What your communication style says about you

You might be telling people that you are not trustworthy, decisive or willing to help others—without knowing it.

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How true.

When ZipRecruiter analyzed 250,000 job ads across a variety of industries, it found that 51 percent mentioned communication as a desired skill. No other mention came close. (A college degree, which came in second, was mentioned 21 percent of the time.)

Clearly, communication is king.

Of course, communication is about much more than what we say or how we say it. Communication doesn’t merely transmit facts; it reveals character.

Bucky Keady, vice president of talent management at Time Inc., answers work-related questions at Real Simple magazine. Someone recently asked her: “Whom can you trust in a corporate environment when you’re starting a new job?”

Keady responded that she doesn’t trust anyone in the first six months because, “You really need to see people operate in stressful situations to learn who they are.” She adds: “Pay attention to how people communicate. That can tell you a lot.”

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