“Strong communication skills” in a job context is one of the most commonly listed but vaguely defined requirements. Here’s a raw, no-fluff breakdown of what it actually means, both in general and in specific workplace scenarios:

🔹 1. Verbal Communication (Speaking)

This means you can:

  • Clearly explain your ideas in a way that others (tech or non-tech) understand.
  • Speak confidently in meetings, interviews, presentations, or casual convos.
  • Know when to speak and when to let others speak (respect turn-taking).
  • Avoid mumbling, filler words ("uh", "like", "you know"), or speaking too fast.
  • Adapt tone/language depending on who you're talking to — e.g., manager vs teammate vs client.

📌 Real-world example:

Explaining a bug to your PM without jargon like “segfault in multithreaded context due to race condition” — instead, you say:

"There’s a timing issue when two actions happen at once. We're working on a fix so it doesn’t crash unexpectedly."

🔹 2. Written Communication

This means:

  • Writing clear, concise emails, messages, or documentation.
  • Not writing walls of text; using bullet points, headings, summaries.
  • Keeping tone professional or appropriate (even in Slack or Discord).
  • Using correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling (no “txt” style writing).

📌 Real-world example:

When creating documentation, you explain a setup process in steps that even a new intern can follow, without ambiguity.

🔹 3. Listening Skills (Part of Communication Too)

It’s not just about talking or writing — it’s about processing what others say:

  • Letting someone finish before responding.
  • Not interrupting.
  • Asking follow-up questions to clarify, instead of pretending to understand.
  • Repeating back or paraphrasing to confirm: “So you’re saying we should deploy only after QA signs off?”

🔹 4. Non-verbal Communication

This includes:

  • Body language — eye contact, posture, facial expressions.
  • Tone of voice — not sounding sarcastic or aggressive when not intended.
  • Active listening signals — nodding, saying “got it”, “makes sense”, etc.

📌 Even in remote settings (Zoom), this matters. Blank face, no camera, monotone voice = bad communication vibes.

🔹 5. Team & Cross-functional Communication

You’ll likely talk to:

  • Teammates (developers, designers)
  • Non-technical stakeholders (managers, clients)
  • Other departments (sales, marketing)

So strong communication means being able to bridge gaps:

  • Translate technical stuff to non-tech language.
  • Align goals, negotiate timelines, give/receive feedback respectfully.

🔹 6. Conflict Resolution

When there's a disagreement:

  • You can express disagreement without being rude.
  • You can negotiate, not just argue.
  • You don’t take things personally or make it personal.

📌 Example:

Instead of saying “Your design doesn’t make sense,”

You say: “I think the design looks great overall, but I’m concerned about usability on small screens — can we test it together?”

🔹 TL;DR – Strong Communication Skills Mean:

  • You speak and write clearly.
  • You listen actively.
  • You adapt how you communicate based on the audience.
  • You handle feedback and disagreements like a pro.
  • You make others feel understood and aligned.

If you're applying for jobs, having “strong communication skills” means you're easy to work with, your ideas are understood, and you help others do better work too — that’s why companies value it so much.