication skills that interviewers look forward to, which include:

1.     Verbal and Non-verbal cues

2.     Confidence

3.     Empathy

4.     Attitude

5.     Agility

6.     Active listening

Communication skills are applicable to both professional and personal life. In personal life, good communication skills can help improve one’s personal relationships by aiding you to understand your counterpart and to be understood. On the professional front, if you are looking for jobs or applying for promotions, you will most certainly necessitate exhibiting good communication skills. Communication skills can also guarantee that you are able to deal with interactions with various businesses and organisations efficiently. During job interviews, good communication skills become vital as the interviewee can showcase and convince the interviewer of their candidature and assure that they possess the required skills to become a perfect fit for the position and the organisation. Good communication skills become the make-it-or-break-it factor during interviews. Lack of these skills thwarts one’s goal to secure the dream job, as putting your skills into words with clarity and confidence is missing.

Effective communication is crucial to all phases of an interview, starting from persuading the interviewer about your candidature to showcasing your abilities or strengths, which can contribute significantly towards the success of the organisation. These crucial contributions can not only prove one’s worth but establish the ability to be an asset for the organisation and consequently cement one’s claim in the interview. With the onset of cut-throat competition in the job market, candidates need to be more aware of embedding a lasting and impressive image in front of the recruiter to ensure one’s claim for the job, which is sought after by multiple candidates. Thus, English communication skills have become a much-needed trait aside from your degree during job interviews owing to their multiple benefits and aid in polishing one’s overall personality.

Mr. SUNNY KUMAR

Assistant Professor

(English Language & Communication Skills)