Employability Skills and Workplace Communication
This domain tests the communication process, professional writing standards, and the workplace habits employers screen for in interviews.
The communication process
Sender → encoding → channel → receiver → decoding → feedback, with noise (distraction, jargon, poor network) blocking any stage. Types: verbal, non-verbal (tone, posture, eye contact, gesture), written and visual. Active listening means full attention, paraphrasing, clarifying and not interrupting - hearing is merely receiving sound.
The 7 Cs of good communication
Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete and Courteous.
Workplace writing and calls
- Email: specific subject line, proper salutation, short paragraphs, one clear action with a deadline, polite sign-off. Avoid SMS abbreviations and ALL CAPS, which reads as shouting.
- Phone: greet, identify yourself and the organisation, listen, confirm details, summarise, thank the caller.
- Common documents: notice, application, report, minutes of a meeting, resume, cover letter. A resume summarises skills and experience; a cover letter explains why you fit this role.
Employability habits
Punctuality, teamwork, dress code, honesty about deadlines, asking for help early, goal setting, self-management, and keeping personal and official digital channels separate.
Worked example
Rewrite "hey send the file fast!!". Better: Subject - Request: March attendance file by 5 pm today; Body - Dear Ms Roy, Could you please share the March attendance file by 5 pm today so I can complete the report? Thank you. Reasoning: it adds a subject, courtesy, a specific deadline and a reason, so the receiver can act immediately.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing hearing with active listening.
- Forgetting feedback, which is what confirms the message was understood.
- Reply-all or wrong attachment in professional email.
- Using ALL CAPS or chat slang in official writing.
- Treating a cover letter as a copy of the resume.