What have you done to improve your written and verbal communication skills?
The interviewer wants to know that you put effort into enhancing your communication, regardless of your professional experience level. Discuss your preferred methods for honing your verbal and written communication skills. You can also discuss how you utilize your new skills in the workplace. If you have noticed a marked improvement from your efforts, be sure to mention this improvement.
"To improve my verbal communication skills, I attend meetings with a group of international residents in the county and have discussions with them over several topics. I have also been an active member of a photography club where we share information about new techniques and tricks for improving our skills. Apart from that, I attend webinars related to payroll that improve my language skills while keeping me updated on important industry and regulatory changes."
"Clear communication has been one of my keys to success during school and my recent internship. To continually improve, I use mixed written communication methods while connecting with my leaders and peers. To enhance my verbal communication skills, I recently joined Toastmasters. So far, I have gained a lot of confidence when presenting to small groups."
In my current position, some of the employees were struggling with understanding the timesheet and payroll system. So I updated the written instructions and I tested it on several people including new and existing employees to gather their feedback. This allowed me to improve my written skills in a hands-on way.
I also created and presented a webinar for employees who learn more visually. After the webinar, the employees completed a survey and rated the experience. I was given an 8 out of 10. However, it was their written comments that helped me improve even more on my verbal skills moving forward.
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.
Anonymous Answer
I'm naturally shy, yet I purposely minored in journalism while in college. So I was required to study many verbal communication courses and participate in a number of group assignments where each participant's input was crucial to successfully pass the course. In my current role as operations manager for a major financial institution, I have been required to attend training courses alongside many of my colleagues from upper-level management and market leadership. So whenever the opportunity would present itself I would connect with those colleagues and exchange information and ideas about new information, techniques, or just any overall advice pertaining to how to achieve the career goals I'd set for myself.
Stephanie's Feedback
Great! It sounds like you've worked hard to overcome your growth edges in this area. This is a well-rounded and thoughtful response, however, I suggest adding a closing sentence that explicitly states your confidence in your ability to execute written and verbal communication skills effectively in this role.
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