Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills.

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another, whether this be vocally (using voice) written (using printed or digital media such as books, magazines, web-sites and emails) visually (using logos, maps, charts and graphs) or non-verbally (using body language and/or gestures).  How well this information can be transmitted and received is a measure of how good our communication skills are.

Developing your communication skills can help all aspects of your life, from your professional life to social gatherings and everything in between.  The ability to be able to communicate information accurately, clearly and as intended is a vital life skill and something that should not be overlooked.  It’s never too late to work on your communication skills and by doing so improve your quality of life.

Professionally, if you are applying for jobs or looking for a promotion with your current employer, you will need to demonstrate good communication skills. The ability to speak appropriately with a wide variety of people whilst maintaining good eye contact, demonstrate a varied vocabulary and tailor your language to your audience are all essential skills that employers seek. As your career progresses, the importance of communication skills increases; the ability to speak and write with clarity and conciseness is essential for managers and leaders.

Here at SkillsYouNeed you’ll find lots of articles designed to help you understand and improve your communication skills.

You’ll find sections on:

Interpersonal

Interpersonal skills are concerned with face-to-face communications with one or more other people.  As well as verbal communication (i.e. talking) and listening skills you can learn about non-verbal communication methods and ways of communicating in more specific situations, like negotiation, when problem solving and in stressful situations.  When two or more people are together interpersonal communication is inevitable and unavoidable even if no words are spoken and deliberate attempts are made not to communicate.  Through body language, eye-contact (or lack of it) messages are being sent and received.

Presentation

The thought of giving a presentation to a group of people can be very alarming to the novice; even hardened professionals can feel nervous.  Good planning and practice however can help alleviate these fears and enable you to present information clearly ad effectively.  We have step-by-step articles to guide you through giving a presentation.

Writing

Communication skills are not only concerned with the spoken word.  The ability to be able to write clearly and effectively is key to communication, this set of skills should not be limited to journalists or professional authors.  Poor written communication can be frustrating for the reader and potentially damaging for the author – would you buy a product from a website peppered with spelling mistakes?  Browse our articles on writing skills to help understand and overcome common mistakes and improve how you communicate using the written word.