At your current or former place of employment, how important was communication in dealing with others?

"In my previous role, healthy communication was required in order to protect the safety of our employees. We transported dangerous goods, and it was required by our management that we all take specific workshops on communication and documentation. Because of this, my communication skills are exceptionally strong."

"There is not a strong level of communication in my current workplace. This is part of the reason I am seeking alternative employment. I value clear communication. Do you encourage strong communication between employees here?"

Talk to the interviewer about your most recent position and how communication played a part. Acknowledge the importance of clear communication in the workplace. Describe what you contributed to enhancing clearer communication in the workplace. If the communication standards set into practice by your employer were not what you felt they should be, feel free to communicate this diplomatically. Communication is more than getting everyone on the same page. It's about how a message is conveyed. Take care with your choice of words and what they might communicate.

Before your interview, record your voice while you answer some of these questions. Don't write down your answers and read them, but answer them live. Then play it back and write down all of your speech crutches and how many times you used them. Words such as, "Like," "um," "you know," "so on and so forth," "and," "well," "but," "so," "ah," "er," "literally," "actually," and "basically." Once you've identified the speech-crutch words you use the most, practice answering without using those words. Whenever you find yourself struggling against them, just pause instead. This will present you as a clearer communicator and more of a professional.

Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.