Communication Skills: Resume Tips and Examples

The top 5 communication skills: Examples and best practices

Communication skills are the different capabilities that allow us to express ourselves and understand others. This includes writing an email, having a casual in-person conversation, or even using subtle body language to negotiate a sales deal.

You can see varied communication abilities in diverse professionals. Our resume examples show how project managers must communicate with stakeholders, HR professionals must mediate conflict between employees, and customer service agents must empathize with clients and solve problems.

Let’s take a look at the four main types of communication skills.

Verbal

Verbal skills use spoken language. This category contains many smaller skills, including:

• Inflection: Consciously using accurate tone and pitch helps you convey your meaning quickly.
• Enunciation: The ability to speak clearly ensures that others easily understand you and your words.
• Professional vocabulary: Using the right terminology for your industry and working etiquette displays professionalism and knowledge.
• Conciseness: Getting your point across in fewer words increases efficiency and helps people understand you with less back-and-forth.

While verbal skills are most important for client-facing roles, they’re also vital for anyone who normally holds presentations or attends business meetings.

Nonverbal

Nonverbal communication is expressed through your body and face without using words. This includes:

• Body language: Subtle gestures like keeping your head up and having a firm handshake, convey confidence and respect.
• Hand gestures: Keep your hands and arms open and avoid nervous fidgeting to show you’re friendly and approachable.
• Facial expressions: Maintain a confident smile, and don’t be afraid to laugh, but don’t get too casual and humorous.
• Eye contact: Maintaining eye contact is important, but be mindful of company culture. Western organizations prize eye contact as a sign of respect, while Asian companies believe intense eye contact is rude.
• Appearance: How you dress and maintain your appearance says a lot without words. Always dress professionally, maintain proper hygiene, and keep a straight posture.

How do you convey these skills to potential employers? During a job interview, maintain a straight posture, a friendly expression, and nod as the interviewer speaks. This shows your engagement and interest in a subtle, professional way.

Written

Written communication is how we express ourselves and understand others through written words. This includes:

• Typing: The ability to quickly and accurately write using a keyboard.
• Reading comprehension: Understanding the written word of others and correctly interpreting the meaning.
• Handwritten text: The ability to write clear, readable handwritten text isn’t as necessary as it was traditionally, but many roles still need it, such as teachers and assistants for small businesses.
• Checking for grammatical errors: Reviewing written text and scanning for grammar and consistency errors isn’t just for editors. This skill helps you write better emails, reports, and instant messages.

Every role uses written communication in some regard, as we all use group chat, emails, and quick reminders. However, digital communication as a separate skill requires its own section – we’ll go into that next.

Digital communication

Digital communication is vital in the modern working world, helping us manage asynchronous relationships, understand video call etiquette, and use messaging best practices. While digital communication can overlap with other types, like written and verbal, it’s important enough to merit its own section. Here are some top digital communication skills:

• Mastering tone: Most digital communication is written, so it’s important to properly convey your tone without sound. Use phrases like “please” and “thank you” to show positivity, and in casual companies, don’t be afraid to use emojis occasionally.
• Video call body language: Etiquette on video calls is a little different than in-person conversations. You may need slightly exaggerated motions and expressions so they’re noticeable over video. If you want to maintain eye contact, remember to look at your webcam, not your screen.
• Strong asynchronous communication: If you work with an asynchronous team, it’s important to know how to provide the right details and attachments so the recipient has everything they need to respond. Without all the information, it could take an entire extra day to get the message across.
• Concise messaging: People prize succinct emails and messages. Keep things brief and provide only the necessary information without being blunt or rude.

Let’s expand on that last point. Here’s an example of a good email:

This message is quick – it’s only a single paragraph – but it’s informative and courteous. Start honing your digital communication with emails. It’s likely that you write them every day, so it’s a good place to practice.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence directly impacts the success of your communication and relationships, as it helps us understand and work with others. For example, a manager who senses growing tension between teammates acts as a mediator to defuse the situation and increase teamwork.

Here are the top skills related to emotional intelligence:

• Self-awareness: Understanding your own thoughts and behaviors helps you adjust your workstyle and reactions. This also helps you acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses, helping you grow professionally.
• Empathy: Seeing situations from another person’s perspective helps you resolve conflict, build relationships, and solve problems.
• Active listening: Knowing how to ask probing questions helps you understand what people say, and showing people you hear them makes them feel valued.
• Emotional regulation: Identifying your own emotions helps you manage them in a healthy way and stay professional, leading to stronger working relationships and increased efficiency.

It’s easy to boost your emotional intelligence through mindfulness. For example, re-read emails before you send them and consider how the other person could perceive them. Tweak the language until you believe it reads like you mean it.

How to highlight communication skills on your resume (with examples)

How do you write a polished resume and accurately showcase your communication skills? Provide real examples and scenarios using quantified achievements.

This is best done in the Work Experience section. In each work entry, add a bullet list of accomplishments – don’t just list responsibilities. Describe past situations and achievements with the STAR method, using measurable metrics to give them tangible impact. Here’s a before-and-after comparison of weak and strong resume achievements:

This clarity not only displays your skills and shows the recruiter the impact your communication has on your work, but it also helps you resume pass applicant tracking systems (ATS). Describing your achievements in depth allows you to use vital keywords from the job description, showing the company’s ATS that your application is relevant and high priority.

Determine the relevant communication skills for the job

If communication skills are essential for your dream job, it’s likely that adding “Communication Skills” won’t be enough. It’s vital to study the job description of your desired role and consider which communication skills are important and relevant, giving you essential data to inform your resume and make it stand out.

Let’s say you’re applying for a customer service manager position. This role needs verbal skills to speak with customers and teammates, written skills to create training programs and schedules, and interpersonal skills to manage conflict and solve problems.

If possible, it’s also important to include your skill level in these abilities. Determine how skilled you are with body language and concise speech by asking friends, taking online tests, or simply using your best judgment.

Adding relevant communication skills to your resume speaks volumes to recruiters. Hiring managers are trained to look for the strongest candidate out of hundreds, so they’ll look for powerful details over generic statements. 

Personalizing your resume and adding relevant details is one of the main ways to stand out from the crowd. Check out our collection of resume articles for more tips on tailoring your resume.

Industry-specific communication skills: What matters most in your field

While communication skills are important in every role, different industries prioritize different competencies. In healthcare, patience and clarity are essential, while in sales, negotiation and product knowledge help close more deals.

Here’s a summary of crucial communication skills and why they’re important, based on industry:

“Hiring managers are trained to look for the strongest candidate out of hundreds, so they’ll look for powerful details over generic statements.”

6 tips and tricks for displaying top-tier communication skills

Let’s take a look at some actionable best practices for showcasing powerful communication skills. These tips take your communication to the next level and help you stand out from the crowd.

Highlight communication skills with different resume formats

Adapt your approach depending on your resume format. Different structures call for different techniques, and using the right tactics helps you correctly showcase your skills. 

Here are the most common resume formats and how to successfully show your communication skills:

• Reverse-chronological resume: Chronological resumes rely heavily on work experience. Focus your effort on your work entries, using measurable metrics to describe past achievements that show your communication abilities.
• Functional resume: This is a skills-based resume, so detail your communication abilities in a descriptive Skills section at the top of the resume. Provide in-depth answers about previous accomplishments from different roles and projects.
• Hybrid resume: Combination resumes focus on work history and skills equally, so spread your communication skills between both sections.

Use detailed terms to make an ATS-friendly resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) search for a variety of communication-related terms, not just general words like “communication.” Read the job description thoroughly, see what the employer expects, and tailor your resume to match. Here are some creative communication terms to consider and look out for:

• Verbal terms: “Presented,” “Negotiated,” “Mediated,” and “Aligned.”
• Nonverbal terms: “Showed,” “Connected,” “Engaged,” and “Conveyed.”
• Written terms: “Drafted,” “Proofread,” “Edited,” and “Published.”
• Digital communication terms: “Implemented,” “Moderated,” “Streamlined,” and “Composed.”
• Emotional intelligence terms: “Empathized,” “Collaborated,” “Mentored,” and “Listened.”

Communicate your skills with a strong resume

Show, don’t tell. A well-written resume is a subtle but powerful way to convey your communication skills to the hiring manager. Consider these tips:

• Use an organized layout: Proper use of white space and bullet points immediately conveys professionalism and clarity.
• Write your resume succinctly: Adding irrelevant information or overwhelming the recruiter shows poor communication skills. Be brief but informative.
• Take advantage of bullet points: Organize your work entries and skills with bullet lists. This improves readability, helps recruiters scan your resume, and shows you know how to convey yourself.
• Discuss relevant skills: By adding the right skills and experience, you can demonstrate a thorough understanding of the job ad. Adding relevant achievements shows that you can read and comprehend long descriptions.

Understand different communication levels

Different roles require unique levels of communication, and it’s important to distinguish them. Here are four tiers of communication so you can accurately showcase basic to advanced competencies:

Avoid resume red flags

Just as a well-written resume shows good communication skills, certain red flags do the opposite. Here are a few common resume mistakes and how to avoid them:

• Bold claims without proof: Simply listing generic abilities like “communication skills” or “writing skills” doesn’t tell recruiters much. Ensure you use measurable achievements and tell real stories.
• Failing to use active language: Avoid statements like “Responsible for handling sales prospects.” Write in the active voice to boost interest. For example: “Engaged with sales prospects and increased conversion rates by 15%.”
• Avoid buzzwords: Technical jargon and corporate terms don’t communicate your point clearly, so keep your language simple. Ask a friend to proofread your resume, as it’s easy to use common buzzwords without noticing.
• Irrelevant information: Even if you have an impressive work history, don’t include it if it isn’t relevant. Only add experience that aligns with the job description to show you read it thoroughly.

Frame soft skills as hard skills

Many soft skills are linked to hard skills, and identifying them improves your resume immediately. Hard skills are usually easier to quantify and make a greater impact on the hiring manager. Here are a few examples:

• Project management software: Assigning tasks and tagging teammates is a strong digital communication skill, and framing it as a hard skill gives it the gravity it deserves.
• Content writing: While writing skills can be soft, knowing how to provide the right details and use SEO best practices are vital technical skills.
• Public speaking: Many people possess verbal communication skills, but public speaking is a separate skill that shows the ability to guide and influence others.
• Customer service abilities: Customer service skills are a broad skill set that involves patience, empathy, product knowledge, and handling challenging customers.
• Presentation: Translating complex ideas and answering unique questions is crucial for giving a presentation, giving it a unique edge above soft skills.

Showcase communication skills during job interviews

Once you have a winning resume, you’ll need to focus on proving communication skills during your interview. Job interviews are an excellent time to show your verbal, nonverbal, and emotional intelligence abilities.

We recommend describing your experience with the STAR method. This framework describes the Situation, Task, Action, and Result of your achievements, which puts the interviewer in your shoes and helps them understand the impact of your actions. It also shows them how your experience relates to their open role.

Here’s a sample interview answer to highlight communication skills:

We recommend practicing interview role-play to hone these skills. Ask a friend to play interviewer and go through a few scenarios with them. You can also have small role-play sessions with AI software to practice framing your experience accurately and positively.

How to improve your communication skills

Show your commitment to continuous improvement and strive to boost your communication skills. This not only strengthens your professional abilities but also gives you more points to add to your resume – online courses and certifications are a great addition.

Try these methods to improve your communication skills:

• Active practice: Everyday conversations and emails give you real-world practice. Summarize what someone just said to practice active listening and carefully review messages before you send them to hone digital communication.
• Take online courses: There are many courses on Coursera and LinkedIn that can help improve communication. They’re affordable and informative, and many of them offer certificates you can add to your application.
• Use free resources: Read articles, subscribe to newsletters, and watch TED Talks on YouTube for limitless free resources that enhance your communication skills.
• Self-assess your skills: Regularly evaluate your skills with online quizzes and assessments to check your progress.

Related to the last point, gauge your communication skills today with our self-assessment checklist. Answer each of these with “Yes” or “No,” and use our scoring system below to check your skills.

• I clearly express my ideas in professional conversations.
• I adjust my language based on the listener.
• I actively listen and ask follow-up questions.
• I use positive body language and show active interest.
• My digital communication is clear, professional, and concise.
• I stay calm when handling conflict.
• I confidently speak in meetings and interviews.
• I understand how to adapt communication while using digital platforms.
• I appreciate and seek feedback on my communication skills
• I resolve disagreements by considering unique perspectives and finding solutions.

Scoring:

8 - 10 “Yes”: You’re a strong communicator, but never stop improving.

5 - 7 “Yes”: A great foundation. Keep learning and growing.

0 - 4 “Yes”: Devote time to focus and improve your communication.

Common communication mistakes and how to avoid them

Improve your communication skills further by actively avoiding common mistakes. Here are some popular communication pitfalls and how to fix them:

• Pay attention to workplace etiquette: Identify workplace communication mistakes and work to eliminate them. For example, scan your emails for corporate jargon and avoid interrupting others during meetings.
• Type out full phrases: Avoid overusing abbreviations. Occasionally, using short-hands like “FYI” is acceptable, but it’s best to type out the full phrase most of the time.
• Always follow-up: It’s good work etiquette to always follow up on messages and emails. It’s normal to take a few business days, but make sure you never forget to answer someone.
• Addressing issues: Don’t avoid problems and let them fester. Talk to people and bring up issues before they get worse.

Do’s and don’ts for adding communication skills to resumes

Let’s finish with a few best practices for adding communication skills to your resume. These tips are a handy list of do’s and don’ts you can keep in your back pocket whenever you brush up your resume.

Bookmark this page so you have a quick reference to these top tactics whenever you need them. This is a great addition to your job-seeking toolbox so you can convey your excellent communication skills on every resume you craft.

Display your communication skills with pride

Every job needs some type of communication – which ones do you need? Use our tips to convey your expertise in verbal, nonverbal, written, and interpersonal skills in your next resume. Just remember the following:

• Read the job description and tailor your resume to match
• Include mentions of your communication skills in your skills section, resume summary, and work experience
• Quantify your communication skills to show their impact
• Be as descriptive as possible and avoid vague phrasing

Let’s put these tips to use right away. Hop over to CVwizard’s Resume Builder and use our attractive templates to put your communication skills on display.