How can I justify my skills against the required person specification? I am applying for a faculty position. My academic career so far was very straightforward, which is well reflected in my CV. The job advertisement instructs that applicants should explain how they meet the requirements specified in the job description. One item in almost any faculty job is


strong communication skills


I understand the importance of communication for a faculty position, but what can I say about my communication skills? What sort of evidence can justify my skills?
"Strong communication skills" is included on virtually every faculty job posting because it is an important facet of faculty life.  A professor who can't or won't communicate effectively and respectfully can't work well with others - and academia is not a solitary profession. No department chair wants to run around cleaning up after a faculty member who has sent rude emails, alienated students or done anything else that will trigger a call from HR or the Dean's Office. No search committee wants to hire someone who will become a headache - they are looking for a new colleague. It would be a mistake to assume a well-written cover letter or research agenda is sufficient to demonstrate strong communication skills.  

When applying for any job, it's important to highlight your skills and experiences in terms closely aligned to those in the posting.  Think about the types of communication a good faculty colleague and instructor would need: working collaboratively on committees and departmental programs, sharing lab space and other physical/equipment resources, teaching or supervising a wide range of students, engaging with other departments on campus, etc.  Give some thought to your communication style (written, oral, instructional, professional, etc.) and highlight skills that would make you a desirable colleague. Have you served in any leadership roles or on any committees, written or taught as part of a group, mentored students, helped solve a sticky situation, have good teaching evaluations that you can cite (especially those pertaining to your communication with students), etc? Your examples needn't be extensive or even strictly academic (maybe you were an RA or sold insurance as an undergrad or you've worked on a community or advocacy project?) but you've got to demonstrate that you understand the importance of communication in faculty success. It is - even in the sciences!