When you are searching for a job, demonstrating strong communication skills is essential, yet most people understand this concept superficially. The Weston Career Center put together this checklist for students looking to improve their business communication skills:

Know your audience

Whether you are writing a letter, interviewing, or presenting, the number one rule of business communication is to know the audience—the people who will be receiving your communication. Let’s put this into the context of looking for a job: Research the company. In addition to reading the company’s website, find out about the culture, and learn about its specific business problems. It is hiring people who can solve business problems. What do you have to offer the company? Also, do you fit with its culture?

Go beyond basic research, and use a little psychology. That recruiter you’re talking with has been flying around the country talking with one person after another, day after day. Can you put yourself in that person’s shoes? He or she wants to talk with an interesting and confident person who’s ideal to work with and who stands out from the crowd. You’ve made his or her day if you turn out to be the right person to bring in for a second interview.

In the cover letter and interview, briefly convey your knowledge of the company, and communicate information that demonstrates your fit with the company and the advertised position.

Know yourself

You can’t effectively communicate what you have to offer an organization if you don’t know your own talents, strengths, and weaknesses. To effectively differentiate and sell yourself, know what makes you unique. In the cover letter and the interview, prove with examples and results that you have skills to help business professionals solve their business problems.

Prepare

Good presenters and writers prepare in advance. They rehearse their presentations and tweak their writing until they feel their messages are clear and compelling. Even if you are a charmer, no one will be impressed if you demonstrate little preparation for the interview. For interviews, predict the questions you could be asked, prepare for them, and practice answering them.

In letters, customize your message for that particular audience.

Be concise and organized

You’ve heard that time is money. That’s why businesspeople won’t have patience for a disorganized and wordy paragraph or a rambling answer during an interview. Avoid wordiness. Consider whether headings, subheadings, and bullets in your written correspondence will help the busy reader easily navigate your message. In general, make the first sentence of each paragraph the main point, and then support that point.

Be accurate and truthful

If someone discovers you’ve lied, you’ll lose your credibility. Proofread, or you’ll be perceived as someone who doesn’t pay attention to details.

Know when to listen and when to talk

Good communicators have different personalities. Some are outgoing, and some are thoughtful listeners. The best communicators can listen to the other person and keep a conversation going.

One strategy for keeping a conversation flowing is to demonstrate interest by asking good open-ended questions.

Really listen, and you’ll learn a lot about the job and the company.