Interpersonal, communication and social skills

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Interpersonal, communication and social skills focus on how we communicate, interact and respond to one-another, either in a professional or social setting. Whilst communication skills focus on how we communicate with each other (listening, verbally, written, multimedia etc), interpersonal skills focus on how we implement our communication - not just talking with someone, but holding conversations, getting on with people and the individual behaviours that allow people to get on with us, listen to us and help us manage difficult situations around communication, our teams and peers. Social skills support all of these activities, but help us to specifically integrate well with friends, build relationships, social and professional networks and choose behaviours and methods of communication that allow us to make friends, have fun and thrive in social settings.

To learn more about your skills in this category, you can evaluate your skills through the ‘Skills Discovery’ tool, via your CRSID.

Skills included in this area

Skills included in this area affect all aspects of our lives, both personal and professional. This means that taking time to strengthen them can positively impact our daily lives and activities; they can also enable you to have a positive impact on others. Importantly, these are the skills that become more valuable as society becomes more digitalised and impacted by technologies such as artificial intelligence, automaton and machine learning.

It is important to note that developing these types of skills has different implications depending on your background, abilities, and personality. If you have a condition or divergence that means practicing social or interpersonal skills is more difficult or needs deeper understanding, consider having a chat with a trusted person before making your skills development plan. This person could be a knowledgeable friend, a tutor, adviser, or careers consultant.

Ability to advocate
Accountability
Active Listening
Adopting a different perspective
Building networks
Coaching others
Collaboration
Communication
Compassion
Courage and risk taking
Debate
Developing relationships
Emotional intelligence
Empathy
Empowering others
Engaging with society
Fostering Inclusiveness
Leadership
Managing up
Mentorship
Leadership
Persuasion
Recognition of assumptions
Resolving conflicts
Role-modelling
Sociability
Teaching
Teamwork
Understanding biases

Ideas to develop skills in this area

Become a course representative
Undertake group work (via study or extra-curricular)
Undertake peer feedback & assessments
Study abroad
Take part in college or course admissions open days
Become a college representative
College telephone fundraising campaign
Take part in discussions and debates
Networking - building formal connections through events
Networking – undertake a workshop to build skills in networking
Sport & Physical Activity – recreational & professional activities within teams
Volunteering – offer general support to events and organisations
Skills course - learning a language
Fundraising – undertake a support role
Internship with external organisation

See the development areas below to see more detail on activities to support the development of interpersonal, communication and social skills

Learn more about activities with Societies & Committees that can support your social skills development
Find out more about how your Academic study can develop these skills day-to-day, such as articulating your points through discussions, supervisions and debates.
Community & Volunteering projects to be involved in, including campaigning, advocacy and improving teamwork skills
Professional Development courses and ideas to support your communication skills
How to get involved with physical activity & sport at Cambridge to build interpersonal and social skills
Nervous about connecting with new people at Cambridge? Read supportive guidance from the student wellbeing team.

Exploring your skills development in this area

For undergraduates access CamGuides via the university library, looking further into the ‘verbal communication’ and ‘online communication’ sections (CamGuides are available for undergraduates, masters students and PhD candidates, with various skills categories)
Access the UIS Training Course Directory for in-person and online courses in communication – these can be on general topics such as ‘communication foundations’ or specialist topics, such as ‘intercultural communication’. Check the ‘target’ audience before booking – some courses, particularly ‘in person’, are for specific groups (PhDs, staff). LinkedIn Learning courses are open to all, though you may see a recommendation for ‘staff’ you can still enrol.
Access learning opportunities online, such as ‘How to network when you don’t like networking’ and ‘Professional Networking’ via LinkedIn Learning (access via your CRSID)
Find out more about volunteering
Cambridge Students Union (societies) (find or start a society- all with various committee roles)
Ask your Faculty about supporting open days or becoming a course representative
Become a CAMbassador with Cambridge Admissions Office
Become a member of your college JCR/MCR (including roles in welfare, social media, LQBTQ+ officers, environment, IT).
If you are already experienced in this skill area or would like a career in areas of work that value these skills, think specifically about roles in advocacy, such as becoming a representative for underrepresented or diverse groups (disability, women, LGBTQ+) for your college.
Become a member of your college’s May Ball committee

Ask your college about their student-body roles at college-level, for example https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/study/life-at-kings/representation
Support the Public Engagement teams’ events in Cambridge
Get involved with the Cambridge Union
Ask about further opportunities to present your research and invite discussion via your course or department
Learn a new language or refine your language skills with The Language Centre
Attend networking events across the Careers Service, societies, college and via employer events around Cambridge

Other skills categories to explore

Digital, technology use and technical skills

Entrepreneurship & Enterprise

Self-management skills

Writing, analytical and reporting skills

Leadership & Management

Learning, thinking and reasoning

Planning and organisation skills

Presentation, negotiation and influencing skills

Definitions of skills in this area

Skill	Definition
Ability to advocate	The ability to publicly support or represent an idea, cause, or development.
Accountability	The ability to take ownership of one's behaviours and responsibilities and being able to provide reasonable explanations for one's decisions and actions.
Active Listening	The ability to provide full attention to other speakers, understand their viewpoints and utilise gained information in following conversations or situations.
Adopting a different perspective	The ability to consider a situation, idea, or problem from a new or alternative point of view.
Building networks	The ability to establish and nurture connections with individuals within one's existing network, as well as engaging with people from different educational or professional domains, clubs, or shared interests.
Coaching others	The ability to facilitate learning or training of another person, a small group, or a sports team.
Collaboration	The ability to work together with others and coordinate individuals' different skills to achieve a shared goal.
Communication	The ability to effectively share information, ideas, and emotions with others through written, verbal, and non-verbal mediums.
Compassion	The ability to understand other people's hardships and express sympathy and the desire to help them.
Courage and risk taking	The ability to embrace uncertainty and potential setbacks in the hope of desired results or great achievements.
Debate	The ability to analyse, justify, and articulate comprehensive arguments during a discussion with others while demonstrating respectable manners and engaging in a polite disagreement.
Developing relationships	The ability to build meaningful connections with others based on trust, mutual respect, and effective communication.
Emotional intelligence	The ability to have awareness over and to control one's emotions and their expression in order to handle interpersonal relationships thoughtfully and empathetically.
Empathy	The ability to share and appreciate someone else's feelings and experiences by projecting oneself into that person's situation.
Empowering others	The ability to foster confidence in others by entrusting them with tasks and decision-making responsibilities while holding them accountable for both achievements and setbacks.
Engaging with society	The ability to participate as an individual and a group member in collective activities and interactions that reinforce social norms.
Fostering Inclusiveness	The ability to appreciate diverse points of view and provide access and respect to individuals of any orientation and background.
Leadership	The ability to reinforce a project's/organisation's vision while supporting and inspiring inspire individuals with diverse character traits and preferences.
Managing up	The ability to establish and navigate a positive relationship with one's supervisor to achieve mutual success and goals.
Mentorship	The ability to pose as a role model to help and encourage another person to learn and develop skills for their personal or career development or achieve a certain goal.
Persuasion	The ability to change others' attitudes, motivations, or behaviours through a sound reasoning or argument.
Recognition of assumptions	The ability to recognise beliefs or assumptions which may not be necessarily true.
Resolving conflicts	The ability to identify, address, and solve a conflict in a collaborative manner that promotes positive team dynamics and progress.
Role-modelling	The ability to demonstrate positive behaviours, attitudes, and values as an example for others to emulate.
Sociability	The ability to meet and spend time with other people in a friendly and approachable manner.
Teaching	The ability to help with developing someone's subject knowledge or skills, create engaging lesson plans, effectively communicate feedback, and create a supportive learning environment.
Teamwork	The ability to work together with others or in a group to collaboratively achieve a common goal.
Understanding biases	The ability to recognise when pre-existing patterns affect one's thinking process or judgement, often in an unconscious or unfair way.