Talk is cheap, unless you are competing against hundreds of other candidates for your dream job. In that case, the ability to communicate effectively can land you a secure, opportunity-filled future with a good company.

Research shows that competition for good jobs remains fierce - shrinking unemployment rate not withstanding. Even job-seekers who have the experience, training and specialized skills to achieve in their fields can find themselves struggling to capture employers' attention.

Faced with a sizable pool of trained workers, many employers rely on basics - like communication, problem-solving and interpersonal skills - to help them choose the right person for a job. Experts agree that the top skills commonly sought by employers are: interpersonal, leadership, management, analytical or problem-solving, flexibility/adaptability, computer literacy and communication skills, both written and verbal.

Communication skills, however, are by far the most important.

A candidate gives a potential employer an indication of his or her communications skills nearly from the moment he or she decides to apply for a job. If your cover letter fails to relate your inquiry to specifics mentioned in the employer's ad, the employer may think you are a poor reader. If your resume is rife with grammar or punctuation errors, or short on concise, powerful description, the employer may get the message that you are not an effective communicator.

Improved reading ability is at the core of better literacy - and more effective communication. Reading ability and employability are inextricably linked in the minds of many employers. A study by the International Adult Literacy Survey supports the idea that the more literate you are the better your chances to win and keep a good job.

However, if you've read this far in the article "hearing" the words in your head, you are among the majority of readers who rely on inefficient subvocalization to absorb and process information. Research by Dr. Akihiro Kawamura, a leading brain enhancement researcher, indicates that a "whole brain" approach to learning allows the brain to absorb information more quickly. Kawamura's research was the basis for the development of the eyeQ program to improve reading ability.

EyeQ helps readers develop their skills by learning to process several words at once, then advancing to entire lines and eventually paragraphs. Twelve seven-minute sessions emphasize exercising the eye muscles and improving the eye-brain connection. On average, users of the software improve their reading speed two to 10 times.

To learn more about eyeQ and Dr. Kawamura's research, visit www.eyeQ.tv.

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