If you think your general communication skills could do with some improvement before they are tested throughout the process, consider these opportunities that you could get involved with:

Man the phones

There are often a whole host of telephone jobs on university campuses. Most of which will be cold-calling alumni for donations. You may be opposed to this concept but it is the perfect opportunity to hone in on your communication skills and figure out first-hand what works when trying to build relationships.

If there aren't any telephone based opportunities on campus, get involved elsewhere. There are plenty. Charities have always got roles going, not only would you be supporting a charitable cause, but you would be improving your skills and adding to your CV.

Take up a public-facing or customer service part-time job

Any role where you are regularly interacting with customers, no matter how basic, will develop your communication skills. Apply for a part-time job at a supermarket.

Voluntary Work

Volunteering to help out for various charities will put you in positions where you will be communicating with people that that charity sets out to help.

Whether that be befriending the elderly or helping children learn, these opportunities will greatly improve your communication skills.

Undertake a communications role for a society

Almost every university society operates social media channels, sometimes they have a specific role dedicated to someone fulfilling that function. Apply for these. You don't need to be studying marketing or any communications related role. Learn on the job.

Write a blog or make videos

It has never been easier to write a blog and have it read online. Try medium.com. It is a free blogging service that allows you to practice your writing skills and thereby improve your communication skills.

On the other hand, make videos! When I say make videos, people probably immediately jump to YouTube. Not everyone wants to be a YouTuber or upload videos to the platform, we get that. However, there are so many different ways to record and post videos that can help you develop those communication skills.

You could do freelance work, where you are paid to read scripts in a convincing and enthusiastic manner. Many companies pay for students with specific accents to appeal to their targeted demographics.

Don't avoid giving presentations as part of coursework or in seminars

This is easy. Put yourself out there and don't turn down improvement opportunities.

Attend Workshops, Presentations and Assessment days run by your careers service

The majority of universities will have a dedicated careers service that may run workshops, presentations or practice assessment centres designed specifically for you to practice your communication skills.

Make use of these! They are gold dust! Always ask for feedback aswell.

Observe confident communicators

Watch TED Talks on YouTube and observe the techniques they use. Take a look at the Apple Product Launch events, they are some great examples of awesome communication skills being put to use under pressure.

Aside from public speaking and presentations, watch interviews with actors. Often, charismatic actors will have incredible communication skills that would have enabled them to get the positions they are in. These skills show in interviews.

I recommend the YouTube channel "Charisma On Command". He reviews interviews and social scenarios, picking apart how the individual charms the audience and explains how you can replicate those techniques. The video below is a great example of his work:

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