Communication skills in the CV

Whether you have decided to use a curriculum in European format, or if you are oriented towards another type of model, it is very useful to insert a section for your skills , be they technical, digital or communication skills. In this article we want to talk to you about the latter. If you are reading this, you are probably well on your way with your CV and just need to finish a few sections. If the skills and competences section scares you, because you don’t know how to fill it, don’t worry and keep reading to find lots of new ideas.

You can insert your communication skills, even if you do not use the Europass curriculum but another format: even if you do not have to describe your skills in a discursive way as in the case of the European format curriculum vitae, you can, in any case, insert your skills in a synthetic way, for example through a bulleted list.

Even if the CV must be concise and not too long, you can still make room to insert your communication skills.

At this point, if not you already know, you are surely wondering what these communication skills are!

Communication skills are a very important part of the curriculum vitae, but how to understand how to indicate them correctly, and above all, which ones to choose? Let’s see it together!

What are communication skills?

Communication skills are part of the transversal skills group of candidates: they are not part of the skills and competences sections in the CV that are normally considered mandatory, however they have the ability to make a difference! But are you sure you know exactly what we’re talking about?

Communication skills are to be defined as those skills that allow a person to understand when to talk, what to talk about, in what way and with what tone, and when it is better to keep silent. It is therefore a very important transversal competence and which cannot be learned at school, but which is absolutely necessary and essential in a multitude of jobs. Having adequate communication skills will help you to have your say in meetings or during discussions with colleagues.

Knowing how to communicate in a polite way, but at the same time in an engaging and persuasive way, it is a skill highly valued on the curriculum vitae, which you must not only write but also know how to demonstrate.

How? During the interview, of course. But not only that: these skills can also be demonstrated in the curriculum vitae, using a concise and precise writing style. If you need more space to introduce yourself, you can also attach a cover letter to your CV.

Other communication skills

Good communication skills are probably the most common communication skills in CVs: but we have news for you, it’s not a real communication skill! In fact, said so, it means nothing. When it comes to communication skills, we need to go into real detail and indicate skills. If you have no clear ideas, or you need some ideas, we leave you a list of communication skills:

• • Public Speaking
  • Good writing skills

Excellent non-verbal language skills

• Grammatical and lexical mastery
• Storytelling skills
• Empathy and listening skills
• Ability to summary

For each of these, don’t forget to indicate concrete examples of how you acquired them, in what way and during what experience.

We just have to wish you good luck with your candidacy!

How to express your communication skills on the CV

The communication skills in the CV must be included in a concise and detailed way, but not only.

We must avoid in all ways of being banal and we must avoid the usual standard and super obvious phrases as excellent communication skills!

It is not enough to write that you have excellent skills communication to be able to demonstrate that you really have them: it seems obvious, but it is not! So how do you demonstrate your communication skills?

Examples of communication skills

How to fill in the area concerning communication skills?

For each communication skill mentioned, it is also necessary to clarify and define in what context it was acquired. They don’t have to be all examples that come from your professional experiences, communication skills can be developed in any area!

Here are some examples of how to express yourself at best.

• Attitude to listening acquired thanks to the experience of volunteering at …
• Excellent communication-relational skills acquired thanks to the experience of commercial at the company …
• Resilience and excellent ability to adapt thanks to the attendance of multicultural environments.
• Attitude to contact with customers, acquired during the experience as a salesman at …
• Excellent communication and relational skills developed in the university environment.

It is also very important to enhance one’s communication skills in a functional way for the job we are looking for.

Example of communication skills in the Europass CV

If you want to fill in the communication skills area in the cv in European format, you will also have to use a certain type of language. Here is an example of how to write this section: